A field screening test for the assessment of concentrations and mobility of potentially toxic elements in soils: a case study on urban soils from Rome and Novi Sad.

The increasing demand for environmental pollution control results in the development and use of new procedures for the determination of dangerous chemicals. Simple screening methods, which can be used directly in the field for a preliminary assessment of soil contamination, seem to be extremely advantageous. In our laboratory, we developed and optimized a rapid test for a preliminary evaluation of both the concentration and the mobility of some potentially toxic metals in soils.

Antarctic snow: metals bound to high molecular weight dissolved organic matter.

In this paper we studied some heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, As, U) probably associated to high molecular weight organic compounds present in the Antarctic snow. Snow-pit samples were collected and analysed for high molecular weight fraction and heavy metals bound to them by means of ultrafiltration treatment. High molecular weight dissolved organic matter (HMW-DOM) recovered by ultrafiltration showed a dissolved organic carbon concentration (HMW-DOC) of about 18-83% of the total dissolved organic carbon measured in Antarctic snow.

Chemical characterization and surface properties of a new bioemulsifier produced by Pedobacter sp. strain MCC-Z.

A novel biopolymer was described in the form of an extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) by Pedobacter sp. strain MCC-Z, a member of a bacterial genus not previously described as an emulsifier producer. The new biomolecule was extracted, purified and characterized, and its surface and emulsifying properties were evaluated.

Biodistribution and acute toxicity of a nanofluid containing manganese iron oxide nanoparticles produced by a mechanochemical process.

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles are candidate contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging and targeted drug delivery. Biodistribution and toxicity assessment are critical for the development of nanoparticle-based drugs, because of nanoparticle-enhanced biological reactivity. Here, we investigated the uptake, in vivo biodistribution, and in vitro and in vivo potential toxicity of manganese ferrite (MnFe2O4) nanoparticles, synthesized by an original high-yield, low-cost mechanochemical process.