Ecological risk assessment of pesticide mixtures in the alluvial aquifers of central Italy: Toward more realistic scenarios for risk mitigation.

In this study we used the data of an extensive pesticide monitoring survey that took place in 11 alluvial aquifers of central Italy from 2010 to 2015 to explore 4 different scenarios of risk. The Scenarios 1 and 2 were used to depict the risk of failing to meet the good groundwater chemical status as defined by the Water Framework Directive. The Scenarios 3 and 4 were used to assess for the first time the ecological risk in groundwater bodies, defined as the likelihood of hazard to the groundwater communities stably residing in the 11 alluvial aquifers that may be affected by pesticide contamination.

The ecotoxicity of binary mixtures of Imazamox and ionized ammonia on freshwater copepods: Implications for environmental risk assessment in groundwater bodies.

Groundwater bodies are impacted by substances such as pesticides and N-fertilizers, which usually occur in the environment as complex mixtures rather than isolated pollutants. The threat that these mixtures pose to groundwater-dwelling organisms is still poorly understood. The aims of the present study were to test the acute effect of a binary mixture of a herbicide (Imazamox) and NH on epigean (Eucyclops serrulatus) and hypogean (Diacyclops belgicus) freshwater copepod species.

Effect of ammonia on the gene expression levels of the freshwater cyclopoid Eucyclops serrulatus.

Ammonia pollution is a critical issue in Europe, since more than half of the European freshwater bodies actually fail to meet EU quality standards for this chemical. In this study, the response of stress-related genes to a sublethal ammonia concentration has been investigated in the adults of the freshwater cyclopoid Eucyclops serrulatus. Two short-term exposures (12h and 24h) at 12mg/L NH have been tested.

Test procedures for measuring the (sub)chronic effects of chemicals on the freshwater cyclopoid Eucyclops serrulatus.

The purpose of this study has been to describe test procedures for measuring the (sub)chronic effects of chemicals on the freshwater cyclopoid Eucyclops serrulatus. To this end we have adapted the setting of the standard full life-cycle protocol of the marine harpacticoid A. tenuiremis to E.