0000000000466435
AUTHOR
Loredana Randazzo
showing 9 related works from this author
Relationship between lanthanide contents in aquatic turtles and environmental exposures
2013
International audience; Trace elements released in the environment during agricultural practices can be incorporated and accumulated in biological fluids and tissues of living organisms. The assessment of these exposures were carried out investigating lanthanide distributions in blood and exoskeleton samples collected from Emys trinacris turtle specimens coming from sites with anthropogenic discharge in western and south Sicily, along migration paths of many bird species from Africa to Europe. The data show a significant (Rxy = 0.72; Rxy > 0.67; α = 0.025) linear relationship between the size of turtle specimens and the lanthanide contents in blood lower than 0.4 μg L−1 whereas this relatio…
Human Hsp60 with Its Mitochondrial Import Signal Occurs in Solution as Heptamers and Tetradecamers Remarkably Stable over a Wide Range of Concentrati…
2014
It has been established that Hsp60 can accumulate in the cytosol in various pathological conditions, including cancer and chronic inflammatory diseases. Part or all of the cytosolic Hsp60 could be naive, namely, bear the mitochondrial import signal (MIS), but neither the structure nor the in solution oligomeric organization of this cytosolic molecule has still been elucidated. Here we present a detailed study of the structure and self-organization of naive cytosolic Hsp60 in solution. Results were obtained by different biophysical methods (light and X ray scattering, single molecule spectroscopy and hydrodynamics) that all together allowed us to assay a wide range of concentrations of Hsp60…
Using the Trace Element Contents in Bronchoalveolar Lavages to Probe the Human Exposure to Inhaled Particulates
2013
Explosive volcanic eruptions eject large volumes of high surface area, metal-rich dust and ash into the atmosphere. In areas near major volcanic eruptions, humans often interact with these materials and may bioaccumulate heavy and toxic metals. To evaluate these interactions, we examine bronchoalveolar lavage samples (BAL) collected from people exposed to the paroxysmal 2001 Etna eruption. BAL samples reveal a strong enrichment of many toxic heavy metals and the capacity for trace elements released from inhaled particles to induce crystallisation of phosphatic microcryst biominerals in intraaveolar spaces. BAL rare earth element (REE) concentration patterns normalised to shale reveal a ‘V-s…
Trace element behaviour in seawater during Etna's pyroclastic activity in 2001: Concurrent effects of nutrients and formation of alteration minerals
2010
volcanic ash ; trace element leaching ; kinetic experiments ; chlorophyll-alpha; International audience; The eruption of Etna in Sicily on 13 July 2001 marked the most intense activity of the volcano in the last 300 years. The eruption occurred while the oceanographic cruise ANSIC 01 was being conducted to the east of Sicily, presenting a unique opportunity for the investigation of the chemical effects on the marine system during a period of significant (similar to 1 g m(-2)) ash deposition. Comparison of trace element data with measured concentrations from the oceanographic cruise JUVENILE 99, carried out two years before, indicates large enrichments of V. Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu and Pb. We att…
Influence of dissolved organic matter on rare earth elements and yttrium distributions in coastal waters
2010
International audience; Data collected during this study indicate that dissolved Y and REE (rare earth element) behaviour can be monitored through shale-normalised ratios. Relationships occurring between these ratios suggest that leaching from lithogenic materials is the main source of REE in the studied area. This process involves riverine detrital matter in the inner area of the Gulf of Palermo. Features of shale-normalised patterns and the relationship recognised between dissolved Fe and Y/Ho suggest that REE are released from Fe-rich coatings of atmospheric dust. Observed similarities between dissolved Fe and chlorophyll- content suggest that leaching of Fe-rich atmospheric particulates…
Yttrium and lanthanides in human lung fluids, probing the exposure to atmospheric fallout.
2011
International audience; Inhalation of airborne particles can produce crystallization of phosphatic microcrysts in intraaveolar areas of lungs, sometimes degenerating into pulmonary fibrosis. Results of this study indicate that these pathologies are induced by interactions between lung fluids and inhaled atmospheric dust in people exposed to volcanic dust ejected from Mount Etna in 2001. Here, the lung solid-liquid interaction is evaluated by the distribution of yttrium and lanthanides (YLn) in fluid bronchoalveolar lavages on selected individuals according the classical geochemical approaches. We found that shale-normalised patterns of yttrium and lanthanides have a 'V shaped' feature corre…
Possible impacts of volcanic ash emissions of Mount Etna on the primary productivity in the oligotrophic Mediterranean Sea: Results from nutrient-rel…
2013
Atmospheric deposition of volcanic ash has recently been recognized as an important nutrient source into the surface ocean. Mount Etna (Italy), one of the world's most active volcanoes, is located in the oligotrophic Mediterranean Sea (MedSea). Despite the active volcanism on Mount Etna, the biogeochemical impacts of volcanic ash fallouts on the marine primary productivity (MPP) remain largely unknown. Here we present the results of seawater nutrient release experiments with volcanic ash samples from Mount Etna that have been collected during different eruptive episodes between 2001 and 2007. Our results show that volcanic ash from Mount Etna releases significant amounts of fixed-N (35-855 …
Effects of Dissolved Complexation on REE Fate During Interactions between Volcanic Ash and Coexisting Fluids
2013
AbstractThis work analyzes REE behavior during the delivery of volcanic ash into a marine system and highlights the effects induced by dissolved carbonate and humate complexes on REE release. Kinetic experiments were carried out during a 6-month period using a batch method approach. Results show that the highest degree of REE leaching occurs during the early stage. Altered phases that crystallize induce REE sorption and dissolved complexation towards surface complexation, concurrent processes that are enhanced by Y/Ho, La/Yb, and Ce/Ce* changes, whereas dissolved humates and carbonates influence the dissolution rate of ash and the dissolved REE behavior.
Source and Nature of Inhaled Atmospheric Dust from Trace Element Analyses of Human Bronchial Fluids
2011
International audience; Rapid volcanic eruptions quickly ejecting large amounts of dust provoke the accumulation of heavy metals in people living in surrounding areas. Analyses of bronchoalveolar lavage samples (BAL) collected from people exposed to the paroxysmal 2001 Etna eruption revealed a strong enrichment of many toxic heavy metals. Comparing the BAL to the dust composition of southeastern Sicily, we found that only V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, and U enrichment could be related to the volcanic event, whereas Ni, Cu, Cd, and Pb contents come from the dissolution of particles of anthropogenic origin. Furthermore, the nature of these inhaled anthropogenic particles was revealed by anomalous La and…