Response of spontaneous plants from an ex-mining site of Elba island (Tuscany, Italy) to metal(loid) contamination.

The release of large amounts of toxic metals in the neighboring sites of abandoned mine areas represents an important environmental risk for the ecosystem, because it adversely affects soil, water, and plant growth. The aim of the present study was to investigate the metal(loid) (As, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) contents of native Mediterranean plants grown on the ex-mining area of Elba island (Italy), with the prospective of its recovery by further phytoremediation technology. Soil samples were collected and characterized for metal(loid) content in total and potentially available (EDTA-extractable) fractions.

Chemical stability of CdSe quantum dots in seawater and their effects on a marine microalga.

With the increasing use of nanotechnologies, it is expected that nanomaterials end up in natural aquatic systems, from freshwater to the sea. In this work we studied the chemical behaviour of water-soluble CdSe QDs in seawater and their effects on the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum, as a model of a biological receptor in the marine environment. We evaluated QD toxicity in terms of growth rate inhibition, oxidative stress and ROS accumulation.