Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The vertical distribution of PCBs concentration and fluxes were documented over the ~100 years in a single sedimentary sequence collected in the continental shelf of the Korea Strait. Pb-210 ages and accumulation rates were estimated with... more
The vertical distribution of PCBs concentration and fluxes were documented over the ~100 years in a single sedimentary sequence collected in the continental shelf of the Korea Strait. Pb-210 ages and accumulation rates were estimated with the Constant Flux (CF) model and uncertainties with the Monte Carlo method. Sedimentation accumulation rates (SAR) found in the core YS varied from 0.2 to 1.8 cm/yr, whereas mass accumulation rates ranged from 0.2 to 1.4 g/cm2 yr1.The historical trend of deposition and fluxes of individual and total PCB agreed well with the dynamics of historical tendencies of PCBs consumption in South Korea up to mid-1980 and a peak of total PCBs of 810 ng/kg was recorded at the turn of the 1960s. A second period of deposition, when concentrations of total PCB up to 1007 ng/kg1 were reached, was evidenced between 1989 and 2010 after the ban of PCBs. Sediments deposited in 1990s - 2010, and sediments deposited in the period of maximum PCBs use (1956 - 1983) are bot...
Research Interests:
The general aim of this work is to detect spatial and temporal differences in the sediments of a shallow coastal lagoon (Pialassa Baiona, Italy) before and after dredging operations. The area \u2013 which covers a surface of about 1100 ha... more
The general aim of this work is to detect spatial and temporal differences in the sediments of a shallow coastal lagoon (Pialassa Baiona, Italy) before and after dredging operations. The area \u2013 which covers a surface of about 1100 ha - is located in the Emilia-Romagna Region 10 km north of the town of Ravenna, and bordered by the Northern Adriatic Sea. Natural and man-made changes over the time lead to existing physical features resulting in a number of different basins of less than 1 m in depth broad an irregular in shape, separated by levees and crossed by a network of artificial channels. From 1958 to 1976 the lagoon had been heavily impacted by industrial pollution, and mercury was among the most important pollutants, which nowadays contaminates the sedimentary compartment. Four replicates sediment samples were collected with a box-corer at each of twelve stations in channel and wetland areas selected as control and impact areas according to the dredging plan, and analysed for a set of heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Cr, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn). Mercury content in sediments was determined by Cold Vapour Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (CVAAS) after hot digestion with H2SO4/ HNO3 at 80\ub0 C for 3 h. Heavy metals underwent microwave digestion prior to analysis by Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption (GFAA) using a Perkin-Elmer HGA-800 Instrument. Parallel sediment toxicity testing was conducted with a 10-day mortality test using the amphipod Corophium insidiosum. Preliminary results of the pre-dredging phase are here presented with reference to heavy metals content and toxicity responses in sediment samples
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
... 2004 to August 2005 on macrobenthic assemblages in both channels and ponds in the northern Adriatic Italian coastal lagoon of Pialassa Baiona, using a sampling design based on the before/after and control/impact (BACI) approach... more
... 2004 to August 2005 on macrobenthic assemblages in both channels and ponds in the northern Adriatic Italian coastal lagoon of Pialassa Baiona, using a sampling design based on the before/after and control/impact (BACI) approach ([Green, 1979] and [Underwood, 1992]). ...
Research Interests: Earth Sciences, Environmental Science, Mediterranean, Power Plant, Biological Sciences, and 15 moreEnvironmental Sciences, Impact Assessment, Spatial Heterogeneity, Dredging, Sampling design, Method, Coastal lagoon, Sediments, Species Diversity, Grain size, Sediment, Contamination, Environmental quality, Organic Matter, and Shallow Water
The aim of this work was to measure survival of the amphipod Corophium insidiosum and luminescence inhibition in the marine bacterium Vibrio fisheri on surface sediment samples collected from a shallow coastal lagoon (Pialassa Baiona,... more
The aim of this work was to measure survival of the amphipod Corophium insidiosum and luminescence inhibition in the marine bacterium Vibrio fisheri on surface sediment samples collected from a shallow coastal lagoon (Pialassa Baiona, northern Adriatic Italian coast) before execution of dredging operations to deepen the main inner channel of the lagoon and restore the water circulation. Trace metal (Cd, Cu, Cr, Hg, Ni, Pb) concentrations, grain size and organic carbon matter content as loss of ignition were also measured. Toxicity testing with V. fisheri was carried out according to the Microtox Basic Solid-Phase Test (BSPT) protocol. The preliminary outcomes of this work show that: (a) the investigated area can be categorised as moderately degraded; (b) there is no evident spatial pattern in sediment toxicity and trace metal concentrations; (c) Microtox responses are not biased by sediment characteristics such as silt, clay and organic matter content.
