1,720,994 research outputs found
Dall’irrigazione alla vendemmia: metodi innovativi per la determinazione di acidi carbossilici perfluorurati (PFCAs, C7 – C12) lungo il ciclo biogeochimico della vite
No full textRelazione su invito presentata al Workshop "Recenti sviluppi nello studio della contaminazione chimica per la salvaguardia dell’ambiente: le ricerche dell’Università Ca’ Foscari (DAIS) e del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IDPA) in collaborazione con S.E.S.A. S.p.A." da Sarah Pizzini il giorno 15/12/2017
Paleoclimatologia, proxies climatici e ricerca scientifica in Antartide
No full textRelazione su invito presentata nell'ambito del progetto interdisciplinare “AlterAzione Climatica" organizzato dal Liceo Classico “Terenzio Mamiani” di Pesaro (PU) da Sarah Pizzini il giorno 16/12/2017
In-flame: INputs of FLuorinated compounds from Arctic MElting - RiS ID: 11598
No full textThe acceleration of glacier melting and permafrost thawing due to the global warming taking place on Earth might be a new involuntary source of legacy anthropogenic compounds’ redistribution. Many organic pollutants derived from human activities are now globally widespread in different environmental compartments, including those of the remote polar areas. In the framework of the In-flame project, a specific class of Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs), such as Per- and Poly-FluoroAlkyl Substances (PFASs), will be studied in the Longyearbyen area to better understand if the ongoing Arctic temperature rising is affecting the biogeochemical cycle of these compounds. Their unique physico-chemical and biological properties make them resistant to hydrolysis, photolysis, and biodegradation, as well as to metabolic processes in living organisms. PFASs are water-soluble, hence easily released into surface water and aquifers, which become the principal medium for their environmental transport. For these reasons, they can enter into the food chain through the direct consumption of this water, intensifying the possible human exposure to PFASs
Poly- and Perfluorinated Alkyl Substances in the Atmospheric Aerosol From a Rural Area of the Italian PFAS Hotspot (Veneto Region)
No full textPoly- and Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) comprise a large group of more than 8.000 synthetic organic surfactants, of which only a limited number is known and analyzed. They have a wide range of industrial and commercial applications and are commonly found in a broad variety of industrial and consumer goods.
The physico-chemical properties of PFASs are not yet known in detail and are widely debated. Nevertheless, they show a high water solubility, which makes water resources the principal medium for their environmental transport. From the toxicological perspective, their environmental persistence and bioaccumulative properties make the PFASs a threat for the ecosystems and human health.
In 2013, a widespread PFAS contamination of surface, ground, and drinking waters was discovered in the Veneto Region (North-Eastern Italy), mainly caused by the RiMAr-Miteni S.p.A. industrial wastewaters. Active since the mid-‘60s, this chemical factory contaminated one of the largest underground aquifers in Europe. The inhabitants of the provinces within the so-called “PFAS Red Zone” were exposed, unbeknownst to them, to a PFAS contamination through drinking water for a long time, which led to high concentrations of these chemicals in citizens’ serum.
Given the high resonance and impact of this environmental and health emergency, the PFAS levels in the Veneto Region are continuously monitored in inland freshwaters by the Veneto Regional Environmental Prevention and Protection Agency. Nevertheless, limited information is available in literature on PFAS levels in the atmospheric aerosol, a matrix still little investigated, even in this highly impacted area.
This work was conducted in order to overcome the lack of data relating to the occurrence of PFASs in the atmosphere of the Veneto Region.
Sampling was conducted in a rural area near the municipality of Roncade, in the Treviso province, using a using a low-volume aerosol sampler Skypost PM (TRC-Tecora S.r.l.), equipped with a sequential sampler that operates at a flow rate of 38.3 L min−1. 76 aerosol samples were collected between 02/07/2021 and 12/01/2022.
Analysis of a broad spectrum of PFASs (target compounds, their precursors and substitutes) was carried out by High Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with tandem Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS).
The compounds detected most frequently were the fluorotelomer 6:2 FTS and PFOS, while those with the highest concentration were 6:2 diPAP (802 ± 591 pg m−3), Me-FOSAA (15 ± 10 pg m−3 ), Et-FOSAA (9 ± 8 pg m−3), and the new generation compound GenX (13 ± 12 pg m−3).
