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Abstract Exposures to fine particulate matter (PM $$_1$$ 1 ) have been associated with health impacts, but the understanding of the PM $$_1$$ 1 concentration-response (PM $$_1$$ 1 -CR) relationships, especially at low PM $$_1$$ 1 , remains incomplete. Here, we present novel data using a methodology to mimic lung exposure to ambient air (2 $$

Peat is the main constituent of cultivation substrates and a precious non-renewable fossil material. Peatlands provide important ecosystem services and allow the absorption and storage of carbon. Protecting peatlands helps tackle climate change and contributes to biodiversity conservation. Due to its importance, it is necessary to implement strategies to reduce the use of peat, such as replacing it with biomass-based alternative growing media constituents, such as Sphagnum moss. In this study, we compared the metal release and binding properties at two different pH, antioxidant activity, and total phenolic content of peat and Sphagnum moss from the Tierra del Fuego (TdF) region of southern Patagonia. Levels of the elements were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), while the types and amounts of functional groups were characterized and compared using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The total phenol level and antioxidant capacity were assessed using the Folin-Ciocalteu method and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl test. There are generally higher concentrations of leachable elements in peat than in Sphagnum moss at pH = 2, except Cs, Rb, Ti, and Zr. In contrast, at pH = 5, levels of all leached elements are highest in Sphagnum moss. Sphagnum moss shows a higher metal adsorption capacity than peat, except for Be, Mn, Tl, and Zn. Finally, the results showed that both matrices contained similar total phenolic contents: 0.018 ± 0.011 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE) per gram dry sample for peat and 0.020 ± 0.007 mg GAE g-1 for Sphagnum moss. Instead, Sphagnum moss extracts showed a significantly higher antioxidant activity [0.026 ± 0.028 mmol Trolox equivalents (TE) g-1] than that estimated in peat (0.009 ± 0.005 mmol TE g-1). Humic acids, carboxylic acids, and phenolic and lignin groups were identified as the functional groups that mainly determined the antioxidant activity of the Sphagnum moss compared to peat. The present study resulted in an advancement of knowledge of these materials for more thoughtful future use and possible replacements.

Abstract Peatlands in southern South America (Tierra del Fuego region, TdF) play a key role in the ecological dynamics of Patagonia. It is, therefore, necessary to increase our knowledge and awareness of their scientific and ecological value to ensure their conservation. This study aimed to assess the differences in the distribution and accumulation of elements in peat deposits and Sphagnum moss from the TdF. Chemical and morphological characterization of the samples was carried out using various analytical techniques, and total levels of 53 elements were determined. Furthermore, a chemometric differentiation based on the elemental content of peat and moss samples was performed. Some elements (Cs, Hf, K, Li, Mn, Na, Pb, Rb, Si, Sn, Ti and Zn) showed significantly higher contents in moss samples than in peat samples. In contrast, only Mo, S and Zr were significantly higher in peat samples than in moss samples. The results obtained highlight the ability of moss to accumulate elements and to act as a means to facilitate the entry of elements into peat samples. The valuable data obtained in this multi-methodological baseline survey can be used for more effective conservation of biodiversity and preservation of the ecosystem services of the TdF.

Introduction: Biogenic fraction of airborne PM10 dominated by bacteria and fungi, has been recognized as serious environmental and human health issues in cities.Methods: In the present study, we combined a high-throughput amplicon sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene and the fungal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, with elemental analysis of airborne particulate matter (PM10) to investigate the community compositions and structures of PM10-associated bacteria and fungi across four different seasons in three urban sites of Rome with differential pollution rate.Results: In this study, а clear seasonal shift of bacterial and fungal community structure driven by PM10 mass concentrations and environmental factors, such as temperature and precipitations, has been identified. In addition, the seasonal impact of local sources and long-range transported air masses on the community structures of the microbes has been also postulated. Our data revealed that the lack of precipitation and the subsequent resuspension of dust produced by vehicular traffic might contribute to the maximum abundance of soil-associated microbes in winter and summer. However, the increase of PM10 concentrations favoured also by climatic conditions, domestic heating and dust advection event from African desert further shaped the community structure of winter. Across three seasons, the pollutant removal-hydrogen oxidation bacteria and the opportunist-human pathogenic fungi progressively increased with pollution levels, in the sequence from green to residential and/or polluted area close to the traffic roads, with highest fraction during winter.Discussion: Hence, our results highlight a close interrelationship between pollution, climatic factors and abundance of certain bacterial and fungal predicted functional groups also with potential implications for human health.

