Papers by Giorgio Sperandio
Current approaches to risk assessment in bees do not take into account co-exposures from multiple... more Current approaches to risk assessment in bees do not take into account co-exposures from multiple stressors. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is deploying resources and efforts to move towards a holistic risk assessment approach of multiple stressors in bees. This paper describes the general principles of pesticide risk assessment in bees, including recent developments at EFSA dealing with risk assessment of single and multiple pesticide residues and biological hazards. The EFSA Guidance Document on the risk assessment of plant protection products in bees highlights the need for the inclusion of an uncertainty analysis, other routes of exposures and multiple stressors such as chemical mixtures and biological agents. The EFSA risk assessment on the survival, spread and establishment of the small hive beetle, Aethina tumida, an invasive alien species, is provided with potential insights for other bee pests such as the Asian hornet, Vespa velutina. Furthermore, data gaps are identified at each step of the risk assessment, and recommendations are made for future research that could be supported under the framework of Horizon 2020. Finally, the recent work conducted at EFSA is presented, under the overarching MUST-B project (“EU efforts towards the development of a holistic approach for the risk assessment on MUltiple STressors in Bees”) comprising a toolbox for harmonised data collection under field conditions and a mechanistic model to assess effects from pesticides and other stressors such as biological agents and beekeeping management practices, at the colony level and in a spatially complex landscape. Future perspectives at EFSA include the development of a data model to collate high quality data to calibrate and validate the model to be used as a regulatory tool. Finally, the evidence collected within the framework of MUST-B will support EFSA's activities on the development of a holistic approach to the risk assessment of multiple stressors in bees. In conclusion, EFSA calls for collaborative action at the EU level to establish a common and open access database to serve multiple purposes and different stakeholders.
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the aim of this study was to estimate the intake of six DDT isomers (pp'-DDD, op'-DDD, pp... more the aim of this study was to estimate the intake of six DDT isomers (pp'-DDD, op'-DDD, pp'-DDE, op'-DDE, pp'-DDT, op'-DDT) analysing 15 foods mostly consumed by italian universitary students. In particular, it has been analysed a fresh salad with olive oil sample assumed 4 times per week. The sample was extracted and purified through ASE and column chromatography. At a later stage, the six DDT isomers concentration was obtained through GC/MS. The result shows that foods high in fat content an higher DDTs concentration. Also, traces of pp'-DDE were found in the salad with olive oil sample. Despite the presence of DDTs in almost all the food analyzed, the Estimated Daily Intake (EDI) was far lower than the limit of 10000 ng/kg bw/day fixed by the World Health Organization (WHO).
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The survey was made in a Nature 2000 area called “Sărăturile Jijia Inferioară – Prut” (code: ROSC... more The survey was made in a Nature 2000 area called “Sărăturile Jijia Inferioară – Prut” (code: ROSCI0222), situated in the north-west part of Iaşi County, Romania. The purpose was to determine and describe the different kind of vegetation of the “Sărăturile Jijia Inferioară – Prut" area with the final intent to create a vegetation map in order to complete the informations about this important wetland. The vascular flora species was collected from field and then prepared for an herbarium. For the study of the vegetation it has been used the phytosociological method created by J. Braun – Blanquet and his collaborators; every survey has been highlighted on a map. Mostly of the associations that has been found describes an index of human activities in the surveyed areas.Anthropic disturbance like agriculture, animal grazing and consequently erosion are the most common processes in that areas.
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In the last 60 years in Italy it has been assisted to a progressive abandonment of hilly and moun... more In the last 60 years in Italy it has been assisted to a progressive abandonment of hilly and mountainous areas as they became no more profitable by human activities. This phenomenon led the spontaneous vegetation into a rapid development with consequently landscape modification. The aims of this study is to analyze the structure of Cytisus sessilifolius populations, the influence on phytocoenosis, to establish the time of development and regression of the specie in abandoned grazelands and the role within the succession. Two permanents areas (A95 and B95) were studied inside the Natural Reserve “Montagna di Torricchio” in the Umbria-Marche Appenines. Structural and functional parametres were measured to all the epigeous projections, considered as a functional individual (FALINSKA,1990). The comparison with previous data obtained from the same areas lead to the conclusion that older populations are more stable, with less mortality and with significantly increased individual complexit...
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Cadmium (Cd) has been classified as a “priority pollutant” in ecosystem worldwide. It is highly t... more Cadmium (Cd) has been classified as a “priority pollutant” in ecosystem worldwide. It is highly toxic to aquatic organisms including fish at fairly low concentrations. Numerous studies have investigated the influence of Cd exposure on fish, but few of them have considered how environmentally relevant levels of Cd affect behaviour. The present study was focused to understand the cadmium effects on behaviour in predator naïve perch (Perca fluviatilis) individuals. A second aim of the study was to assess if predator naïve perch were able to recognize a predator odour cue (northern pike, Esox lucius) and to properly respond to it with an anti-predator behaviour. Along four behavioural tests carried out in a symmetrical arena, differences in anti-predator, freezing, boldness and swimming behaviour were measured with respect to sub-chronic exposure to waterborne cadmium (50 μg/l). PCA including all the behavioural variables and mixed effect model using separately the formed Boldness Score and Freezing Score were run to detect the Cd effects on behaviour. The results showed that cadmium affected behaviour and swimming ability in P. fluviatilis. Exposed fish showed increased boldness and exhibited a decrease in freezing behaviour in comparison to controls along the four behavioural tests. Most notably, however, exposed fish exhibited an impaired swimming ability resulting in significant imbalanced swimming and capsizing for several minutes during the behavioural tests. Those impaired functions may lead to a decreased individual’s fitness and indirect mortality due to an increased predation risk and finally alter the community structure and predator-prey relationships. Cadmium did not affected Condition Factor and Relative Growth Rate in exposed fish. No significant differences were found in boldness and freezing behaviour between fish treated with pike odour and water, leading to the conclusion that there is no innate ability on P. fluviatilis to detect the northern pike odour cue. This result could be useful for further studies on anti-predator behaviour on P. fluviatilis and for application to fisheries management.
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In the last 60 years in Italy it has been assisted to a progressive abandonment of hilly and moun... more In the last 60 years in Italy it has been assisted to a progressive abandonment of hilly and mountainous areas as they became no more profitable by human activities. This phenomenon led the spontaneous vegetation into a rapid development with consequently landscape modification. The aims of this study is to analyze the structure of Cytisus sessilifolius populations, the influence on phytocoenosis, to establish the time of development and regression of the specie in abandoned grazelands and the role within the succession. Two permanents areas (A95 and B95) were studied inside the Natural Reserve “Montagna di Torricchio” in the Umbria-Marche Appenines. Structural and functional parametres were measured to all the epigeous projections, considered as a functional individual (FALINSKA,1990). The comparison with previous data obtained from the same areas lead to the conclusion that older populations are more stable, with less mortality and with significantly increased individual complexity. The xeric particular conditions present in the area allow a fluctuation of the secondary succession in which Cytisus sessilifolius alternate regression to regeneration phases with a subsequential block of the secondary succession.
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Papers by Giorgio Sperandio