It has been observed that the total monthly PFAS concentration in the particulate increases in the winter season, especially for the compounds that belong to the classes of Perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs) and Perfluorinated sulfonic acids (PFSAs). This evidence is related to the reduction of their volatility with the decrease in temperature. Furthermore, the total monthly PFAS concentration increases with increasing relative humidity during the sampling seasons.
Generally, the concentration levels detected in this study for PFOA and PFOS are comparable with those reported in literature
Determination by HRGC/HRMS of PBDE levels in edible Mediterranean bivalves collected from north-western Adriatic coasts
No full textThis study provides information on edible marine species sampled from the north-western coast of the Adriatic Sea. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were detected in bivalves of two different species (Mytilus galloprovincialis and Ruditapes philippinarum). The samples were treated by Pressurized Liquid Extraction (PLE) and analyzed by High-Resolution Gas Chromatography coupled with High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HRGC/HRMS).
There are only a few studies about PBDE levels in edible bivalves from the Italian coast, and this is the first time that bivalve species from the north-western Adriatic area are used for screening PBDEs. The total concentrations ranged from 0.003 ng g-1 wet weight (ww) to 6.66 ng g-1, with strong variations within the same sampling site. No significant differences between species were found. Moreover, the results showed that it is important to determine BDE-209, which is often neglected.
The concentrations of PBDEs reported here are relatively higher than those reported for the Mediterranean area. Considering the potentially toxic effects of PBDEs and the lack of specific legislation, this study emphasizes the need to further investigate these compounds and to establish maximum levels in foodstuff
Processes affecting the distribution of PCBs in the Southern Ocean
No full textPolychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a broad class of globally distributed persistent pollutants that differ in their degree of chlorination and, thereby, in their volatility and are subject to long-range atmospheric transport (LRAT). Although their industrial production was discontinued in the early nineties, some PCB congeners are still released into the environment as unintentional by-products of dye manufacturing and other chemical productions. Among them, 3,3’-dichlorobiphenyl (PCB-11) has been detected at concentrations often higher than those of the other technical congeners (i.e. legacy Aroclor PCBs) in almost all the environmental compartments, even in polar areas (Choi et al., 2008).
It is known that the atmosphere plays a key role in transport and distribution of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) towards polar areas, through successive phases of volatilization and deposition that occur at the air/water interface. The low temperatures of the polar areas promote this partition between the atmosphere and the seawater surface via the cold trapping mechanism (Wania and MacKay, 1996). However, this process is reversible, so the partition of POPs moves in one direction or in the opposite one depending on the volatility of the molecules involved, their relative concentration in air and water, and changes in temperature (Galbán-Malagón et al., 2013).
As the surface water temperature decreases, lighter congeners, more prone to volatilization, tend instead to settle in the water surface layers. Indeed, in the Southern Ocean, where the temperature of surface water is reduced to values close to that of the air, a particularly high concentration of PCB-11 compared to that of other less volatile PCB congeners have been reported (Choi et al., 2008; Pizzini et al., 2017). Instead, PCBs with a higher degree of chlorination are less prone to volatilization in temperate areas and, consequently, they would be preferentially transferred to the Southern Ocean through Modified Circumpolar Deep waters (Fuoco et al., 2009) rather than via LRAT. Against this background, it can be assumed that more processes are involved in the transport of PCBs towards the Southern Ocean, depending on the characteristics of the investigated molecules and, primarily, their volatility.
In this work, the results of analyses of water samples collected along a transect from the Southern Pacific Ocean to the Ross Sea will be presented. Preliminary outcomes confirmed the hypothesis that more volatile PCBs reach the Southern Ocean preferentially through a cold condensation process, differently from heavier ones. Di- and Tri-chlorinated PCBs reached particularly high concentrations in water surface layers where there is a sharp decrease in temperature, in the Antarctic convergence zone, while this effect is much more limited for the less volatile investigated congeners.
Choi, S.-D., Baek, S.-Y., Chang, Y.-S., Wania, F., Ikonomou, M.G., Yoon, Y.-J., Park, B.-K., Hong, S., 2008. Passive Air Sampling of Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Organochlorine Pesticides at the Korean Arctic and Antarctic Research Stations: Implications for Long-Range Transport and Local Pollution. Environmental Science & Technology 42, 7125-7131. https://doi.org/10.1021/es801004p.
