Ricerc@Sapienza

The PREVIENI project (funded by the Ministry of Environment) investigated the exposure to endocrine disrupters in samples of human population and environmental biota in Italy. The environmental biomonitoring considered two Italian WWF Oasis, with the aim to compare the presence and effects of endocrine disruptors in organisms from two protected natural areas, respectively, upstream and downstream a chemical emission site. Chemical analysis of pollutants' tissue levels was made on tissues from earthworm, barbell, trout, and coot, selected as bioindicator organisms.

Preterm birth is an obstetric condition associated with a high risk of infant mortality and morbidities in both the neonatal period and later in life, which has also a significant public health impact because it carries an important societal economic burden. As in many cases the etiology is unknown, it is important to identify environmental factors that may be involved in the occurrence of this condition.

Among the organic contaminants that could pass from waste to polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), there are the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). For this reason, we have developed a rapid analytical method for the determination of sixteen PAHs in PHAs. PAHs were extracted by n-hexane, after matrix dispersion and crumbling into sand; the extract was purified by solid phase extraction using florisil as adsorbent. Recoveries in the range of 89–101% were obtained for the deuterated analytes, except for the two with the lowest molecular weight.

The study was aimed to evaluate the ability of native lichen Xanthoria (X.) parietina to biomonitor and bioaccumulate some heavy metals (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Ni, Pb), PAHs, PCDDs, PCDFs, PCBs and PBDEs and to evaluate the use of the native X. parietina as a multi-tracer tool for scenarios characterized by different anthropogenic pressures. Samples of native X. parietina were collected in six different sites (two green, two residential and two industrial areas, respectively) and analyzed for the target compounds. The results show that X.

Sandy beaches are ecosystems often subjected to a variety of pollution sources, including heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, largely due to improper human activities. The sandhopper Talitrus saltator s. l. (Montagu, 1808) typically lives on supralittoral shores where it plays an important ecological role. The purpose of this study was to investigate DNA damage levels on hemocytes of T. saltator by means of the Comet assay. Firstly, we tested the sensitivity and reproducibility of the Comet assay on hemocytes of T.