Ecological fitness impairments induced by chronic exposure to polyvinyl chloride nanospheres in .

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of chronic exposure (21 days) to an environmentally relevant concentration (10 μg/L) of two different nanoplastic (NP) polymers on the aquatic model organism . This study examined the impact of exposure to 200 nm polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) and polyvinyl chloride nanoplastics (PVC-NPs), which had an average size similar to that of PS-NPs (ranging from 50 nm to 350 nm). The effects of polymer exposure on morphometric parameters, number of molts, swimming behaviour, and reproductive outcomes were evaluated.

Biomonitoring of human activities recovery following lockdown in a highly touristic Mediterranean Island using Mytilus galloprovincialis.

Coastal waters face significant anthropogenic stress, particularly from tourism, exacerbating pollution, especially in areas like touristic islands. Ischia, the largest island in the Gulf of Naples and part of the Regno di Nettuno Marine Protected Area, suffers from pollution due to tourism and maritime traffic. During the initial SARS-CoV-2 lockdown from March to June 2020, Ischia was isolated, providing a unique opportunity to study pollutant release and its impact on coastal ecosystems.

Design organization and clinical processes around patient characteristics: Evidence from a multiple case study of Hemophilia.

There is growing evidence of the relevance of designing organization of care around patient characteristics; this is especially true in the case of complex chronic diseases. The goal of the paper - that focuses on the analysis of the clinical condition hemophilia in three different centers - is to address two different research questions:1. How can we define, within the same clinical condition, different patient profiles homogeneous in terms of intensity of service required (e.

Sublethal effects induced by different plastic nano-sized particles in Daphnia magna at environmentally relevant concentrations.

A growing number of studies have reported the toxic effects of nanoplastics (NPs) on organisms. However, the focus of these studies has almost exclusively been on the use of polystyrene (PS) nanospheres. Herein, we aim to evaluate the sublethal effects on Daphnia magna juveniles of three different NP polymers: PS-NPs with an average size of 200 nm, polyethylene [PE] NPs and polyvinyl chloride [PVC] NPs with a size distribution between 50 and 350 nm and a comparable mean size.

Glacier foreland insect uptake synthetic compounds: an emerging environmental concern.

Pesticides, synthetic fragrances and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons contaminated two glacier-fed streams (Amola, Mandrone) and one spring (Grostè) in the Italian Alps. Ten compounds (chlorpyrifos (CPY), chlorpyrifos-methyl (CPY-m), galaxolide (HHCB), tonalide (AHTN), fluorene (Flu), phenanthrene (Phen), anthracene (Ant), fluoranthene (Fl), pyrene (Pyr), benzo[a]anthracene (BaA)) accumulated in aquatic larvae of chironomids (Diamesa steinboecki, D. latitarsis, D.

Occurrence, sources, and ecological risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the Amazon river.

The Amazon is the largest river by discharge volume and one of the most biodiverse biomes in the world. Lately, there has been a rapid increase of the urban population in the region, which has been translated into a growing emission of organic contaminants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) into surface water bodies. This study provides the most comprehensive evaluation of the PAH contamination levels in surface waters of the Amazon basin.

Bioconcentration and cellular effects of emerging contaminants in sponges from Maldivian coral reefs: A managing tool for sustainable tourism.

Tourism is the main income source for the Maldives, but concurrently, it represents a growing threat to its marine ecosystem. Here, we monitored the bioaccumulation of 15 emerging contaminants (ECs) in the Maldivian reef sponges Spheciospongia vagabunda collected in two resort islands (Athuruga and Thudufushi, Ari Atoll) and an inhabited island (Magoodhoo, Faafu Atoll), and we analysed their impact on different sponge cellular stress biomarkers. Caffeine and the insect repellent DEET were detected in sponges of all the islands, whereas the antibiotic erythromycin and the UV filter 4-methylbenzylidene camphor were found in resort islands only.

Silent Contamination: The State of the Art, Knowledge Gaps, and a Preliminary Risk Assessment of Tire Particles in Urban Parks.

Tire particles (TPs) are one of the main emission sources of micro- and nano-plastics into the environment. Although most TPs are deposited in the soil or in the sediments of freshwater and although they have been demonstrated to accumulate in organisms, most research has focused on the toxicity of leachate, neglecting the potential effects of particles and their ecotoxicological impact on the environment. In addition, studies have focused on the impact on aquatic systems and there are many gaps in the biological and ecotoxicological information on the possible harmful effects of the particles on edaphic fauna, despite the soil ecosystem becoming a large plastic sink.

Integrated Exposure and Algal Ecotoxicological Assessments of Effluents from Secondary and Advanced-Tertiary Wastewater-Treatment Plants.

The great concern over the environmental impact of wastewaters has led to the designing of advanced treatment processes to upgrade conventional treatment plants and achieve a significant reduction of contaminants in receiving waters. In the present study we combined chemical and ecotoxicological analyses, aiming to evaluate the reduction of toxicity effects associated with the removal of micropollutants and to define the contribution of the detected compounds to the overall toxicity of the mixtures in a series of wastewater effluents collected from a secondary treatment (OUT 2) and from a tertiary activated carbon treatment (OUT 3) plant. The target compounds were selected after a screening procedure among pharmaceuticals, musk fragrances, and trace metals.

