Papers by Roberta Bettinetti
Data
In this paper, we describe a 13-year (2009–2022) dataset of legacy POP concentrations (DDTtot and... more In this paper, we describe a 13-year (2009–2022) dataset of legacy POP concentrations (DDTtot and sumPCB14 from 2016 isomers and congeners concentrations are also reported) in the planktonic crustaceans of Lake Maggiore (≥450 µm size fraction). The data were collected in the framework of a monitoring program finalized to assess the presence of pollutants in the lake biota, including zooplankton organisms directly preyed by fish. The data report both concentration of DDTtot and sumPCB14 in the zooplankton and the standing stock density and biomass of the population in each season. The dataset allows for detecting changes in the concentration over the long term and within a year, thus providing evidence for the seasonal and the plurennial variations in the presence of these pollutants in the lake. They also provide a basis for further studies aimed at modeling paths and the fate of persistent organic pollutants, for which the amount of toxicants stocked in the zooplankton compartment ...
HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), Jun 28, 2021
National audienc
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Aug 18, 2014
Risk assessments from the European Union and the World Health Organization report values for acut... more Risk assessments from the European Union and the World Health Organization report values for acute and chronic toxicity of Cr(III) to Daphnia magna in the range of 0.6 mg/L to 111 mg/L and 0.047 mg/L to 3.4 mg/L, respectively. To understand whether factors other than the use of different test media and data reporting contribute to this variability, the authors tested the acute (48-h) and chronic (21-d) toxicities of Cr(III) to D. magna according to Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) methods. Filterable (0.45-mm) chromium concentrations were measured at 0 h, 6 h, 24 h, and 48 h, the latter value corresponding to the total duration of the acute tests and to the interval between medium renewals in chronic tests. In highly alkaline media (4.9 meq/L), Cr concentrations decreased rapidly below the analytical detection limit, and no toxicity was observed. In less alkaline media (approximately 0.8 meq/L), the decrease in filterable Cr concentrations was inversely proportional to the quantity of added Cr(III). The authors concluded that existing data likely underestimate the ecotoxicity of Cr(III) to D. magna. A reliable assessment of the hazard of Cr(III) to D. magna must consider that exposure concentrations can decrease markedly from the beginning to the end of a test and that medium alkalinity strongly influences the outcome of laboratory toxicity tests.
Environmental Research, Jul 1, 2017
Background: Although banned in many countries for decades, DDTs and PCBs still represent a global... more Background: Although banned in many countries for decades, DDTs and PCBs still represent a global threat to food safety. As these contaminants are still present in aquatic ecosystems, fish can be an important contributor to their total dietary intake. Objectives: Alosa agone specimens were sampled over a period of 10 years (from 2006 to 2015) to provide a representative overview of the DDT and PCB levels of Lago di Como, a deep Italian lake where a DDT input due to secondary sources was observed in recent years. The potential health risk from the consumption of both fresh and preserved fish was evaluated. Results: While DDT levels have generally decreased during the monitored period, reaching quite stable levels, PCB concentrations were variable, with values exceeding, in some cases, the European Union limit for human consumption and enabling potential carcinogenic effects. However, typical local processing of this fish species markedly appeared to decrease these contaminant levels, thus making the fish product (called missoltino) a safer food. Conclusions: The results of this work highlighted the need of continuous biomonitoring of those contaminants considered a past issue along with the emergent ones.
Chemosphere, Mar 1, 2019
In this work we assessed the presence of two well-known pesticides (DDT and lindane) along with t... more In this work we assessed the presence of two well-known pesticides (DDT and lindane) along with their main metabolite or isomer in tobacco products from 11 countries. In 11 of the 15 samples DDTs were the dominant compounds, with maximum concentrations of pp'DDT in Morocco cigarettes (9 ng g-1) and of pp'DDE in Italian cigars (13 ng g-1). Moreover, the /-HCH ratio was mostly lower than 1, indicating the main use of "Lindane" formulation. However, all the detected levels were below the guidance residue values of respective pesticide and metabolite/isomer.
