Toxic emissions from a military test site in the territory of Sardinia, Italy.

This work assesses the environmental impact from chemical emissions due to military tests and routine activities in the area occupied by the Italian Inter-force Test Range (PISQ), located at Salto di Quirra, Sardinia, Italy. After reviewing the military activities carried out at PISQ, such as rocket launching, blasting and armament destruction, projectile and mortar fire impact, the associated pollution is evaluated. Chemical analyses were performed by means of Scanning Electronic Microscopy and Energy Dispersion Spectrometry on biotic and abiotic matrices.

Methotrexate-induced pneumonitis in a patient with Crohn's disease.

Pulmonary toxicity is a well recognised but infrequent adverse event of treatment with methotrexate. The vast majority of cases have occurred in patients with rheumatoid arthritis; here we present the case of a 44-year old woman with ileo-colonic Crohn's disease who developed methotrexate pneumonitis. The patient had a 10 year history of Crohn's disease and, in the last 18 months, she was treated with oral methotrexate because of steroid-dependency and intolerance to thiopurines.

Methotrexate-induced pneumonitis in Crohn's disease. Case report and review of the literature.

Methotrexate (MTX) is a folate-antagonist used in several neoplastic and inflammatory diseases. Reports of pulmonary complications in patients given low-dose MTX therapy are increasing. Pulmonary toxicity from MTX has a variable frequency and can present with different forms.

Air pollution impact assessment on agroecosystem and human health characterisation in the area surrounding the industrial settlement of Milazzo (Italy): a multidisciplinary approach.

In order to evaluate the impact of atmospheric pollutants emitted by the industrial settlement of Milazzo (Italy) on agriculture, sulphur dioxide and ozone levels in air were monitored and the data were used to estimate yield losses of the most widespread cultures. Trace element concentrations in crops and soils were also detected and metabolic profiles of soil microbial communities were considered. Vibrio fischeri test was used to appraise airborne pollutant ecotoxicity and epidemiological studies on causes of death distribution were carried out to characterize health state of people living in the area.