Ricerc@Sapienza

The aims of the present studywere to establish reference values useful in monitoring Lithium(Li) treatment and
to trace environmental Li exposure profiles in paediatric age.
A cross-sectional studywas conducted on a group of healthy Italian children aged 5–11. Data on possible predictors
were assessed through a questionnaire, and Li levels in morning and evening urinary samples were determined
by ICP-MS technique.
The reference intervals for the evening and morning samples were respectively 3.8–51.9 μg L−1 or

BACKGROUND: Three protocols are presented in order to immobilise a laccase (EC 1.10.3.2) from Trametes versicolor on chitosan. In particular, chitosan is functionalized with glutaraldehyde and epichlorohydrin to explore to what extent the conjugation of the enzyme is affected by a carbonyl- or epoxy-modified surface, respectively. In addition, an oxidation procedure is tested to modify, for the first time, the carbohydrate moiety of the enzyme and exploit it for linking with the amine group of chitosan.

Il paper presenta i risultati degli scavi del Barqa Landscape Project, diretto da Russell Adams, a Khirbat Hamra Ifdan nel 2013 e discute l'evidenza di occupazione del sito nel Bronzo Antico II-III in relazione alle fasi e allo sviluppo dell'estrazione e della metallurgia del rame in questa regione della Giordania nelle fasi urbane del Bronzo Antico.

The effect of soil composition on the reduction of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) by zero valent iron nanoparticles was studied. A model was proposed, to investigate both the effect of manganese oxide and the simultaneous effect of manganese dioxide and soil organic matter on the kinetic of Cr(VI) reduction. Fe(0) nanoparticles consumption by the reaction with dissolved oxygen, water and soluble Cr(VI) was taken into account.

Leather tanning processing and manufacturing industry uses high large amounts of water in the range of 40–45 L kg–1 during processing. As a result, tannery wastewater rises by the same amount, is characterized by a large inorganic load (chlorides, with concentration ranging from several hundred to over 10,000 mg L–1 Cl–; sulphate (VI), ammonium ions and sulphide ions, exhibiting concentration that ranges from tens to several hundred mg L–1) and together with organic pollution (the chemical oxygen demand value is usually several thousand mg L–1 O2).

The environmental impact of biomass processing can best be minimized by utilizing many components of the biomass and by getting maximum utility out of any solvent used. A Switchable-Hydrophilicity Solvent (SHS) has been used for a complete extraction of hydrophobic and hydrophilic molecules in the solvent's opposite-hydrophilicity states, thus simplifying microalgal biomass extraction and increasing the solvent usefulness.

Mature hydrocarbon fields co-produce significant volumes of water. As the produced water increases over the life of the field, the project's operating costs increase (due to greater water management expenditure), while the oil revenues decrease. Typically, these waste streams of water have temperatures of 65–150 °C. The combination of moderate temperatures and large water volumes may be suitable for electricity generation and/or district heating.

Fish is a nutrient-rich food but, at the same time, consumption of fish is a possible source of exposure to heavy metals. Since many coastal Mediterranean areas suffer from great anthropomorphic pressure, the aim of this study was to assess the level of potentially toxic inorganic elements in different fish samples from the coastal zone of Southern Italy (Gela) where there is a high mortality rate linked to cancer disease and congenital malformations.

We investigated the space-time dynamics of N pollution in a Mediterranean gulf (Gulf of Gaeta) by means of δ15N variation in seaweed fronds (Ulva lactuca) previously collected from an unpolluted habitat. We used a comprehensive deployment grid that enabled the generation of isotopic seascapes (isoseascapes) describing the topography of N pollution in coastal waters and identifying N input hotspots and their pathways of dispersion at sea. The δ15N values of U. lactuca increased during 48 h of exposure to the gulf waters, indicating anthropogenic N inputs from wastewater-derived sources.

Urban and peri-urban forests are green infrastructures (GI) that play a substantial role in delivering ecosystem services such as the amelioration of air quality by the removal of air pollutants, among which is ozone (O-3), which is the most harmful pollutant in Mediterranean metropolitan areas. Models may provide a reliable estimate of gas exchanges between vegetation and atmosphere and are thus a powerful tool to quantify and compare O-3 removal in different contexts.