Nanoplastics: Status and Knowledge Gaps in the Finalization of Environmental Risk Assessments.

Nanoplastics (NPs) are particles ranging in size between 1 and 1000 nm, and they are a form of environmental contaminant of great ecotoxicological concern. Although NPs are widespread across ecosystems, they have only recently garnered growing attention from both the scientific community and regulatory bodies. The present study reviews scientific literature related to the exposure and effects of NPs and identifies research gaps that impede the finalization of related environmental risk assessments (ERAs).

Use of the Species Sensitivity Distribution Approach to Derive Ecological Threshold of Toxicological Concern (eco-TTC) for Pesticides.

The species sensitivity distribution (SSD) calculates the hazardous concentration at which 5% of species (HC) will be potentially affected. For many compounds, HC values are unavailable impeding the derivation of SSD curves. Through a detailed bibliographic survey, we selected HC values (from acute toxicity tests) for freshwater aquatic species and 129 pesticides.

Ecological risk assessment of pesticides in urban streams of the Brazilian Amazon.

The use of pesticides in households and peri-urban areas of the Amazon has increased notably during the last years. Yet, the presence of these contaminants in Amazonian freshwater ecosystems remains unexplored. Here, we assessed the exposure to 18 pesticides and 5 transformation products in the Amazon River and in the urban streams of Manaus, Santarém, Macapá, and Belém (Brazil).

Sulfoxaflor and nutritional deficiency synergistically reduce survival and fecundity in bumblebees.

A range of anthropogenic factors are causing unprecedented bee declines. Among these drivers the usage of pesticides is believed to be crucial. While the use of key bee-harming insecticides, such as the neonicotinoids, has been reduced by regulatory authorities, novel, less studied substances have occupied their market niche.

Pharmaceuticals and other urban contaminants threaten Amazonian freshwater ecosystems.

Urban areas in the Brazilian Amazon have grown at an unprecedented rate during the last years. About 90% of the wastewater produced by these urban areas are discharged untreated into Amazonian freshwater ecosystems, constituting a potential environmental pathway for pharmaceuticals and other chemicals consumed by modern societies (e.g.

Burkholderia thailandensis E264 as a promising safe rhamnolipids' producer towards a sustainable valorization of grape marcs and olive mill pomace.

Within the circular economy framework, our study aims to assess the rhamnolipid production from winery and olive oil residues as low-cost carbon sources by nonpathogenic strains. After evaluating various agricultural residues from those two sectors, Burkholderia thailandensis E264 was found to use the raw soluble fraction of nonfermented (white) grape marcs (NF), as the sole carbon and energy source, and simultaneously, reducing the surface tension to around 35 mN/m. Interestingly, this strain showed a rhamnolipid production up to 1070 mg/L (13.

A quantitative structure-activity relationships approach to predict the toxicity of narcotic compounds to aquatic communities.

Species may vary markedly in terms of their sensitivity to toxicants, and such variation can be described through the species sensitivity distribution (SSD) approach. Using SSD cumulative functions, it is possible to calculate the hazardous concentration for 5% of the species (HC), namely the contaminant concentration at which 5% of species will be affected. HC is often utilised to derive the predicted no-effect concentration, or the concentration at which a chemical will likely have no toxic effects on the different species present in an ecosystem.

Natural molecule coatings modify the fate of cerium dioxide nanoparticles in water and their ecotoxicity to Daphnia magna.

The ongoing development of nanotechnology has raised concerns regarding the potential risk of nanoparticles (NPs) to the environment, particularly aquatic ecosystems. A relevant aspect that drives NP toxicity is represented by the abiotic and biotic processes occurring in natural matrices that modify NP properties, ultimately affecting their interactions with biological targets. Therefore, the objective of this study was to perform an ecotoxicological evaluation of CeONPs with different surface modifications representative of NP bio-interactions with molecules naturally occurring in the water environment, to identify the role of biomolecule coatings on nanoceria toxicity to aquatic organisms.

Behavioural and biochemical alterations by chlorpyrifos in aquatic insects: an emerging environmental concern for pristine Alpine habitats.

This study aimed to assess how different concentrations of the insecticide chlorpyrifos (1.1, 5.24, 11, 52.

Soft Piezoionic/Piezoelectric Nanocomposites Based on Ionogel/BaTiO Nanoparticles for Low Frequency and Directional Discriminative Pressure Sensing.

We report on the fabrication and electro-mechanical characterization of a nanocomposite system exhibiting anisotropic electrical response under the application of tactile compressive stresses (5 kPa) at low frequencies (0.1-1 Hz). The nanocomposite is based on a chemically cross-linked gel incorporating a highly conductive ionic liquid and surface functionalized barium titanate (BaTiO) ferroelectric nanoparticles.