Occurrence of rare earth elements in water, sediment, and freshwater fish of diverse trophic levels and feeding ecology: Insights from the Po river (northwest Italy).

To date, the occurrence of rare earth elements (REEs) in freshwater ecosystems has garnered limited attention in the scientific literature. Furthermore, a dearth of data exists regarding their potential bioaccumulation in freshwater fish. To fill this knowledge gap, we studied REEs concentrations in water, sediment, and fish specimens collected along the Po River (northwest Italy) and calculated biota-sediment accumulation (BSAF) and bioconcentration (BCF) factors, while taking into account fish feeding behavior and trophic level effects on the overall content of total REEs (ƩREEs).

Microplastic patterns in riverine waters and leaf litter: Leaf bag technique to investigate the microplastic accumulation trends in lotic ecosystems.

Microplastics (MPs) are one of the major ecological concerns of the last years and despite the increasing interest and the rise of many studies regarding freshwater habitats, many aspects about distribution patterns, transport pathways and impacts of MPs in those systems need to be investigated. The present study characterizes the temporal trends of MP concentrations in waters of a riverine stretch of the northeastern Italy, subject to flow rate variations and investigates the MP accumulations patterns in the leaf litter, simulated in situ via leaf bag technique. MP concentrations in the water were significantly and negatively correlated to the flow rate regimes, with higher concentrations observed during low discharge periods.

The Gut Microbiota of Farmed and Wild Brook Trout (): Evaluation of Feed-Related Differences Using 16S rRNA Gene Metabarcoding.

The gut microbiota has become a topic of increasing importance in various fields, including aquaculture. Several fish species have been the subject of investigations concerning the intestinal microbiota, which have compared different variables, including the intestinal portions, the environment, and diet. In this study, the microbiota of farmed and wild brook trout () were analyzed, in which the wall and content of the medial portion of the intestine were considered separately.

Metabolic rate and climate change across latitudes: evidence of mass-dependent responses in aquatic amphipods.

Predictions of individual responses to climate change are often based on the assumption that temperature affects the metabolism of individuals independently of their body mass. However, empirical evidence indicates that interactive effects exist. Here, we investigated the response of individual standard metabolic rate (SMR) to annual temperature range and forecasted temperature rises of 0.

Microplastics accumulation in functional feeding guilds and functional habit groups of freshwater macrobenthic invertebrates: Novel insights in a riverine ecosystem.

Microplastics pose a major threat for aquatic ecosystems, but the contamination dynamics in organisms inhabiting freshwater ecosystems is still little studied. Largely used for biomonitoring, macrobenthic invertebrates provide a pivotal trophic resource for many fish and bird species. In this study, we investigated the microplastics contamination in a macrobenthic invertebrate community (2772 individuals belonging to 33 taxa identified) in a high-plain riverine ecosystem (Vipacco River, northeast Italy) and compared the amount of microplastics accumulated in functional feeding guilds/functional habit groups.

Lethal and Sublethal Responses of (Insecta, Trichoptera) to Commercial Polypropylene Microplastics after Different Preconditioning Treatments.

Microplastics (MPs) pose biological and chemical hazards in aquatic and terrestrial food webs across the globe. Research on microplastic contamination has long focused on marine ecosystems, whereas the toxicological impact on freshwater organisms is still little explored. In this study, the lethal and sublethal response of the freshwater macroinvertebrate exposed to polypropylene MPs after different pre-conditioning treatments was assessed.

Relationship between the prevalence of Dibothriocephalus latus (Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidea) and the load of Escherichia coli: New findings in a neglected fish-borne parasitic zoonosis.

The sub-Alpine lakes of Switzerland, Italy and France have long been reported as an endemic area of diphyllobothriosis, a parasitic zoonosis caused by Dibothriocephalus latus. With this study, we explored the hypothesis for a relationship between the prevalence of D. latus in Perca fluviatilis and the Escherichia coli load in lake water.

Ecology of oxidative stress in the Danube barbel (Barbus balcanicus) from a winegrowing district: Effects of water parameters, trace and rare earth elements on biochemical biomarkers.

Fish can be highly vulnerable to environmental pressures because they are exposed to oxidative stressors in the aquatic environment. Such stressors can affect the levels of antioxidant biomarkers against reactive oxygen species (ROS). With this study we investigated the oxidative stress ecology in Danube barbel (Barbus balcanicus) from the Barbucina creek (northeast Italy), a watercourse in the Collio winegrowing district.

The unusual isolation of carnobacteria in eyes of healthy salmonids in high-mountain lakes.

Carnobacteria are common bacteria in cold and temperate environments; they are also reported during fish mortality events. In a previous study, carnobacteria were isolated from the eyes of healthy wild salmonids from a high-mountain lake. To better understand these findings, salmonids were captured from three high-mountain lakes (Lower and Upper Balma Lake, Rouen Lake; northwest Italy) during August 2019 and subjected to bacteriological and histological examination.

