Improvement of Fluorescence Tools for Fast Monitoring of Freshwater Phytoplankton and Potentially Harmful Cyanobacteria.

The use of multi-wavelength spectrofluorometers for the fast detection of algal taxa, based on chlorophyll (Chl-) emission spectra, has become a common practice in freshwater water management, although concerns about their accuracy have been raised. Here, inter-laboratory comparisons using monoalgal cultures have been performed to assess the reliability of different spectrofluorometer models, alongside Chl- extraction methods. Higher Chl- concentrations were obtained when using the spectrofluorometers than extraction methods, likely due to the poor extraction efficiencies of solvents, highlighting that traditional extraction methods could underestimate algal or cyanobacterial biomass.

Sediment quality of the Ridracoli fresh water reservoir in Italy: Insights from aqua regia digestion and sequential extractions.

The inter-element relationships and the forms in which metals exist strongly influence their mobility and, in turn, have a signature on the environment and human health. Located in the northern Apennines within the Emilia-Romagna region, the Ridracoli artificial lake is one of Italy's most important reservoirs that provides drinking water for about one million people. This work characterized the reservoir sediments by ICP-MS after aqua regia digestion (ARD), comparing the limits by law to assess environmental compliance and XRF data from the same sample-set taken as total concentrations.

Contaminants of emerging concern in drinking water: Quality assessment by combining chemical and biological analysis.

Drinking water quality is a priority issue of the environmental policy agenda, however regulation on Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) is limited. A proposal to revise the Drinking Water Directive has recently been approved (EU Council 2020), which updates the quality standards and introduces the watch list mechanism, including for the first time endocrine disruptors and pharmaceuticals. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of selected CECs in surface water at the entrance of drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) and in treated water, ready for distribution in the network.