Exposure profiles in pregnant women from a birth cohort in a highly contaminated area of southern Italy.

Protecting the health of pregnant women from environmental stressors is crucial for reducing the burden of non-communicable diseases. In industrially contaminated sites, this action is particularly challenging due to the heterogeneous pollutant mixtures in environmental matrices. The aim of this study was to evaluate distribution patterns of mercury, hexachlorobenzene and polychlorobiphenyls in the serum of 161 pregnant women recruited in the framework of the Neonatal Environment and Health Outcomes (NEHO) cohort and living both inside and outside the National Priority Contaminated Site (NPCS) of Priolo. Food macro-categories were determined, and serum levels of contaminants were used to perform k-means cluster analysis and identify the role of food in pollutant transfer from the environment. Two groups of mothers with high and low measured pollutant levels were distinguished. Concentrations in mothers in the high-exposure cluster were at least twofold for all the evaluated pollutants (p < 0.0001) and included mothers living inside and outside NPCS, with a predominance of individuals from the NPCS (p = 0.045). Fish consumption was higher in the high-exposure cluster (p = 0.019). These findings suggest a link between contamination of environmental matrices such as sediment with maternal exposure, through the intake of local food. Such consideration appears poorly investigated in the context of contaminated sites.

Organochlorines and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons as fingerprint of exposure pathways from marine sediments to biota.

To elucidate the dynamics of a suite of organochlorine contaminants (PCBs, HCB), PAHs and Hg and verify the potential of these pollutants as reliable fingerprints of sources, an ensemble of marine sediments and organisms (finfish, shellfish species and Mytilus galloprovincialis) were analysed from the contaminated Augusta Bay (Southern Italy). The Hg and HCB concentration in the sediments exceeded the EQS of the Directive 2000/60/EU. Similarly, ∑PCB and selected PAHs were above the threshold limit set by regulation. The marine organisms showed Hg concentrations above CE 1881/2006. Contaminants in transplanted mussel evidenced an increased accumulation overtime and different distribution patterns between sampling sites. Analysis of the homolog composition of PCB congeners revealed comparable patterns between sediments and marine organisms and offered the opportunity to define a robust fingerprint for tracing contaminants transfer from the abiotic to the biotic compartments. These results were confirmed by the Fluoranthene/Pyrene, Hg and HCB distribution modes.

Heavy Metals and PAHs in Meat, Milk, and Seafood From Augusta Area (Southern Italy): Contamination Levels, Dietary Intake, and Human Exposure Assessment.

Heavy metals and PAHs were measured in animal foodstuffs from Augusta-Melilli-Priolo area in order to evaluate the potential human health risk associated to their consumption. All heavy metals were detected in seafood products while most of them were 1 for baby, children and teenagers, indicating a non-carcinogenic risk for these age categories by seafood ingestion. The CRAs overcame 1*10-5 for almost age categories (except "baby") and for elderly, by seafood and beef ingestions respectively. Moreover, the MOE for PAHs showed a certain cancer risk for "baby" related to cow milk ingestion.

Pharmaceuticals and other contaminants in waters and sediments from Augusta Bay (southern Italy).

The contamination by pharmaceuticals products (PPs) in the marine environment is particularly relevant where wastewater treatment of urban areas on land is lacking. However, the number of studies focused on description of sources and fate of PP molecules in the marine environment remains still limited. In this study, the occurrence of 46 PPs was investigated in the marine and coastal-marine system (waters and sediments) of Augusta Bay (central Mediterranean Sea). This area is highly affected by industrial pollution and urban discharges (without wastewater treatment) and thus represents a 'natural laboratory' for exploring dynamics of multi-mixture contaminants in the marine environment. The study area is also part of the sub-region 'Central Mediterranean Sea' of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and therefore offers an important reference site for exploring the distribution modes of PPs in the central Mediterranean Sea. In this work, samples of seawater, sediment, untreated wastewater, and marine receiving water were analysed using mass spectrometry with a target analysis for PPs and a suspect screening analysis for the presence of other contaminants. PPs concentration ranges were: 2426-67,155 ng/L for untreated wastewaters, 550-27,889 ng/L for marine receiving waters and 12-281 ng/L for seawaters. The highest concentrations were measured for the antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, cardiovascular and antihypertensive therapeutic classes. Likewise, sediments collected from untreated wastewater sewers resulted more contaminated. Ionic, non-ionic surfactants and personal care products were the most abundant compounds found in waters and sediments by suspect screening analysis. The risk associated with PPs contamination for aquatic organisms was relatively high in samples of marine receiving waters of the bay (with a risk quotient value up to 33,599). The levels of PPs in seawater and sediment compartments were generally not hazardous (RQ < 0.01), except for estrone with a calculated RQ = 2775.

Heavy metals concentrations in some commercially key species from Sicilian coasts (Mediterranean Sea): Potential human health risk estimation.