In this survey, we studied the levels of relevant atmospheric elements well known as tracers of vehicular traffic (i.e., Cu, Sb, Sn, Fe, Mn); biomass burning (i.e., K, Rb, Cs, Li, Tl); and soil resuspension (Si, Al, Ca, Ti) in bees and beehive products (honey, wax, pollen, propolis) in five selected sites in the Rome province (Italy). To attentively support the sustainable management of the involved ecosystems, we have enhanced the information variety endowment (fourteen elements, up to 454 samples, five sites, about thirteen thousand analytical determinations) by six sampling campaigns conducted in a one-year survey (2018–2019). The control charts of the considered elements were built for the first time, employing Johnson's probabilistic method in the Rome province area. Thus, we have measured the metal concentration overlap ranges in the selected biomonitor/indicators (as well as medians and distribution) and the overlap bioaccumulation index (OBI) with respect to the lowest (OBI-Lower) and the highest (OBI-Upper) extreme values of the overlap elements’ concentration ranges. The advantage of the OBI is that we can build the control charts by considering the extremes of the bioaccumulation curves of the elements in the matrices simultaneously, thus creating a ranking among the biomonitor/indicators. This study strongly confirms the selected biomonitor/indicators' ability (excluding honey) to reflect the atmospheric deposition of environmental tracers of traffic, biomass burning, and soil in the area of Rome province. Bees and wax resulted in being very strong accumulators of environmental tracers (i.e., Cu, Sn, Mn for traffic; K, Rb, Cs, and Li for biomass burning; and Al, a soil tracer), showing high OBI-U values. For instance, bees have high bioaccumulation surplus with OBI-U values of 68.6 and 92.7 for Cu and Mn, respectively. This confirms their ability as excellent biomonitors when assessing different environmental contamination cases becomes necessary. To a lesser extent, pollen and propolis showed high levels for several tracers for OBI-U and OBI-L values. Honey often showed a univocal bioaccumulation pattern with high OBI-L values (i.e., 53.7; 154.4; and 112.0 for Cu, Fe, and Mn, respectively), indicating the low transfer capability of contaminants from the environment to the final food product, and confirming its good quality. This further confirms that honey is not appropriate as an environmental indicator. Eventually, the OBI-L index can be applied as an early warning signal when the contamination process is in its initial stages. The OBI index boosts the observer's information variety about the performance of bees, wax, pollen, and propolis as element biomonitors in atmospheric ecosystems.

The toxicity of particulate matter (PM) is strictly associated with its physical-chemical characteristics, such as size or chemical composition. While these properties depend on the origin of the particles, the study of the toxicological profile of PM from single sources has rarely been highlighted. Hence, the focus of this research was to investigate the biological effects of PM from five relevant sources of atmospheric PM: diesel exhaust particles, coke dust, pellet ashes, incinerator ashes, and brake dust. Cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, oxidative, and inflammatory response were assessed in a bronchial cell line (BEAS-2B). BEAS-2B cells were exposed to different concentrations (25, 50, 100, and 150 μg/mL medium) of particles suspended in water. The exposure lasted 24 h for all the assays performed, except for reactive oxygen species, which were evaluated after 30 min, 1 h, and 4 h of treatment. The results showed a different action of the five types of PM. All the tested samples showed a genotoxic action on BEAS-2B, even in the absence of oxidative stress induction. Pellet ashes seemed to be the only ones able to induce oxidative stress by boosting the formation of reactive oxygen species, while brake dust resulted in the most cytotoxic. In conclusion, the study elucidated the differential response of bronchial cells to PM samples generated by different sources. The comparison could be a starting point for a regulatory intervention since it highlighted the toxic potential of each type of PM tested.

Food product safety and quality are closely related to the elemental composition of food. This study combined multielement analysis and chemometric tools to characterize 237 extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) samples from 15 regions of Italy, and to verify the possibility of discriminating them according to different quality factors, such as varietal or geographical origin or whether they were organically or traditionally produced. Some elements have antioxidant properties, while others are toxic to humans or can promote oxidative degradation of EVOO samples. In particular, the antioxidant activity of oils’ hydrophilic fraction was estimated and the concentrations of 45 elements were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). At first, univariate and multivariate analyses of variance were used to compare the element concentrations, and statistically significant differences were found among samples from different regions. Successively, discriminant classification approaches were used to build a model for EVOO authentication, considering, in turn, various possible categorizations. The results have indicated that chemometric methods coupled with ICP-MS have the potential to discriminate and characterize the different types of EVOO, and to provide “typical” elemental fingerprints of the various categories of samples.

