Potential Effects of Environmental and Occupational Exposure to Microplastics: An Overview of Air Contamination.

Microplastics (MPs) are now ubiquitous environmental contaminants that lead to unavoidable human exposure; they have received increasing attention in recent years and have become an emerging area of research. The greatest concern is the negative impacts of MPs on marine, fresh-water, and terrestrial ecosystems, as well as human health, to the extent that the World Health Organization (WHO) calls for increased research and standardized methods to assess exposure to MPs. Many countries and international organizations are implementing or proposing legislation in this regard.

Effects of Essential Oils from spp. and on Biofilm and Virulence Properties of O157:H7.

Every year, the pharmaceutical and food industries produce over 1000 tons of essential oils (EOs) exploitable in different fields as the development of eco-friendly and safe antimicrobial inhibitors. In this work we investigated the potential of some EOs, namely , , and , on the growth, biofilm formation and gene expression in four strains of enterohemorrhagic O157:H7. All EOs were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

MicroRNAs diagnostic and prognostic value as predictive markers for malignant mesothelioma.

Malignant mesothelioma is an aggressive tumor resistant to current therapies with a latency period ranging between 20 and 60 years, caused by inhalation of asbestos fibers, that continues to represent a social and healthcare issue. The high percentage of people exposed to asbestos for professional or environmental reasons is associated with the high biopersistence of its fibers and with its widespread use in the last century. Approximately 20-40% of men report an occupational history that might have caused the workplace exposure (criteria Helsinki, 1997).

Mobility of trace metals in serpentinite-derived soils of the Pollino Massif (Southern Italy): insights on bioavailability and toxicity.

This paper deals with the evaluation of geo- and bioavailability of trace elements, including heavy metals, present in a typical serpentinite-derived soil of the Pollino Massif (Southern Italy). Precisely, the research was aimed to (1) assess processes and factors controlling the mobility of metals in the soil in order to identify the elements "potentially harmful" for the human health, (2) estimate possible metals accumulation in horticultural crops, and (3) evaluate phyto- and genotoxicity of Cr naturally present in soils and water. The studied profile has a homogeneous mineralogical composition consisting of metal-rich phases as prevailing minerals.

Molecular and structural changes induced by essential oil treatments in Vicia faba roots detected by FTIR and FTNIR spectroscopy.

Essential oils have recognized antimicrobial and antifungal properties which allow their utilization in agriculture like an alternative to pesticides, but their utilization requires the knowledge of all the potential structural changes and damages produced by the interaction with the vegetal organisms. In this paper, we investigated the effects of two essential oils, the tea tree oil (TTO) and the mixture of clove and rosemary oils (C + R), on the molecular structure of Vicia faba roots by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Fourier near infrared transform (FTNIR) spectroscopy. FTIR spectroscopy showed structural modifications of the absorption bands related to DNA (1100 and 1050 cm, carbohydrate backbones, and nucleotide bands within 900 and 850 cm), proteins (1700 and 1600 cm amide I band, 1580 and 1520 cm amide II band), and lipids (methylene group of aliphatic chains between 2950 and 2800 cm).