Research Interests:
The biological effects of a class of oxygenated imidazolium ionic liquids were studied in comparison with alkyl imidazolium salts (BMIM BF4 and BMIM N(CN)2).The cellular and subcellular effects were evaluated on rat pheochromocytoma PC12... more
The biological effects of a class of oxygenated imidazolium ionic liquids were studied in comparison with alkyl imidazolium salts (BMIM BF4 and BMIM N(CN)2).The cellular and subcellular effects were evaluated on rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cell lines, through MTT test, lactate dehydrogenase release and acetylcholinesterase inhibition; the eco-toxicological responses were assessed through the acute toxicity tests towards Daphnia magna and Vibrio fischeri. The introduction of ethoxy moieties in the lateral chain of imidazolium cations reduced the biological effects in all the tests. The acute toxicity towards D. magna was not affected by the number of ethoxy units, but the crustacean seemed to be sensitive to the type of anion; on the contrary, a further addition of ethoxy moieties increased the toxicity towards V. fischeri, M(OE)4MIM N(CN)2 being the most toxic oxygenated ionic liquid. In the cytotoxicity assays the salts with oxygenated cations resulted ineffective compared to BMIMs, independently from the anion and the number of ethoxy units in the lateral chain. In order to estimate the influence on membrane fluidity, an analysis of fluorescence anisotropy was done and it indicated that BMIM BF4, the most toxic ionic liquid among the tested ones, led to a destabilization of the model membranes at any molarity.
Research Interests: Chemistry, Ecotoxicology, Ionic Liquid, Daphnia, Medicine, and 15 moreIonic Liquids, Cell line, Environmental Sciences, Animals, Acetylcholinesterase, CHEMICAL SCIENCES, Daphnia Magna, Fluorescence anisotropy, Environmental Pollutants, Imidazoles, Lactate dehydrogenase, Acute Toxicity, Cell Survival, Aliivibrio fischeri, and Medical and Health Sciences
Research Interests:
Lake Orta (N. Italy) was severely polluted from 1927 by an effluent from a rayon factory, which discharged great amounts of ammonium nitrogen and copper into the lake. In the mid nineteen fifties, some plating factories also started... more
Lake Orta (N. Italy) was severely polluted from 1927 by an effluent from a rayon factory, which discharged great amounts of ammonium nitrogen and copper into the lake. In the mid nineteen fifties, some plating factories also started dumping chromium and aluminum. As a result of ammonium oxidation, the lake became very acid and the concentration of metals in the waters reached very high values. Phytoplankton, zooplankton and fish disappeared suddenly from the lake which was by 1930 classified as “sterile”. Later on, about the fifties, a small population of Cyclops abyssorum re-colonised the lake together with some rotifers, in particular Hexarthra fennica. In mid eighties following the introduction of anti-pollution legislation, ammonium loads were greatly reduced and Daphnia obtusa was recorded. The lake waters however were still very acid, prompting the proposal of the Istituto Italiano di Idro-biologia to lime the lake with calcium carbonate to neutralise the excess acidity and re...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
In view of the potential use of pyrolysis-based technologies, it is crucial to understand the environmental hazards of pyrolysis-derived products, in particular bio-oils. Here, three bio-oils were produced from fast pyrolysis of pine wood... more
In view of the potential use of pyrolysis-based technologies, it is crucial to understand the environmental hazards of pyrolysis-derived products, in particular bio-oils. Here, three bio-oils were produced from fast pyrolysis of pine wood and intermediate pyrolysis of corn stalk and poultry litter. They were fully characterized by chemical analysis and tested for their biodegradability and their ecotoxicity on the crustacean Daphnia magna and the green alga Raphidocelis subcapitata. These tests were chosen as required by the European REACH regulation. These three bio-oils were biodegradable, with 40-60% of biodegradation after 28 days, and had EC50 values above 100mgL(-1) for the crustacean and above 10mgL(-1) for the alga, showing low toxicity to the aquatic life. The toxic unit approach was applied to verify whether the observed toxicity could be predicted from the data available for the substances detected in the bio-oils. The predicted values largely underestimated the experimental values.
Research Interests:
The paper reports the results of an interlaboratory comparison involving 11 laboratories, with the objectives of apply and validate a new standardized ecotoxicological method on marine crustacean Tigriopus fulvus. Copper was chosen as... more
The paper reports the results of an interlaboratory comparison involving 11 laboratories, with the objectives of apply and validate a new standardized ecotoxicological method on marine crustacean Tigriopus fulvus. Copper was chosen as reference toxicant as indicated in the official method. The results of two independent tests performed by all the participants, demonstrated that the new method is simple, fast and easy to learn. This is confirmed even by the values of z-score index calculated for each laboratory and the relative coefficient of variation (CV) which are 6.32% after 24h, 6.56 after 48h and 35.3% after 96h, mentioned in the ISO standards for the precision of interlaboratory assays. Therefore its use could be recommended in environmental studies and monitoring.