Increased attention has been given to particulate matter (PM) that, as well as worsening air quality, is responsible for chronic and acute respiratory or cardiovascular diseases. Currently, most of the studies are focused on the capacity of plants and other biological media to adsorb PM, whereas few works explore the functional damage due to PM on urban vegetation. The present study, considering Quercus ilex L. as target species for its wide distribution in the Mediterranean urban and natural areas, pointed out that PM accumulation, inferred from magnetic and chemical properties, has almost no effects on structural morpho-functional traits as Relative Water Content or Specific Leaf Area but can impair processes related to the first photochemical reactions suggesting shading effect on leaves. PSI functionality and thus, carbon assimilation related processes, are impaired to a lesser extent by the oxidative potential of PM. Our results showed that, although several oxidative stressors can simultaneously affect morpho-functional traits, the interdisciplinary approach tested here can be a key tool to enlarge the spatial scale of biomonitoring activities as much as possible, and highlight a functional indicator of PM injury. This is needed to enhance the knowledge about the complex processes that are implied in the dynamic relationship between air quality, vegetation functionality and ecosystem services provisioning in urban areas.

The ability of lichen transplant Evernia prunastri (L.) Ach. to reflect air concentration and spatial distribution of 7 polychlorinated dibenzodioxins (PCDDs), 10 polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and 23 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) was evaluated through the construction of a wide and dense biomonitoring network. For this purpose, 23 lichen transplants were placed in a highly polluted area in Central Italy, characterized by the presence of different local emission sources such as a power plant, a steel plant, vehicular traffic, and domestic heating. The high spatial resolution data obtained from lichens were used to map the spatial distribution of the studied compounds, useful to identify the location and strength of target compounds sources over the territory. The maps showed that the highest concentrations of the pollutants were detected, as expected, in the sites close to the power plant and to the steel plant, confirming their important role as persistent pollutants emission sources. The statistical analysis performed on the spatially resolved data allowed us to identify the steel plant as the main source of PCDD/Fs, while PCBs were emitted by both the steel plant and the power plant. Finally, the efficiency of lichen transplants to reflect PCDD/Fs and PCBs atmospheric concentrations was assessed by comparing lichen data with POPs deposition measured by bulk deposition samplers at sites impacted by intensive emission sources; good results were achieved from the comparison (R2 > 0.79). Lichen transplants have demonstrated to be suitable biomonitors of POPs, allowing to obtain a high spatial monitoring network. The low-cost biomonitoring and experimental approach described in this study can be applied to other monitoring campaigns for identifying localizing emission sources of POPs in areas contaminated by several disaggregated sources.

Background: The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of traffic on human health comparing biomonitoring data measured during the COVID-19 lockdown, when restrictions led to a 40% reduction in airborne benzene in Rome and a 36% reduction in road traffic, to the same parameters measured in 2021. Methods: Biomonitoring was performed on 49 volunteers, determining the urinary metabolites of the most abundant traffic pollutants, such as benzene and PAHs, and oxidative stress biomarkers by HPLC/MS-MS, 28 elements by ICP/MS and metabolic phenotypes by NMR. Results: Means of s-phenylmercaputric acid (SPMA), metabolites of naphthalene and nitropyrene in 2020 are 20% lower than in 2021, while 1-OH-pyrene was 30% lower. A reduction of 40% for 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanosine (8-oxoGuo) and 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodGuo) and 60% for 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (8-oxoGua) were found in 2020 compared to 2021. The concentrations of B, Co, Cu and Sb in 2021 are significantly higher than in the 2020. NMR untargeted metabolomic analysis identified 35 urinary metabolites. Results show in 2021 a decrease in succinic acid, a product of the Krebs cycle promoting inflammation. Conclusions: Urban pollution due to traffic is partly responsible for oxidative stress of nucleic acids, but other factors also have a role, enhancing the importance of communication about a healthy lifestyle in the prevention of cancer diseases.

The RHAPS (Redox-Activity And Health-Effects Of Atmospheric Primary And Secondary Aerosol) project was launched in 2019 with the major objective of identifying specific properties of the fine atmospheric aerosol from combustion sources that are responsible for toxicological effects and can be used as new metrics for health-related outdoor pollution studies. In this paper, we present the overall methodology of RHAPS and introduce the phenomenology and the first data observed. A comprehensive physico-chemical aerosol characterization has been achieved by means of high-time resolution measurements (e.g., number size distributions, refractory chemical components, elemental composition) and low-time resolution analyses (e.g., oxidative potential, toxicological assays, chemical composition). Preliminary results indicate that, at the real atmospheric conditions observed (i.e., daily PM1 from less than 4 to more than 50 μg m−3), high/low mass concentrations of PM1, as well as black carbon (BC) and water soluble Oxidative Potential (WSOP,) do not necessarily translate into high/low toxicity. Notably, these findings were observed during a variety of atmospheric conditions and aerosol properties and with different toxicological assessments. Findings suggest a higher complexity in the relations observed between atmospheric aerosol and toxicological endpoints that go beyond the currently used PM1 metrics. Finally, we provide an outlook to companion papers where data will be analyzed in more detail, with the focus on source apportionment of PM1 and the role of source emissions on aerosol toxicity, the OP as a predictive variable for PM1 toxicity, and the related role of SOA possessing redox-active capacity, exposure-response relationships for PM1, and air quality models to forecast PM1 toxicity.

