Suchergebnisse

AbstractBiomonitoring studies are often employed to track airborne pollutants both in outdoor and indoor environments. In this study, the mercury (Hg) sorption by three biomonitors, i.e., Pinus nigra bark, Pseudovernia furfuracea lichen, and Hypnum cupressiforme moss, was investigated in controlled (indoor) conditions. In comparison to outdoor environments, controlled conditions offer the opportunity to investigate more in detail the variables (humidity, temperature, pollutants speciation, etc.) that control Hg uptake. The biomonitors were exposed in two distinct periods of the year for 2 and 12 months respectively, in the halls of the Central Italian Herbarium (Natural History Museum of the University of Florence, Italy), which are polluted by Hg, due to past plant sample treatments. The Hg sorption trend was monitored every 3 weeks by recording: (i) the Hg content in the substrata, (ii) gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) concentrations in the exposition halls, (iii) temperature, (iv) humidity, and (v) particulate matter (PM) concentrations. At the end of the experiment, Hg concentrations in the biomonitors range from 1130 ± 201 to 293 ± 45 μg kg−1 (max–min) in barks, from 3470 ± 571 to 648 ± 40 μg kg−1 in lichens, and from 3052 ± 483 to 750 ± 127 μg kg−1 in mosses. All the biomonitors showed the highest Hg accumulation after the first 3 weeks of exposure. Mercury concentrations increased over time showing a continuous accumulation during the experiments. The biomonitors demonstrated different Hg accumulation trends in response to GEM concentrations and to the different climatic conditions (temperature and humidity) of the Herbarium halls. Barks strictly reflected the gaseous Hg pollution, while lichen and moss accumulation was also influenced by the climatic conditions of the indoor environment. Mercury bound to PM seemed to provide a negligible contribution to the biomonitors final uptake.

AbstractAmong the numerous clean-up techniques for water treatment, sorption methods are widely used for the removal of trace metals. Phragmites australis is a macrophyte commonly used in constructed wetlands for water purification, and in the last decades, its use as biosorbent has attracted increasing attention. In view of a circularly economy approach, this study investigated improvement of trace metal removal by recycling the biomass of P. australis colonizing a constructed wetland, which operates as post-treatment of effluent wastewater from an activated sludge plant serving the textile industrial district of Prato (Italy). After the annual mowing of the reed plants, the biomass was dried and blended to derive a sustainable and eco-friendly biosorbent and its sorption capacity for Fe, Cu, and Zn was investigated comparing the batch system with the easier-to-handle column technique. The possibility of regeneration and reuse of the biosorbent was also evaluated. The biomaterial showed an interesting sorption capacity for Cu, Fe, and Zn, both in batch and in column experiments, especially for Fe ions. The immobilization of the biosorbent in column filters induced some improvement in the removal efficiency, and, in addition, this operation mode has the advantage of being much more suitable for practical applications than the batch process.

The threat to the survival of many species, caused by emerging ecological crises, has favored the development of a new environmental awareness. In recent decades, especially in the most industrialized nations, an increasing participation of citizens in the collection of scientific data has also been recorded. The active involvement of society in different aspects of science has been defined by the sociologist Alan Irwin as "Citizen Science". Although environmental Citizen Science brings together the largest number of projects, the fields of application of this new way of doing science are innumerable. BioBlitz is one of the best-known examples of citizen science activities, aimed at monitoring the biodiversity of an area. The Maremma Natural History Museum, as part of its activities, regularly organizes BioBlitz on an annual basis, starting from 2013. During BioBlitz 2017 in the SPZ and SCZ "Monte Labbro and Alta Valle dell'Albegna" data were collected attesting the presence of 403 different taxonomic entities, of which 367 identified at the species level and 5 at the subspecies level. Six alien and 2 endemic species were identified. In terms of environmental legislation, 38 protected species and 7 endangered species were detected in the area. The most relevant aspect that emerges from the collected data is the consistent number of protected species. This confirms the environmental value of the area and the need for management and conservation plans for the entire site.