Trace elements were measured in the edible tissues of target marine species (Sardina pilchardus, Mullus barbatus, Mullus surmuletus, Merluccius merluccius and Parapenaeus longirostris) collected in some of the main ports of the Sicilian coast (southern Italy) in order to evaluate the potential human health risk associated to their consumption. Cadmium, Pb and Hg were below the tolerable limits reported by the European Union in foodstuffs (Commission Regulation (EC) 1881/2006) except for Hg in P. longirostris from one sampling site. The health risk for consumers was assessed both for adults and children calculating the estimated weekly intake (EWI), the target hazard quotient (THQ) and the lifetime cancer risk (CR) for each element. The EWI did not exceed the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) recommended by the European Food Safety Authority and THQs were < 1 in most cases. Further, the probabilistic distributions of health hazard were evaluated through Monte-Carlo simulation which confirmed a non-carcinogenic risk. With some exceptions related to As exposure, the results obtained definitively confirm the goodness of the fishery commercial resources in one of the most important seafood market of the central Mediterranean Sea and represent a positive data for the assessment of the good environmental status for descriptor 9 of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive in this area of the basin.

Bioaccumulation of heavy metals in fish, crustaceans, molluscs and echinoderms from the Tuscany coast.

The concentration of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn were analyzed in the edible part of several species of fish, crustaceans, molluscs and echinoderms collected in sensitive areas of the Tuscany coast (northern Italy). The concentration of As (0.39-78.1 µg g-1) and Hg (0.01-1.56 µg g-1) resulted in most cases higher than reference thresholds. Target hazard quotient (THQ) and lifetime cancer risk (TR) indexes were calculated to assess cancer and non-cancer risk due to oral exposure; the highest THQ values referred to As and Hg, with values ≥ 1 in 39% and 48% of cases, respectively. Total target hazard quotients (TTHQ) values suggested that the local population could experience adverse health effects due to consumption of local seafood, mainly of demersal and benthic species. Cancer risk was mainly associated with As exposure, and with Cd intake, especially through molluscs consumption. The NMDS model highlighted species specific bioaccumulation processes and specific sensitivity of species to different bioavailable heavy metals. Specifically, Mullus spp. and Scorpaena porcus preferentially accumulate Hg and Cr, Octopus vulgaris specimens were discriminated by the presence of Pb and Zn, while an evident preference for Cd and Cu was recorded in Squilla mantis. In addition, the distribution of heavy metals in organisms revealed sound differences between Follonica and Livorno sampling sites, demonstrating a highly heterogeneous anthropogenic impact in terms of heavy metals input from the industrial activity resting on land.

Marine pollution in the Libyan coastal area: Environmental and risk assessment.

A comprehensive assessment of the potential adverse effects on environment and human health generated by the inputs of chemicals from the most important Libyan petrochemical plant is presented. Ecotoxicological risk associated with the presence of As, Hg, Ni, Zn and PAHs in marine sediments is low or moderate, with a probability of toxicity for ecosystem <9% and <20% for heavy metals and PAHs respectively. However, surface sediments result strongly enriched in Hg and As of anthropogenic origin. Investigation of metals in fish allowed to assess potential risks for human populations via fish intake. Target hazard quotients values indicate potential risk associated to toxic metals exposure by fish consumption and lifetime cancer risk (TR) values highlight a potential carcinogen risk associated to As intake. Noteworthy, the presented results provide an unprecedented environmental dataset in an area where the availability of field data is very scant, for a better understanding of anthropogenic impacts at Mediterranean scale.

Benthic Foraminifera as bio-indicators of anthropogenic impacts in coastal environments: Acqua dei Corsari area case study (Palermo, Italy).

This study investigates living benthic foraminiferal assemblages as bio-indicators of anthropogenic activities in a coastal area within the Gulf of Palermo (Sicily, Italy), affected by industrial and urban activities, and evaluates the environmental quality through the calibration of a Tolerant Species index (%TSstd). Sediments from 6 stations were sampled along a bathymetric transect from the coast to offshore. Sediment grain size, TOC, major, minor and trace elements and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were compared to benthic foraminiferal assemblages and species at each station. Diversity and density of benthic foraminiferal assemblages were not affected by the presence of pollutants, while tolerant species increased with organic (TOC and PAHs) or chemical (As and Pb) concentrations. Moreover, the calibration of the %TSstd formula to >125µm foraminiferal assemblage, gives a detailed description of environmental quality along the transect, representing a good and sensitive tool to evaluate marine coastal environment.

Hg and Se exposure in brain tissues of striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) and bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) from the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic Seas.

In this study we analyzed Hg and Se concentrations in dolphin brain tissues of fifteen specimens of striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) and eight specimens of bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) stranded in the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic Seas, in order to assess the toxicological risks associated with Hg exposure. High Hg concentrations were found in brain tissues of both analyzed specie (1.86-243 mg/kg dw for striped dolphin and 2.1-98.7 mg/kg dw for bottlenose dolphin), exceeding levels associated with marine mammals neurotoxicity. Althougth the results clearly suggest that the protective effects of Se against Hg toxicity occur in cetaceans' brain tissues, a molar excess of mercury with respect to selenium was found, particularly in adult specimens of Stenella coeruleoalba. On contrary, negligible neurotoxicological risks were found for Tursiops truncatus specimens, due to detoxification processes. Data obtained allowed to prove a more marked neurotoxicological risk for adult specimens of Stenella coeruleoalba in both Tyrrhenian and Adriatic Seas.