Water-soluble and insoluble fractions of airborne particulate matter (PM) exhibit different toxicological potentials and peculiar mechanisms of action in biological systems. However, most of the research on the oxidative potential (OP) of PM is focused exclusively on its water-soluble fraction, since experimental criticisms were encountered for detaching the whole PM (soluble and insoluble species) from field filters. However, to estimate the actual potential effects of PM on human health, it is essential to assess the OP of both its water-soluble and insoluble fractions. In this study, to estimate the total OP (TOP), an efficient method for the detachment of intact PM10 from field filters by using an electrical toothbrush was applied to 20 PM10 filters in order to obtain PM10 water suspensions to be used for the DCFH, AA and DTT oxidative potential assays (OPDCFH, OPAA and OPDTT). The contribution of the insoluble PM10 to the TOP was evaluated by comparing the TOP values to those obtained by applying the three OP assays to the water-soluble fraction of 20 equivalent PM10 filters. The OP of the insoluble fraction (IOP) was calculated as the difference between the TOP and the WSOP. Moreover, each PM10 sample was analyzed for the water-soluble and insoluble fractions of 10 elements (Al, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, Li, Ni, Rb, Sb, Sn) identified as primary elemental tracers of the main emission sources in the study area. A principal component analysis (PCA) was performed on the data obtained to identify the predominant sources for the determination of TOP, WSOP, and IOP. Results showed that water-soluble PM10 released by traffic, steel plant, and biomass burning is mainly responsible for the generation of the TOP as well as of the WSOP. This evidence gave strength to the reliability of the results from OP assays performed only on the water-soluble fraction of PM. Lastly, the IOPDCFH and IOPDTT were found to be principally determined by insoluble PM10 from mineral dust.

Biogenic fraction of airborne PM10 which includes bacteria, viruses, fungi and pollens, has been proposed as one of the potential causes of the PM10 toxicity. The present study aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the microbial community variations associated to PM10, and their main local sources in the surrounding environment in three urban sites of Rome, characterized by differential pollution rate: green area, residential area and polluted area close to the traffic roads. We combined high-throughput amplicon sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene and the fungal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, with detailed chemical analysis of particulate matter sampled from air, paved road surfaces and leaf surfaces of Quercus ilex. Our results demonstrated that bacterial and fungal airborne communities were characterized by the highest alpha-diversity and grouped separately from epiphytic and road dust communities. The reconstruction of source-sink relationships revealed that the resuspension/deposition of road dust from traffic might contribute to the maximum magnitude of microbial exchanges. The relative abundance of extremotolerant microbes was found to be enhanced in epiphytic communities and was associated to a progressively increase of pollution levels as well as opportunistic human pathogenicity in fungal communities.

Bees and their products are useful bioindicators of anthropogenic activities and could overcome the deficiencies of air quality networks. Among the environmental contaminants, mercury (Hg) is a toxic metal that can accumulate in living organisms. The first aim of this study was to develop a simple analytical method to determine Hg in small mass samples of bees and beehive products by cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometry. The proposed method was optimized for about 0.02 g bee, pollen, propolis, and royal jelly, 0.05 g beeswax and honey, or 0.1 g honeydew with 0.5 mL HCl, 0.2 mL HNO3, and 0.1 mL H2O2 in a water bath (95 °C, 30 min); samples were made up to a final volume of 5 mL deionized water. The method limits sample manipulation and the reagent mixture volume used. Detection limits were lower than 3 µg kg−1 for a sample mass of 0.02 g, and recoveries and precision were within 20% of the expected value and less than 10%, respectively, for many matrices. The second aim of the present study was to evaluate the proposed method’s performances on real samples collected in six areas of the Lazio region in Italy.

Reusable water bottles are growing in popularity; thus, possible chemical release from the internal surface into water should be carefully considered to control related health risks. We experimentally evaluated the release into deionized water of 40 elements, six phthalates, and bisphenol-A for 20 different reusable bottles by simulating the use in real world scenario. The 20 bottles, identified as those most purchased in Italy, were made of various materials (stainless steel, aluminum, plastic, and silicone). The experiment was carried out for four consecutive weeks in duplicate for each type of bottle. Our results showed the release, to various extents, of inorganic elements from all 20 bottles, while the release of phthalates and bisphenol-A was never found. The elements most frequently released were Al, Sr, Mo, and Cr, while the highest concentrations were for Ca, K, Mg, and Na; the release of toxic elements (such as Pb, Cd, Ni, Sb) also occurred. The comparison of our results with regulatory limits on drinking water quality revealed no exceeding values except for Al. However, these releases represent a further intake, and the related risks cannot be neglected, especially for highly susceptible populations. Thus, it is essential to correctly inform consumers both with dedicated interventions and exhaustive labelling.