Science of The Total Environment, Nov 1, 2018
• Zooplankton and pelagic fish in Lake Como were analysed for DDT and PCB. • Stable Isotopes Anal... more • Zooplankton and pelagic fish in Lake Como were analysed for DDT and PCB. • Stable Isotopes Analysis indicates that the diet of landlocked shad is not always pelagic. • Landlocked shad bioaccumulate contaminants from zooplankton in summer. • BMF TL (Biomagnification Factor) zooplankton/shad is in the range 0.9-1.9 for DDTs. • BMF TL pelagic zooplankton/shad is within the range 1.6-4.9 for PCB congeners.
Chemosphere, Jul 1, 2012
Concentrations of DDTs and PCBs were determined in the zooplankton and in three different fish sp... more Concentrations of DDTs and PCBs were determined in the zooplankton and in three different fish species (shad, whitefish and roach) collected seasonally during 2009 and 2010 in three sites in Lake Maggiore, a south-alpine lake that has been contaminated by DDT since 1996. As previously observed in 2008, even during 2009 DDTs concentrations were higher in zooplankton than in fish, probably due to the very unstable situation of the lake still influenced by local inputs. The situation changed in 2010, when all DDT compounds increased in fish to levels much higher than those measured in zooplankton. Biomagnification was statistically demonstrated for pp 0 DDE in all the three fish species, indicating a probable signal of recovery of the lake. Although with respect to total PCBs we observed that the contamination levels varied across time periods and across fish species, biomagnification was evident from zooplankton to fish both in 2009 and in 2010. As concern individual PCBs, biomagnification from zooplankton to all three fish species was significant for PCB 153 and PCB 138.
HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), May 15, 2022
Environments, Aug 20, 2014
Within the context of the Water Framework Directive, the need to identify new monitoring tools in... more Within the context of the Water Framework Directive, the need to identify new monitoring tools in support of the traditional chemical monitoring process is emerging. Chemical characterization by itself does not provide specific biological information about potential hazards to organisms, in particular when facing cocktails of contaminants. Therefore, ecotoxicity tests can represent a useful tool supporting the chemical information. In the present work, the value of ecotoxicity tests as an effect-based tool for monitoring freshwater and sediment quality of the southwestern basin of Lake Como (Northern Italy) was evaluated, assessing the potential risk of pollutants. Results obtained from D. magna toxicity tests showed a temporal variation of toxic response in relation to the variability of organic micropollutant load characteristics of urban rivers. Sediment ecotoxicity test data showed the spatial variability of the sediments' contamination within the lake, confirmed by chemical analysis of two classes of pollutants (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and polychlorobiphenyls (PCB)). The observed effects on organisms in laboratory tests caused by a mixture of almost unknown chemicals underline the importance of integrating effect-based tools into monitoring efforts.
Science of The Total Environment, 2016
and PCB (1970s-2009) was recorded in a sediment core in Como Bay. • A decreasing trend was observ... more and PCB (1970s-2009) was recorded in a sediment core in Como Bay. • A decreasing trend was observed for PCB whose main source is the city of Como. • DDT showed no significant change over time because of input from glacier releases. • Biomagnification was recorded between zooplankton and a zooplanktivorous fish. • Concentrations of PCB exceeded human health recommendations in one fish samples.
Journal of Limnology, Jul 25, 2012
The lake Iseo has been recently contaminated by DDT residues, originated from the melting of a gl... more The lake Iseo has been recently contaminated by DDT residues, originated from the melting of a glacier that released the pollutants accumulated in the past. Because of this recent input, DDT residues concentrations rose more quickly in zooplankton than in fish during 2009. In autumn 2010 the ratio drastically dropped to one-two for all the compounds indicating that the glacial DDT load should have been ceased. The situation was different for PCBs that were released to a much lower extent from glaciers. The PCB 138 ratio between zooplankton and fish was always around one-two in both years. As the zooplankton response to pollution changes resulted particularly prompt, our research highlights the importance of this component as an early warning bioindicator of hydrophobic pollutants.