Research Interests:
A considerable correspondence between lake type (as regards the extent of the vertical entrainment of the water and trophic level) and profundal macrobenthos is shown. An ordination of the lakes according to their Oligochaeta species and... more
A considerable correspondence between lake type (as regards the extent of the vertical entrainment of the water and trophic level) and profundal macrobenthos is shown. An ordination of the lakes according to their Oligochaeta species and an indentification of possible Oligochaeta associations is attempted. -from Authors
ABSTRACT Pyrrolidinium imides are considered among the most promising electrolytes for the development of novel and sustainable portable energy devices. Because of this widespread potentiality, a risk scenario of an erroneous disposal of... more
ABSTRACT Pyrrolidinium imides are considered among the most promising electrolytes for the development of novel and sustainable portable energy devices. Because of this widespread potentiality, a risk scenario of an erroneous disposal of ionic liquids-based batteries in the environment has to be taken into account. In the present study, some of the best energy-performing pyrrolidinium-based ionic liquids were evaluated in terms of persistence in aquatic environments and hazard toward freshwater organisms (crustacean Daphnia magna and unicellular green alga Raphidocelis subcapitata). The examined ionic liquids were not aerobically biodegradable (biodegradation less than 5% in 28 days), but they demonstrated low toxicity toward algae and crustaceans, according to the standard bioassay end points (EC50 > 100 mg L–1). However, ionic liquids were able to alter the cellular morphology of R. subcapitata and an increased amount of proteins (30%) was observed in the exposed cells, suggesting an inhibition of cellular division.
Recent studies suggest that the ecotoxicity of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) is dependent upon the treatment of ENPs in suspensions (e.g. sonication or use of solvents) and on the mode of exposure to test organisms. We conducted several... more
Recent studies suggest that the ecotoxicity of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) is dependent upon the treatment of ENPs in suspensions (e.g. sonication or use of solvents) and on the mode of exposure to test organisms. We conducted several bioassays with Daphnia magna in order to determine how adverse effects of TiO2 nanoparticles (n-TiO2) are influenced by experimental set-up. Several treatments were applied, including three test media, several treatments of n-TiO2 suspensions (stirring, sonication) and different exposure modes (exposure duration and volume of test suspension). No adverse effects were observed when D. magna were exposed to 50 mL of suspension, regardless of TiO2 concentration (up to 250 mg/L) and exposure duration. Conversely, adverse effects were observed when D. magna were exposed to 2 mL of suspension for 96 h with a 50 % effect concentration EC50 values ranging from 32 mg/L to 82 mg/L. Test media had no significant influence on the outcome of all treatments. For a better mechanistic understanding of the experimental set-up at which adverse effects were observed, the particle size of n-TiO2 in the test media was characterized throughout the test duration. These measurements revealed a fast and strong agglomeration with a secondary particle size in the order of magnitude of micrometers. Our study describes how the effects of n-TiO2 on D .magna are influenced by the duration of exposure and volume of media, highlighting the need for standardization of experimental methods.
Research Interests:
The European Water Framework Directive (WFD) establishes a framework for the protection and improvement of all water bodies including transitional waters; its final objective is to achieve at least... more
The European Water Framework Directive (WFD) establishes a framework for the protection and improvement of all water bodies including transitional waters; its final objective is to achieve at least 'good status' by 2015. In the present work, a hierarchical sampling design was applied to analyze the influence of anthropogenic inputs on the spatial distribution of metals, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) dibenzofurans (PCDFs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in sediment at four areas in Pialassa Baiona coastal lagoon. In order to assess the chemical status, levels of priority substances and other pollutants were compared with the recently developed national Environmental Quality Standards (EQS) and site specific background levels for metals. Levels of mercury and PCBs were particularly high and exceeded their national EQS values at all sampled areas, thus not contributing to the achievement of a good chemical status of this transitional water body according to the WFD classification.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
ABSTRACT New polyethoxylated tertiary amines were synthesised and applied as Switchable Hydrophilicity Solvents (SHS) in the extraction and recovery of lipids from algal cultures, bypassing harvesting and de-watering steps. The... more
ABSTRACT New polyethoxylated tertiary amines were synthesised and applied as Switchable Hydrophilicity Solvents (SHS) in the extraction and recovery of lipids from algal cultures, bypassing harvesting and de-watering steps. The eco-toxicological profile of the new amines was explored by evaluating their potential in inhibiting algal growth, and deepened by measuring the acute toxicity towards the crustacean Daphnia magna and the ready biodegradability in water. Among the synthesised amines, the one bearing two ethoxy units, named amine 2, showed the best combination in terms of lipids' extractive performances and toxicity; therefore it could be considered as a good alternative to N,N-dimethylcyclohexylamine (DMCHA), at the moment the most studied and effective SHS.