Fuoco, R., Giannarelli, S., Wei, Y., Ceccarini, A., Abete, C., Francesconi, S., Termine, M., 2009. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) at Ross Sea (Antarctica). Microchemical Journal 92(1), 44-48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.microc.2008.11.004.
Galbán-Malagón, C. J., Del Vento, S., Cabrerizo, A., Dachs, J., 2013. Factors affecting the atmospheric occurrence and deposition of polychlorinated biphenyls in the Southern Ocean. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 13, 12029-12041. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-12029-2013.
Pizzini, S., Sbicego, C., Corami, F., Grotti, M., Magi, E., Bonato, T., Cozzi, G., Barbante, C., Piazza, R., 2017. 3,3’-dichlorobiphenyl (non-Aroclor PCB-11) as a marker of non-legacy PCB contamination in marine species: comparison between Antarctic and Mediterranean bivalves. Chemosphere 175, 28-35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.02.023.
Wania, F., MacKay, D., 1996. Tracking the Distribution of Persistent Organic Pollutants. Environmental Science & Technology 30(9), 390A-396A. https://doi.org/10.1021/es962399q
Brominated Flame Retardants in edible bivalves: food control and lack of specific legislation
Full text linkPolybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are among the most important classes of additive brominated flame retardants (BFR). They have been identified in every compartment of aquatic ecosystems, from abiotic to biotic matrices, and in industrialized areas as well as in remote ones. PBDEs are persistent, highly bioaccumulative and can move up to high trophic levels through biomagnifications [1].
Due to the growing concern about the potential health risks of PBDEs, their characterization in biological organisms that are widely and frequently consumed as food is paramount. Furthermore, at present there is no local or international regulatory limit for PBDEs in food.
We investigated the spatial distribution and levels of PBDEs in two bivalve species (Mytilus galloprovincialis and Ruditapes philippinarum) sampled from the north-western coast of the Adriatic Sea, that are widely used in the regional cuisine. Analyses were carried out using analytical protocols already developed in the laboratory [2] and were performed by HRGC/HRMS for the simultaneous determination of 14 PBDE congeners in biota tissues. Quantifications were carried out by isotope dilution.
The total concentrations ranged from 0.003 ng g-1 wet weight to 6.66 ng g-1, with strong variations within the same sampling site. No significant differences between species were found. As for decabrominated diphenyl ether, in literature the determination of the BDE-209 is often neglected. However, the results of this study show that Deca-BDE is one of the most abundant congeners. However high, the levels of PBDEs in the samples collected near an industrial area subject to a fishing ban are lower than the values of four edible samples gathered in aquaculture farms and intended for human consumption. The concentrations of ΣPBDEs detected in this study are relatively higher than those reported for the Mediterranean area.
Considering the potentially toxic effects of PBDEs and the lack of specific legislation, this study emphasizes the need to further investigate these compounds and to establish maximum levels in foodstuff.
This work was funded by the Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Research (MIUR) through the project PRIN (Prot. 2010AXENJ8).
[1] C.A. de Wit, Chemosphere 46 (2002) 583-624.
[2] S. Pizzini et al., Microchemical Journal 121 (2015) 184-191
Simultaneous determination of halogenated contaminants (PCBs and PCNs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in biota integrated into a single method
Full text linkIn this study, a novel analytical approach for the simultaneous determination of 127 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), together with 6 polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) and 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was developed and validated.
The number of environmental contaminants which undergo legislation continues to increase, fostering the development and validation of sensitive, selective, fast and inexpensive analytical methods.
The determination of such analytes often requires long and expensive procedures for each class of compounds. This does not allow the rapid and fast analysis of large quantity of samples for food safety screening purposes.
The aim of this study was to develop a method for the simultaneous determination of PCBs, PCNs and PAHs in biological samples (bivalves tissues) from extraction to instrumental analysis.
The method uses pressurized liquid extraction (PLE), gel permeation chromatography (GPC) for lipid fraction removal, automatic preparative liquid chromatography for the clean-up and a single run in HRGC-LRMS.
We integrate analyses of these three groups of POPs into a single analytical protocol from sampling to injection. Not only does this method a lower amount of sample and less time, but it also allows one to increase the sample throughput.