Over the last years, various acellular assays have been used for the evaluation of the oxidative potential (OP) of particular matter (PM) to predict PM capacity to generate reactive oxygen (ROS) and nitrogen (RNS) species in biological systems. However, relationships among OP and PM toxicological effects on living organisms are still largely unknown. This study aims to assess the effects of atmospheric PM-selected components (brake dust - BD, pellet ash - PA, road dust - RD, certified urban dust NIST1648a - NIST, soil dust - S, coke dust - C and Saharan dust - SD) on the model plant A. thaliana development, with emphasis on their capacity to induce oxidative stress and root morphology alteration. Before growing A. thaliana in the presence of the PM-selected components, each atmospheric dust has been chemically characterized and tested for the OP through dithiothreitol (DTT), ascorbic acid (AA) and 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescin (DCFH) assays. After the exposure, element bioaccumulation in the A. thaliana seedlings, i.e., in roots and shoots, was determined and both morphological and oxidative stress analyses were performed in roots. The results indicated that, except for SD and S, all the tested dusts affected A. thaliana root system morphology, with the strongest effects in the presence of the highest OPs dusts (BD, PA and NIST). Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed correlations among OPs of the dusts, element bioaccumulation and root morphology alteration, identifying the most responsible dust-associated elements affecting the plant. Lastly, histochemical analyses of NO and O2− content and distribution confirmed that BD, PA and NIST induce oxidative stress in A. thaliana, reflecting the high OPs of these dusts and ultimately leading to cell membrane lipid peroxidation. Keywords: Arabidopsis thaliana, Atmospheric dust, Element bioaccumulation, Oxidative potential, Oxidative stress, Root morphology

Potential exposure to toxic elements initially occurs during gestation and after birth via breast milk, which is the principal source of nutrients for infants during the first months of life. In this study, we evaluated whether maternal oral supplementation with a multi-strain probiotic product can protect infants from exposure to arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), and lead (Pb) via breast milk. In-vitro studies of the bacterial strains present in this probiotic product showed a high bacterial tolerance for As, Cd, Hg, and Pb, and good binding capacity for Cd, Hg, and Pb (72%, 81%, and 64%, respectively) within 1 h of contact. We evaluated concentrations (5 mg L−1 for Cd and Pb, and 2 mg L−1 for Hg) that largely exceeded the provisional tolerable weekly intake of these toxic elements via food or water applicable for human consumption. Changes in the levels of these elements in breast milk and newborn stools were evaluated in the control (orally supplemented with placebo) and experimental (orally supplemented with probiotic) groups at birth (t0), 15 days (t15), and 30 days (t30) after delivery. Elemental analysis of breast milk did not show significant differences between the control and experimental groups at different stages of lactation; however, stool samples obtained from newborns of mothers supplemented with the probiotic product showed that Cd levels were significantly reduced (by 26%) at t15 compared with the levels of the controls. Our data did not show an association between concentration of toxic elements in breast milk and that in newborn stools. Indeed, the concentration of Cd, Hg, and Pb in breast milk decreased during the lactation period, whereas the levels of these elements in newborn stools were stable over time. Although our in-vitro data indicate that the consortium of these probiotic strains can absorb toxic compounds, this study was limited by its small sample size and potential uncontrolled confounding effects, such as maternal diet and lifestyle. Therefore, we could not confirm whether prophylactic use of this probiotic product can reduce the absorption of toxic elements. The risk assessment in the studied population evidenced a margin of exposure (MOE) of 1, or between 1 and 10 for Pb, and lower than 50 for As. This poses a potential risk for breastfed infants, indicating that interventions aimed to avoid breastfeeding-related health risks remain a major challenge in public health. Keywords: Breast milk, Meconium, Probiotic, Biomonitoring, Toxic element, Risk assessment