Research Interests:
ABSTRACT Furan-containing quaternary ammonium iodides, bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimides, and tetrafluoroborates are obtained in good overall yield with mild operation conditions starting from furfural, a cheap chemical substance... more
ABSTRACT Furan-containing quaternary ammonium iodides, bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimides, and tetrafluoroborates are obtained in good overall yield with mild operation conditions starting from furfural, a cheap chemical substance obtainable from crop residue feedstocks. The application of these new ion pairs can be envisioned in the fields of ionic liquid solvents, of surfactants and of biocides in analogy with benzylquaternary ammonium salts. In view of practical applications, the determination of the thermal properties of new ion pairs together with preliminary ecotoxicological evaluation of some representative products has also been performed.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
ABSTRACT Cohorts of Branchiura sowerbyi were reared at different temperatures and initial population densities in order to obtain data suitable for the interpretation of population dynamics in field populations. Percent hatching from... more
ABSTRACT Cohorts of Branchiura sowerbyi were reared at different temperatures and initial population densities in order to obtain data suitable for the interpretation of population dynamics in field populations. Percent hatching from cocoons reaches its maximum at 25 C and decreases towards lower and higher temperatures. Embryonic development time, TE, was measured and the relative threshold temperature, 10 C, calculated by extrapolation. The degree day requirement for embryo development is 195 C d. The time of first cocoon laying (Tgm) was observed and the ratio TE/Tgm was seen to fit with that of other tubificid species cultured so far. Embryo mortality is rather high, while worm mortality is low or very low. Fecundity increases from 15 to 20 C but decreases at 25 C. A mathematical model for the simulation of population densities with four size-stage compartments is suggested. It could be used for the optimization of worm uptake (simulated as stage specific mortality) in mass cultures reared for the production of Branchiura, to be used as food for fish fingerlings.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Two sediment bioassay methods using Tubifex tubifex (Mueller, 1774) as the test species were compared. The first was an adult reproduction test, the second an early-life-stage survival test. The duration of both bioassays is 28 d and the... more
Two sediment bioassay methods using Tubifex tubifex (Mueller, 1774) as the test species were compared. The first was an adult reproduction test, the second an early-life-stage survival test. The duration of both bioassays is 28 d and the amount of work required was similar; they may be useful alternatives to each other in different circumstances (e.g., the early life stage
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Results from a 28-day adult reproductive bioassay using the aquatic oligochaete Tubifex tubifex (Müller, 1774) are compared with life table statistics obtained from a 6-month experiment on cohorts of the same species. This was done by... more
Results from a 28-day adult reproductive bioassay using the aquatic oligochaete Tubifex tubifex (Müller, 1774) are compared with life table statistics obtained from a 6-month experiment on cohorts of the same species. This was done by simultaneously performing the two tests on copper spiked sediments. Five concentrations and a control were tested. The 28-day bioassay was performed 3 times in succession. Several endpoints were considered for each test and LOEC, IC10 and IC50 were calculated. IC50 estimates for the number of young produced in the 28-day bioassay range from 81 to 107 mg/kg; IC50 estimates for different endpoints of the cohort experiment ranged from 88 to 106 mg/kg. The 28-day bioassay showed essentially the same sensitivity as the cohort experiment to copper. This suggests that the 28-day reproductive bioassay does provide information that is relevant in assessing long-term toxic effects at the population level.
Research Interests:
A mathematical matrix model was formulated to investigate the response of Daphnia obtusa population dynamics to the changes in the water chemistry of Lake Orta before and after the liming operation. Model parameters were estimated from... more
A mathematical matrix model was formulated to investigate the response of Daphnia obtusa population dynamics to the changes in the water chemistry of Lake Orta before and after the liming operation. Model parameters were estimated from experimental laboratory data. Model analysis showed that water chemistry changes induced by liming affected mainly egg survival and predicted the highest population growth at pH␣6. Whereas increased egg mortality heavily inhibits population growth rate, the model still predicts a long term tendency of the population to increase in number. However, both before and after the liming operation due to high food availability in the laboratory, egg production was higher under all experimental conditions than in the field. When food limitation is accounted for and more realistic, field based estimates of egg production are used, the model predicts the extinction of D. obtusa population in the lake. This suggests that the effects of water chemistry changes on egg mortality had a critical role in the disappearance of D. obtusa from Lake Orta and may even adequately explain the extinction of this population.