Ecotoxicology, Aug 25, 2013
pp'-Dichlorodiphenyl-dichloroethylene (pp'DDE), a metabolite of pp'-dichlorodiphenyl-trichloroeth... more pp'-Dichlorodiphenyl-dichloroethylene (pp'DDE), a metabolite of pp'-dichlorodiphenyl-trichloroethane poses a risk for many ecosystems in spite of the banning of the parent compound because of its persistence and bioaccumulability. Nevertheless, the knowledge of acute and chronic toxicity on aquatic organisms is still very poor. In the present study, Daphnia magna was exposed to varying concentrations of pp'DDE in water and through diet to determine both acute toxicity and potential for effects on reproduction and survivability. The 48 h IC 50 was 5.08 lg L-1 (3.76-7.01 lg L-1). As pp'DDE concentration in water was not stable and the amount assumed by food cannot be established with certainty, the results of chronic toxicity tests were expressed as the concentration in the organism which caused a negative effect. Grazing activity was affected with a pp'DDE concentration in the organism of 24 ng mg-1 d.w., while the lowest observed effect concentration for fecundity reduction was 109 ng mg-1 d.w.
Journal of Applied Electrochemistry, Jul 30, 2021
In this work, the production of low cost and environment friendly anodes for sodium ion batteries... more In this work, the production of low cost and environment friendly anodes for sodium ion batteries is investigated. Algae are selected as bio-source of non-graphitic Hard Carbon (HC) with open structure acting as intercalation active material for Na ions storage. Chlorella vulgaris algae were pyrolyzed at temperatures comprised between 800 and 1100 °C. The decomposition products have been characterized with Scanning Electrode Microscope (SEM) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analyses and their structure compared to one of the synthetic commercial HC. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) allowed to assess the decomposition process throughout the selected temperature scan. The obtained algae-derived HC is tested as anodic material for Na-ion battery, investigating the effect of pyrolysis temperature on the electrochemical behaviour. Their performances are compared with respect to a commercial synthetic HC active material. The results allow to consider algae as an environmentally benign and sustainable high added-value material for the production of HC anodes for Na-ion batteries.
Applied Sciences
Plastic waste dispersion is a well-recognized environmental threat, despite continuous efforts to... more Plastic waste dispersion is a well-recognized environmental threat, despite continuous efforts towards improving waste disposal management over the last few decades. Plastic litter is known to strongly impact upon water bodies and shorelines, affecting the health of ecosystems and impacting upon the aesthetic value of sites. Moreover, plastic waste that is abandoned on beaches contributes towards different degradation processes that potentially lead to the formation of secondary microplastics (MPs), with likely cascade effects upon the whole ecosystem. In this view, this study aims to characterize the plastic beach litter found on the shores of the western basin of Como Lake (Italy) to better understand the origin of MPs in littoral sediments, including the recognition of object typologies and the chemical characterization of polymers using Fourier-transformed infrared analysis (FTIR). The results highlighted that the most abundant polymers on beaches are polypropylene (PP) and poly...
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 2020
Concentrations in fish of per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were reported for 7 deep lak... more Concentrations in fish of per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were reported for 7 deep lakes in the European subalpine area: Lakes Geneva, Lugano, Maggiore, Iseo, Como, Garda, and Mergozzo; one shallow lowland lake (Varese); and 2 high‐altitude alpine lakes (>2000 m a.s.l). Fillets and, in selected cases, other body fractions (viscera, liver, and residual carcass) from 8 fish species were analyzed. The possibility of harmonizing the monitoring protocols was tested. Results suggest that the sampling season is not critical for PFASs and the total protein content cannot be used for normalization of tissue concentrations because PFASs bind to specific proteins. Moreover, the polar lipid content could be used to reduce the variability of PFAS concentrations in phospholipid rich fractions of fish such as viscera and carcass. The data comparison and analysis show that the PFAS contamination in lake fish is generally correlated with the degree of urbanization of the lake catchment...
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Papers by Roberta Bettinetti