Environmental Diagnosis through a Flow Cytometric Approach.

In an era when ecological and environmental needs and responsibilities apply pressure on the world's countries and sustainability takes centre stage, ecologic/environmental (E/E) laboratories stand as beacons of scientific inquiry, innovating, optimising, and applying various tests for a better knowledge of our natural resources and the quality status of ecosystems. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the use of flow cytometry (FC) as a tool for assessing environmental quality, mainly using living organisms and their biological changes as bioindicators. Cytometric approaches applied to both marine and terrestrial ecosystems ensure the detection of biochemical and functional status of the cells composing either an organ thereof or the organism itself.

New geochemical data for defining origin and distribution of mercury in groundwater of a coastal area in southern Tuscany (Italy).

A geochemical study was conducted in a coastal plain in the Orbetello Lagoon area in southern Tuscany (Italy), acquiring new data on groundwater, lagoon water, and stream sediment for insights into the origin, distribution, and behaviour of mercury in a Hg-enriched carbonate aquifer. The main hydrochemical features of the groundwater are ruled by the mixing of Ca-SO and Ca-Cl continental fresh waters of the carbonate aquifer and Na-Cl saline waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea and Lagoon of Orbetello. Groundwater had highly variable Hg concentrations (< 0.

Biochar Amendment Reduces the Availability of Pb in the Soil and Its Uptake in Lettuce.

The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of biochar amendment to reduce the availability of Pb in the soil and its uptake in lettuce ( L. var. ).

Trace Element Uptake and Accumulation in the Medicinal Herb Hypericum perforatum L. Across Different Geolithological Settings.

The worldwide growing interest in traditional medicines, including herbal medicines and herbal dietary supplements, has recently been accompanied by concerns on quality and safety of this type of health care. The content of nutritional and potentially toxic elements in medicinal plants is of paramount interest as it may vary remarkably according to different environmental and ecophysiological factors. In this study, the concentrations of essential and non-essential trace elements-Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Sr, and Zn-were determined in the roots and aerial parts of the worldwide distributed and economically important medicinal herb Hypericum perforatum L.

Influence of ore processing activity on Hg, As and Sb contamination and fractionation in soils in a former mining site of Monte Amiata ore district (Italy).

A geochemical study was carried out at the former Abbadia San Salvatore (ASS) mining site of the Monte Amiata ore district (Italy). Hg, As and Sb total contents and fractionation using a sequential extraction procedure were determined in soil and mining waste samples. Ore processing activities provided a different contribution to Hg contamination and concentration in soil fractions, influencing its behaviour as volatility and availability.

Chemical and biological methods to evaluate the availability of heavy metals in soils of the Siena urban area (Italy).

A biogeochemistry field study was conducted in the Siena urban area (Italy) with the main objective of establishing the relationship between available amounts of heavy metals in soil assessed by a chemical method (soil fractionation) and bioavailability assessed by a biological method (bioaccumulation in earthworm tissues). The total content of traffic-related (Cd, Cu, Pb, Sb, Zn) and geogenic (Co, Cr, Ni, U) heavy metals in uncontaminated and contaminated soils and their concentrations in soil fractions and earthworms were used for this purpose. The bioavailability of heavy metals assessed by earthworms did not always match the availability defined by soil fractionation.

Potentially toxic element contamination in soil and accumulation in maize plants in a smelter area in Kosovo.

A biogeochemical field study was carried out in the industrial area of Kosovska Mitrovica in northern Kosovo, where agricultural soils were contaminated by potentially toxic elements due to smelting activity. Total and bioavailable contents of As, Cd, Co, Cu, Pb, Sb, U and Zn in soil and their concentrations in maize roots and grains were determined. Soil contamination by As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Sb and Zn was variable from slightly to highly contaminated soils and influenced both the bioavailable fraction and accumulation of these potentially toxic elements in maize tissues.

Heavy element accumulation in Evernia prunastri lichen transplants around a municipal solid waste landfill in central Italy.

This paper presents the results of a biomonitoring study to evaluate the environmental impact of airborne emissions from a municipal solid waste landfill in central Italy. Concentrations of 11 heavy elements, as well as photosynthetic efficiency and cell membrane integrity were measured in Evernia prunastri lichens transplanted for 4months in 17 monitoring sites around the waste landfill. Heavy element contents were also determined in surface soils.

Effects of landfill leachate treatment on hepatopancreas of Armadillidium vulgare (Crustacea, Isopoda).

The major environmental impact of landfills is emission of pollutants via the leachate and gas pathways. The hepatopancreas of the terrestrial isopod Armadillidium vulgare (Isopoda, Crustacea, Latreille 1804) plays an important role in the bioaccumulation of contaminants, such as heavy metals. To evaluate the effects of landfill leachate treatment, 2 different approaches were applied: 1) the detection of accumulation of trace elements (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Sb, Zn, Pb, Ni, V) in hepatopancreatic cells, and 2) the evaluation of biological effect of contaminants on fresh hepatopancreatic cells by flow-cytometric analyses.