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Abstract: Exposure to outdoor air pollution has been shown to increase asthma symptoms. We assessed the potential role of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter 2.5) on respiratory condition in schoolchildren in the south Mediterranean area. A total of 2400 children aged 11–14 years were recruited, and data on their symptoms were collected through an ISAAC (International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood)-based questionnaire. Outdoor PM2.5 was collected for 48 consecutive hours in the schoolyards of their schools and selected residential outdoor areas. The levels of PM2.5 were measured, along with its elemental composition. The incidence of an acute respiratory illness within the first 2 years of life was higher amongst Sicilian children when compared to Maltese children (29.7% vs. 13.5% respectively, p < 0.0001). Malta had a significantly higher prevalence of doctor‐diagnosed asthma, when compared to Sicily (18.0% Malta vs. 7.5% Sicily, p p < 0.0001) and use of asthma medication in the last 12 months (12.1% vs. 4.9%, p < 0.0001) were more frequent amongst Maltese children. Total median PM2.5 was 12.9 μg/m3 in Sicily and 17.9 μg/m3 in Malta. PM2.5 levels were highest in the Maltese urban town of Hamrun (23.6 μg/m3), while lowest in the rural Sicilian town of Niscemi (10.9 μg/m3, p < 0.0001). Hamrun also exhibited the highest levels of nickel, vanadium, lead, zinc, antimony, and manganese, whilst the Sicilian city of Gela had the highest levels of cadmium, and the highest level of PM2.5 when compared to rural Sicily. Elevated levels of PM2.5 were positively associated with the prevalence of doctor diagnosed asthma (odds ratio (OR) 1.05), current asthma (OR 1.06), and use of asthma medication (OR 1.06). All elements in PM2.5 showed increased OR for doctor diagnosed asthma, while higher concentrations of Cd and Mn were associated with higher prevalence of rhinitis.

Bee health and beehive products’ quality are compromised by complex interactions between multiple stressors, among which toxic elements play an important role. The aim of this study is to optimize and validate sensible and reliable analytical methods for biomonitoring studies and the quality control of beehive products. Four digestion procedures, including two systems (microwave oven and water bath) and different mixture reagents, were evaluated for the determination of the total content of 40 elements in bees and five beehive products (beeswax, honey, pollen, propolis and royal jelly) by using inductively coupled plasma mass and optical emission spectrometry. Method validation was performed by measuring a standard reference material and the recoveries for each selected matrix. The water bath-assisted digestion of bees and beehive products is proposed as a fast alternative to microwave-assisted digestion for all elements in biomonitoring studies. The present study highlights the possible drawbacks that may be encountered during the elemental analysis of these biological matrices and aims to be a valuable aid for the analytical chemist. Total elemental concentrations, determined in commercially available beehive products, are presented.

The mass concentration of atmospheric particulate matter (PM) has been systematically used in epidemiological studies as an indicator of exposure to air pollutants, connecting PM concentrations with a wide variety of human health effects. However, these effects can be hardly explained by using one single parameter, especially because PM is formed by a complex mixture of chemicals. Current research has shown that many of these adverse health effects can be derived from the oxidative stress caused by the deposition of PM in the lungs. The oxidative potential (OP) of the PM, related to the presence of transition metals and organic compounds that can induce the production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS), could be a parameter to evaluate these effects. Therefore, estimating the OP of atmospheric PM would allow us to evaluate and integrate the toxic potential of PM into a unique parameter, which is related to emission sources, size distribution and/or chemical composition. However, the association between PM and particle-induced toxicity is still largely unknown. In this commentary article, we analyze how this new paradigm could help to deal with some unanswered questions related to the impact of atmospheric PM over human health.

Increasing arsenic environmental concentrations are raising worldwide concern for its impacts on human health and ecosystem functionality. In order to cope with arsenic contamination, bioremediation using fungi can represent an efficient, sustainable, and cost-effective technological solution. Fungi can mitigate arsenic contamination through different mechanisms including bioaccumulation. In this work, four soil saprotrophic fungi Absidia spinosa, Purpureocillium lilacinum, Metarhizium marquandii, and Cephalotrichum nanum, isolated from soils with naturally high arsenic concentrations, were tested for their ability to tolerate different sodium arsenite concentrations and accumulate As in different cultural conditions. pH medium after fungal growth was measured to study pH variation and metabolic responses. Arsenic bioaccumulation and its influence on the uptake of other elements were investigated through multi-elemental analysis using hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry (HG-AFS), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Considering the increasing interest in siderophore application for metal bioremediation, the production of siderophores and their affinity for both Fe and As were also evaluated. All species were able to tolerate and accumulate As in their biomass in all of the tested conditions and produced siderophores with different affinities for Fe and As. The results suggest that the tested fungi are attractive potential candidates for the bioremediation of As contaminated soil and worthy of further investigation.

Italy is characterized by a very variable configuration in terms of altitude, proximity to the sea, latitude and the presence of industrial plants. This paper summarizes the chemical characterization of PM10 obtained from 38 sampling campaigns carried out in 16 sites in Italy during the years 2008–2018. Chemical determinations include all macro-components (six macro-elements, eight ions, elemental carbon and organic carbon). The sum of the individual components agrees well with the PM10 mass. The chemical composition of the atmospheric aerosol clearly reflects the variety in the Italian territory and the pronounced seasonal variations in the meteoclimatic conditions that characterize the country. Macro-sources reconstruction allowed us to identify and evaluate the strength of the main PM10 sources in different areas. On 10 sampling sites, the soluble and insoluble fractions of 23 minor and trace elements were also determined. Principal Component Analysis was applied to these data to highlight the relationship between the elemental composition of PM10 and the characteristics of the sampling sites.

