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Biomonitoring of chemicals in biota of two wetland protected areas exposed to different levels of environmental impact: results of the “PREVIENI” project

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Abstract

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 pollutantsʼ tissue levels was made on tissues from earthworm, barbell, trout, and coot, selected as bioindicator organisms. The contaminants considered were as follows: the perfluorinated compounds perfuoroctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs 58 congeners), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs, 13 congeners), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs, 16 compounds), toxic trace elements, the phthalate di-2-ethylexyl phthalate (DEHP) and its primary metabolite, bisphenol A, synthetic musk compounds (musk xylene, musk ketone, tonalide, and galaxolide), and p-nonylphenol. The analyses showed low concentrations of most pollutants in all species from both areas, compared to available literature; noticeable exceptions were the increases of DEHP’s primary metabolite, PBDE, PAHs, Hg, and Pb in barbells, and of PCB and Cd in earthworms from the downstream area. The results showed the presence of endocrine disruptors, including those considered as “non-persistent,” in bioindicators from protected areas, albeit at low levels. The results provide a contribution to the evaluation of reference values in biota from Mediterranean Europe and support the relevance of monitoring exposure to pollutants, in particular for freshwater environment, also in protected areas.

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Acknowledgements

This study was funded by the Italian Environment Ministry (prot n. Q75): Study in model areas on the environmental and health impact of some emerging chemical contaminants (endocrine disrupters), living environment, reproductive outcomes, and repercussions in childhood (PREVIENI) (http://www.iss.it/prvn).

The authors are grateful to all the colleagues of the Department of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences of the University of Siena, that gave their help in making the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Siena, Via Mattioli 4, 53100, Siena, Italy

    Cristiana Guerranti, Guido Perra, Davide Baroni, Emiliano Leonida Fanello, Michela Mariottini & Silvano Ettore Focardi

  2. Bioscience Research Center, Via Aurelia Vecchia, 32, 58015, Orbetello, GR, Italy

    Cristiana Guerranti & Monia Renzi

  3. WWF Italy NGO-Onlus, Via Po 25/c 00198, Rome, Italy

    Eva Alessi & Dante Caserta

  4. Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome Sapienza, S. Andrea Hospital, Via di Grottarossa 1035-1039, 00189, Rome, Italy

    Donatella Caserta

  5. (at the time of the study) Abruzzo Institute of WWF Protected Areas, Nature Reserve “Sagittario Gorges”, Via D’Annunzio 68, 65100, Pescara, Italy

    Augusto De Sanctis

  6. Centre of Reference for Gender Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161, Rome, Italy

    Cinzia La Rocca & Sabrina Tait

  7. Italian Environment Ministry, Via Cristoforo Colombo 44, 00147, Rome, Italy

    Carlo Zaghi

  8. Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161, Rome, Italy

    Alberto Mantovani

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  1. Cristiana Guerranti
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  2. Guido Perra
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  3. Eva Alessi
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  4. Davide Baroni
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  5. Dante Caserta
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  6. Donatella Caserta
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  7. Augusto De Sanctis
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  8. Emiliano Leonida Fanello
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  9. Cinzia La Rocca
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  10. Michela Mariottini
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  11. Monia Renzi
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  12. Sabrina Tait
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  13. Carlo Zaghi
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  14. Alberto Mantovani
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  15. Silvano Ettore Focardi
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Correspondence to Cristiana Guerranti.

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Guerranti, C., Perra, G., Alessi, E. et al. Biomonitoring of chemicals in biota of two wetland protected areas exposed to different levels of environmental impact: results of the “PREVIENI” project. Environ Monit Assess 189, 456 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-017-6165-2

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