First Insights Into Trace Element Accumulation by Philoscia affinis (Crustacea, Isopoda): a Novel Tracer to Assess Soil Contamination in Lowland Plains?

Isopods are terrestrial invertebrates that accumulate trace elements in large quantities, thus providing information on levels of soil contamination. However, the accumulation pattern seems to be species dependent. For this study, specimens of Philoscia affinis (Isopoda, Oniscidea) and soil samples were collected from both a protected area (site 1) and urban roadside (site 2) in the low plain of Friuli-Venezia Giulia (northeast Italy) to determine whether P.

First insights into plastic and microplastic occurrence in biotic and abiotic compartments, and snow from a high-mountain lake (Carnic Alps).

Plastic pollution has become a pervasive environmental problem on a global scale, from the ocean depths to the aquatic ecosystems of the Tibetan Plateau. To date, data on plastic and microplastic occurrence in pristine ecosystems like high-mountain lakes are lacking. In this study, plastic (>5000 μm) and microplastic (10-5000 μm) levels were measured in snow at the end of the winter season (April 2020), and in water, sediment, and biological samples collected monthly (June-October 2019) during the ice-free season from the Dimon Lake, a high-mountain lake in the Carnic Alps, northeast Italy.

Long-Term Assessment of Baseline Blood Biochemistry Parameters in Rainbow Trout () Maintained under Controlled Conditions.

Twelve biochemical parameters were measured in serum blood samples from rainbow trout () maintained under controlled conditions. Forty-five samples were taken every 3 months (T1-T4) over the course of one year to define baseline values. The effect of fish total weight (TW) was also evaluated.

Occurrence and Spatial Distribution of (Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidea) in Lake Iseo (Northern Italy): An Update.

(Linnaeus, 1758) (Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidea; syn. ), is a fish-borne zoonotic parasite responsible for diphyllobothriasis in humans. Although has long been studied, many aspects of its epidemiology and distribution remain unknown.

First Occurrence of spp. (Nematoda: Dioctophymatidae) in a Subalpine Lake in Northwest Italy: New Data on Distribution and Host Range.

The genus includes nematodes that infect fish species and fish-eating birds inhabiting freshwater ecosystems. Nematodes belonging to the genus are potentially pathogenic for humans; infection occurs after the consumption of raw or undercooked fish. In the two-year period 2019-2020, a total of 292 fish belonging to eight species were examined for the occurrence of spp.

Accumulation of As, Cd, Pb, and Zn in sediment, chironomids and fish from a high-mountain lake: First insights from the Carnic Alps.

Though mountain lakes are generally much less influenced by human activities than other habitats, anthropogenic threats can still alter their natural condition. A major source of global environmental pollution in mountain ecosystems is trace element contamination. For this study we investigated for the first time the accumulation of As, Cd, Pb, and Zn in sediment, Diptera Chironomidae (prey), and bullhead Cottus gobio (predator) in a typical high-mountain lake (Dimon Lake) in the Carnic Alps.

First Report of (Trematoda: Digenea) in European Perch () from an Italian Subalpine Lake: A Risk for Public Health?

, a digenean trematode of the Clinostomidae family, is a fish-borne zoonotic parasite responsible for Halzoun syndrome in humans and is transmitted through the consumption of raw or undercooked freshwater fish. Of the total of 112 specimens of European perch () sampled from a subalpine lake (Lake Endine) in North Italy in 2019, 21 (18.75%) tested positive for encysted metacercariae in the fillet.

Oxidative stress ecology in brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) from a high-mountain lake (Cottian Alps).

High-mountain lakes are pristine ecosystems characterized by extreme environmental conditions. The atmospheric transport of pollutants from lowlands may add further stress to organisms inhabiting these environments. We investigated the environmental stress pressure on brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) from a high-mountain lake in the Cottian Alps (Piedmont, northwest Italy).

Macrobenthic invertebrates as bioindicators of trace elements in high-mountain lakes.

Alpine lakes are extreme ecosystems located in remote areas and populated by few but well-adapted species. Because of their remote location, they are often considered pristine, unpolluted ecosystems. Since the 1980s, however, they have been affected by global anthropogenic impacts.

Macrobenthic invertebrates as tracers of rare earth elements in freshwater watercourses.

Rare earth elements (REEs) are emergent contaminants in aquatic ecosystems in parallel with their growing use in science, technology, and industry. In this study we measured the concentration of 16 REEs in freshwater marcobenthic invertebrates from 6 watercourses in northeast Italy to determine their potential use as ecological tracers of REEs in aquatic ecosystems. The total REE concentration at the sampling sites followed this order: site 6 (7.