Suspected detrimental health effects associated with ultrafine particles (UFPs) are impressive. However, epidemiological evidence is still limited. This is potentially due to challenges related to UFP exposure assessment and the lack of consensus on a standard methodology for UFPs. It is imperative to focus future health studies on those UFP metrics more likely to represent health effects. This is the purpose of this paper, where we extend the results obtained during the CARE (“Carbonaceous Aerosol in Rome and Environs”) experiment started in 2017 in Rome. The major purpose is to investigate features of airborne UFPs associated with pro-inflammatory and oxidative responses. Aerosol chemical, microphysical, and optical properties were measured, together with the oxidative potential, at temporal scales relevant for UFPs (minutes to hours). The biological responses were obtained using both in-vivo and in-vitro tests carried out directly under environmental conditions. Findings indicate that caution should be taken when assessing health-relevant exposure to UFPs through the conventional metrics like total particle number concentration and PM2.5 and Black Carbon (BC) mass concentration. Conversely, we recommend adding to these, a UFP source apportionment analysis and indicators for both ultrafine black carbon and the size of particles providing most of the total surface area to available toxic molecules.

Outdoor air quality guidelines have been constantly implemented during the last decades. Nonetheless, no international regulations have been put into action in terms of indoor air quality standards and standardized procedures for indoor pollution measurements. In this study, we investigated the chemical composition of PM2.5 collected outdoors and indoors at six dwellings located in two Italian areas. The selected sites concerned inland/central and southern Italy, including urban, peri-urban, rural and coastal settings. The seasonal and site-specific particulate matter (PM) variations were analyzed outdoors and indoors, by estimating the impact of the main macro-sources and the contribution of the macro- and micro-components. Outdoors, organic matter represented the main contribution at inland and coastal sites, respectively during winter and summer. A clear, seasonal variation was also observed for secondary inorganic species. A site-specific dependence was exhibited by traffic-related components. Indoors, organic and soil-related species were influenced by the presence of the inhabitants. Some specific tracers allowed to identify additional local source contributions and indoor activities. Although the sampling season and site location defined the outdoor air quality, the higher PM concentrations and the chemical composition indoors were influenced by the infiltration of outdoor air and by the indoor activities carried out by its inhabitants.

Washed and unwashed Arundo donax L. (A. donax) leaves were analyzed for elements, and results were compared with element concentrations detected in river water and particulate matter (PM) Samples were collected along a river in an urban and industrial hot spot of Central Italy, where element concentrations show relevant spatial gradients both in air and river water. The aim of this study is to identify the role of the two environmental matrices on leaves composition. Element concentrations of washed and unwashed leaves were compared to differentiate between the superficial deposition and the uptake into leaf tissues of elements. Water-soluble and -insoluble element concentrations were measured in PM10 samples collected on membrane filters by using innovative high spatial resolution samplers. The comparison among leaf and atmospheric concentrations of PM10 elements showed a similar trend for Ni, Mo, Cr, Ti, and Fe, which are reliable tracers of the PM10 contribution by steel plant and vehicular traffic. Soluble species appeared to be mainly bounded into leaf tissues, while insoluble species were deposited on their surface. On the other hand, element concentrations detected in washed A. donax leaves were poorly correlated with those measured in river water samples. The obtained results proved that A. donax leaves can be used as reliable biomonitors for the evaluation of the atmospheric concentrations of some PM10 elemental components.

Recent studies have shown the potential of food waste materials as low cost adsorbents for the removal of heavy metals and toxic elements from wastewater. However, the adsorption experiments have been performed in heterogeneous conditions, consequently it is difficult to compare the efficiency of the individual adsorbents. In this study, the adsorption capacities of 12 food waste materials were evaluated by comparing the adsorbents’ efficiency for the removal of 23 elements from complex multi-element solutions, maintaining homogeneous experimental conditions. The examined materials resulted to be extremely efficient for the adsorption of many elements from synthetic multi-element solutions as well as from a heavy metal wastewater. The 12 adsorbent surfaces were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and showed different types and amounts of functional groups, which demonstrated to act as adsorption active sites for various elements. By multivariate statistical computations of the obtained data, the 12 food waste materials were grouped in five clusters characterized by different elements’ removal efficiency which resulted to be in correlation with the specific adsorbents’ chemical structures. Banana peel, watermelon peel and grape waste resulted the least selective and the most efficient food waste materials for the removal of most of the elements.