The use of one single pre-analytical method allows one to simplify the procedures and save time, while the single run in GC-MS enables the collection of more data simultaneously and in less time (about 75 minutes for 149 analytes) compared to separate analyses
Simultaneous determination of halogenated contaminants and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: a multi-analyte method applied to filter-feeding edible organisms
No full textThis study develops and validates a novel analytical approach for the simultaneous determination of 127 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), together with 6 polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) and 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PCBs, PCNs, and PAHs were subjected to a unique pretreatment protocol and were simultaneously determined in a single chromatographic run, using GC-MS, in environmental marine samples of mussels and clams. The results of the validation experiments, which were performed on the standard reference materials (NIST SRM 1974C – slurried matrix and NIST SRM 2977 – freeze-dried matrix), were in accordance with the certified and the reference values. The repeatability of the method for all target compounds, expressed as mean relative standard deviations, ranged from 2.5 to 5.1 % for PCBs, from 3.9 to 5.5 % for PCNs, and from 8.6 to 17.9 % for PAHs; the first value of each pair refers to the freeze-dried matrix and the second to the fresh one, for each of the classes of compounds examined. The quantification limits were in the range of 0.2–6 pg for PCBs, 0.4–8 pg for PCNs, and 0.2–15 pg for PAHs (on column). The method recoveries yielded good results (62 ± 19 % for the freeze-dried matrix and 60 ± 14 % for the fresh one) and were not significantly reduced by adopting a single analytical protocol compared with the use of different group-specific analytical methods. No serious interferences were encountered and good selectivity was achieved. These results show that this method allows one to increase the laboratory sample throughput while requiring a small amount of tissue and saving time
POPs paleoenvironmental record over the last 220 years from an ice core retrieved at the plateau site of Dome C, Antarctica
No full textPersistent organic pollutants (POPs) are ubiquitous in the environment and are affected by long-range atmospheric transport (LRAT) due to their low vapour pressure. Therefore, these substances have been found in almost every environmental matrix worldwide, including the remote regions of Arctic and Antarctica [1-4]. Polar environments are almost free of local sources and are an ideal site for studying global contamination. Analyzing pollutants in ice cores can reveal the history of atmospheric transport and deposition, and can be useful for studying the variation of the sources over the years and the contribution of human activities to global pollution.
In this work we obtained the POPs depth profile of a 16.5 m deep ice core (covering 212 years before present) drilled at the plateau site of Dome C, East Antarctica (75°06' South Latitude, 123°21' East Longitude), during the 23rd Italian Antarctic Expedition. Specifically, we analyzed 25 sections of the core investigating the presence of six classes of organic pollutants: polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-furans (PCDFs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). The core covers a time interval which includes periods before and after the introduction of these POPs in commercial mixtures, as well as periods before the construction of research station facilities. Thus, the analysis of this core assumes considerable importance in assessing the impact of these choices to POPs global contamination. A recent paper investigated the presence of PCBs and PAHs in an ice core gathered at peripheral site GV7, Talos Dome, along the East Antarctic coast [3]. However, as to our knowledge this is the first study focusing on the simultaneous analysis of so many classes of POPs in an ice core, and this is the first analysis of organic pollutants in a core from the Antarctic plateau, which is the most remote area in the world.
The pre-analytical procedures were adapted, reducing the required target liquid volume per sample to 500 mL, in order to obtain a profile with a higher temporal resolution respect to what have been previously reported [2-3]. To minimize contamination, all the procedures were carried out in a clean laboratory equipped with laminar flow hoods (class from 10.000 to 1.000). Ice samples were analyzed by Gas Chromatography coupled both to Low-Resolution, High-Resolution and Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LRMS, HRMS, MS/MS).
[1] Dickhut et al., 2012. Environ. Sci. Technol. 46, 3135-3140. DOI: 10.1021/es204375p
[2] Garmash et al., 2013. Environ. Sci. Technol. 47, 12064-12072. DOI: 10.1021/es402430t
[3] Giannarelli et al., 2017. Chemosphere 174, 390-398. DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.01.126
[4] Polkowska et al., 2011. Sensors 11, 8910-8929. DOI: 10.3390/s11090891
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