The effects of anthropogenic particulate emissions on roadway dust and Nerium oleander leaves in Messina (Sicily, Italy)
Complementary studies on the inorganic chemical composition of Nerium oleander leaves collected in the town of Messina (Sicily, Italy) and seven grain-size fractions of local roadway dust have been carried out. Data and maps are presented to show that the particulate matter present in the air of Messina contains trace elements significantly in excess with respect to the average continental earth crust. The anomalies follow the outline of the urban area, the highest concentrations of trace elements being observed where traffic density is highest. Chemical and isotopic analyses of both road dust and Nerium oleander leaves indicate that Pb contamination still characterizes roads with heavy tra…
Occurrence of platinum, palladium and gold in pine needles of Pinus pinea L. from the city of Palermo (Italy)
Abstract Preliminary data on the presence of Pt, Pd and Au in airborne particulate matter from the urban area of Palermo (Sicily, Italy) are presented. They were obtained by analysing 40 samples of pine needles (Pinus pinea L.) collected in and around the city. Observed concentrations range from 1 to 102 μg/kg for Pt, 1 to 45 μg/kg for Pd and 22 to 776 μg/kg for Au. Platinum and Pd concentrations in pine needles are up to two orders of magnitude higher than their crustal abundances. They exhibit a high statistical correlation (R2=0.74) which suggests a common origin. Precious metal concentrations measured within the city centre are much higher than those occurring outside the town. The dist…
Prevalence of hypospadias in Italy according to severity, gestational age and birthweight: an epidemiological study
Abstract Background Hypospadias is a congenital displacement of the urethral meatus in male newborns, being either an isolated defect at birth or a sign of sexual development disorders. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence rate of hypospadias in different Districts of Italy, in order to make a comparison with other countries all over the world. Methods We reviewed all the newborns file records (years 2001–2004) in 15 Italian Hospitals. Results We found an overall hypospadias prevalence rate of 3.066 ± 0.99 per 1000 live births (82.48% mild hypospadias, 17.52% moderate-severe). In newborns Small for Gestational Age (birthweight th percentile) of any gestational age the prevalen…
Use of lichens in detecting environmental risk and in geochemical prospecting
This paper provides data on variations in the contents of As, Sb, Ni, V, Pb, Cu, Cr, Au, Zn, Sc, and Al, measured in the thalli of a saxicolous lichen species,Xanthoria calcicola Ochsner s.l., collected in northeastern Sicily, near an industrial zone and along a belt crossing areas of known ores containing sulfides of heavy metals. A total of 91 lichen samples were collected on roof tiles (39) and on rocks (52). In the industrial zone, analysis of lichen thalli revealed high contents of nickel and vanadium, decreasing at increasing distances from the source of contamination. The results have also revealed the versatility ofXanthoria calcicola in geochemical prospecting for heavy metals such…
Geochemical characteristics of waters in mineralised area of Peloritani Mountains (Sicily, Italy)
Abstract This paper presents the results of a study on the geochemistry of waters circulating in the mineralised area of the south-eastern sector of Mt. Peloritani (north-eastern Sicily, Italy), aimed at basic understanding of the geochemical processes influencing their chemical composition. Chemico-physical parameters and data on 26 major and minor chemical elements are reported for 103 water samples. Water chemistry is mainly dominated by dissolution of carbonates and hydrolysis of aluminosilicate minerals. Total dissolved salts (TDS) range from 80 to 1398 mg/L. All the waters exhibit E H characteristic of an oxygenated environment. Excluding two samples, which show very high H + activity…
Inorganic geochemistry of roadway dust from the metropolitan area of Palermo, Italy
Inorganic matter from roadway dust collected in the urban area of Palermo, Italy, was analysed to identify the chemical elements introduced into the environment as a result of human activities. Metals of environmental concern exhibit very high enrichment factors, which in some cases exceed 100. Metal size distribution indicates that Pd, Pt, Au, Sb, Zn, S, Ni, V, Mo and Cr substantially accumulate in the finest particles, whereas Pb, Br, As, Cu, Ag and Ba are almost independent of the size fraction. SEM/EDS analyses revealed that some individual particles contain clusters of foreign particles (<10 μm) made up of Fe-Ni, Cr-Ni or Fe alone, typical of the abrasion of stainless steel. Others are…