In February 2017 the “Carbonaceous Aerosol in Rome and Environs (CARE)” experiment was carried out in downtown Rome to address the following specific questions: what is the color, size, composition, and toxicity of the carbonaceous aerosol in the Mediterranean urban background area of Rome? The motivation of this experiment is the lack of understanding of what aerosol types are responsible for the severe risks to human health posed by particulate matter (PM) pollution, and how carbonaceous aerosols influence radiative balance. Physicochemical properties of the carbonaceous aerosol were characterised, and relevant toxicological variables assessed. The aerosol characterisation includes: (i) measurements with high time resolution (min to 1–2 h) at a fixed location of black carbon (eBC), elemental carbon (EC), organic carbon (OC), particle number size distribution (0.008–10 μ m), major non refractory PM1 components, elemental composition, wavelength-dependent optical properties, and atmospheric turbulence; (ii) 24-h measurements of PM10 and PM2.5 mass concentration, water soluble OC and brown carbon (BrC), and levoglucosan; (iii) mobile measurements of eBC and size distribution around the study area, with computational fluid dynamics modeling; (iv) characterisation of road dust emissions and their EC and OC content. The toxicological assessment includes: (i) preliminary evaluation of the potential impact of ultrafine particles on lung epithelia cells (cultured at the air liquid interface and directly exposed to particles); (ii) assessment of the oxidative stress induced by carbonaceous aerosols; (iii) assessment of particle size dependent number doses deposited in different regions of the human body; (iv) PAHs biomonitoring (from the participants into the mobile measurements). The first experimental results of the CARE experiment are presented in this paper. The objective here is to provide baseline levels of carbonaceous aerosols for Rome, and to address future research directions. First, we found that BC and EC mass concentration in Rome are larger than those measured in similar urban areas across Europe (the urban background mass concentration of eBC in Rome in winter being on average 2.6 ± 2.5 μ g · m − 3 , mean eBC at the peak level hour being 5.2 (95% CI = 5.0–5.5) μ g · m − 3 ). Then, we discussed significant variations of carbonaceous aerosol properties occurring with time scales of minutes, and questioned on the data averaging period used in current air quality standard for PM 10 (24-h). Third, we showed that the oxidative potential induced by aerosol depends on particle size and composition, the effects of toxicity being higher with lower mass concentrations and smaller particle size. Albeit this is a preliminary analysis, findings reinforce the need for an urgent update of existing air quality standards for PM 10 and PM 2.5 with regard to particle composition and size distribution, and data averaging period. Our results reinforce existing concerns about the toxicity of carbonaceous aerosols, support the existing evidence indicating that particle size distribution and composition may play a role in the generation of this toxicity, and remark the need to consider a shorter averaging period (

A study of spatial variability of PM10 elemental components was conducted in Terni city (Central Italy), situated in an intramountain depression characterized by the presence of several particulate matter emission sources. The meteorological conditions of the Terni basin limit the dispersion and enhance the accumulation of atmospheric pollutants. Thanks to the utilization of new smart samplers, used for the first time and working in parallel at 23 sampling sites, spatially resolved data were obtained. Localizations of the samplers were chosen in order to evaluate the impact of different local PM10 sources. Chemical composition of the samples was determined in combination with a chemical fractioning procedure that allowed us to discriminate water-soluble and residual fractions of analyzed elements in which proved to be a valuable approach for increasing selectivity of elements as source tracers. Spatial variability of elements underlined the contribution of local emission sources and the different dispersion capacity of each element. The city of Terni resulted to be an ideal area to test and validate a new experimental method for the acquisition of spatially resolved data providing the possibility to properly evaluate the spatial variability of PM10 and its chemical components.

The role of the single PM components in inducing the catalytic generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), has not yet been clarified. Different a-cellular assay are currently used in the literature for the determination of the PM oxidative potential (OP), which is considered as a predictive index of its capacity to generate ROS in biological organisms. In order to better understand the existing correlations between PO and PM generated by specific emission sources, the water soluble and insoluble fractions of seven dust coming from specific sources were chemically characterised and analysed by three PO assays: the dithiothreitol (DTT, the acid ascorbic (AA) and the 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescin (DCFH) assays. PO and chemical data were elaborated by principal constituent analysis. The three methods responded in a very different way to each dust; they are then no-interchangeable and probably none of them is able to correctly predict the ROS generation in biological organisms. DTT was particularly sensitive to organic compounds, while AA was mostly influenced by inorganic components. DCFH results are more difficult to interpret and need to be further deepened. Furthermore, the results confirmed the important role played by the insoluble components of dusts in generating oxidative processes.