Search results for " marine pollution"

The bioremediation potential of the Priolo Harbour (SR, Italy): isolation, identification and catabolic ability of hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria

2013

The petrochemical site of Priolo-Augusta-Melilli (Sicily, Italy), is a Site of National Interest (SIN) due to high levels of contamination of the coastline and its remediation is urgently needed. Successful remediation strategies relying on the catabolic potential of marine hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria (HCB) have been described. HCB are specialised hydrocarbon (HC)-degrading marine bacteria that use HC almost exclusively as unique carbon and energy source and become dominant in oil-impacted environments. In order to identify the key hydrocarbon degraders and explore the natural bioremediation potential of the contaminated area, sediment cores and sea water were collected inside the Priolo H…

Critical Analysis Of Remote Sensing Techniques To Monitor Coastal Water Quality-Related Parameters

2010

Bioremediation of chronically oil-polluted marine sediment using beats of hydrocarbons-degrading bacteria

2015

Bioremediation is a good kind of "green biotechnology" based on the microorganisms ability to degrade hydrocarbons fractions. In this work sediment samples were collected from the industrial harbor of Priolo Gargallo (Augusta, Syracuse, Sicily - Italy), a chronically polluted area. Enrichment cultures and microbial isolation were performed. Amoung 258 bacteria and 5 consortia isolated, strain S1 (Alcanivorax borkumensis, 98%) and two consortia (PSO and PSM) showed degradation rates of ~98% for linear and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PHAs) after 10 days of incubation (25±1°C, shaking 100 g). Taxonomic analysis (16S clone libraries) of consortia showed as dominant genera hydrocarbonoclas…

Impact of Heavy Metals in Eggs and Tissues of C. caretta along the Sicilian Coast (Mediterranean Sea)

2022

In this study we compared the heavy metal concentration found in different tissues and eggs of the loggerhead sea turtle and evaluated the potential ecotoxicological risk for this important species. Eighteen heavy metal elements were determined in different tissues (liver, gonads, fat, kidney, heart, brain, and spleen) of nine individuals of Caretta caretta found stranded along the coasts of Messina (Sicily, Italy) and in the shell and yolk of six eggs from the island of Linosa (Sicily, Italy). For the analysis of the heavy metals, we used the analytical procedures in accordance with the EPA 200.8 method supplemented by EPA 6020b with three replicates for each measurement. The elements anal…

Effects of diclofenac on the gametes and embryonic development of Arbacia lixula

2022

Diclofenac (DCF), a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), is among the main pollutants of aquatic environments. Nevertheless, even if several authors evaluated its effects on marine organisms, no work has ever analysed its impact on the sea urchin Arbacia lixula. The purpose of this study was to analyse, for the first time, the impact of DCF at different concentrations (50 mg/l, 5 mg/l, 0.5 mg/l, 0.05 mg/l) on A. lixula embryos and gametes to indicate possible safe minimum levels of release of this drug in marine environments. Our results showed significant concentration-dependent effects on embryonic development (decrease in the number of developed embryos and increase in the quant…

Isolation and Characterization of Oil-Degrading Bacteria from Bilge Water

2015

Twenty-one oil-degrading bacteria were isolated from bilge water. Based on a high growth rate on crude oil and on hydrocarbon degradation ability, 7 strains were selected (from 21 isolated) for further studies. 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that isolated strains were affiliated to Bacillus, Pseudomonas and Halomonas genera; in particular, isolate BW-B12 (Bacillus sp., 99%), BW-C12 (Halomonas boliviensis, 99%) and BW-E12 (Halomonas boliviensis, 98%) were the best crude-oil degraders; after 10 days of cultivation in ONR 7a mineral medium supplemented with crude oil as single carbon source BW-B12, BW-C12 and BW-E12 showed a degradation rate of 80, 60 and 59%, respectively. The strains showed…

Granulometry, mineralogy and trace elements of marine sediments from the Gulf of Milazzo (NE Sicily): evaluation of anthropogenic impact

2010

Granulometry, mineralogy, and trace element concentrations are determined in marine sediments from thirty-six sampling sites in the littoral environment of the Gulf of Milazzo (NE Sicily). Sediment samples were collected in August 2008, along 18 seaward transects, at water depths of ‐10, ‐20 and ‐30 m, by using a Van Veen grab. Grain-size analysis shows predominance of sand (56%) and silt (35%) fractions with respect to clay (7%) and gravel (2%) fractions. Bulk mineralogical analysis documents the presence of quartz, micas, feldspars, calcite, and chlorite, which reflect erosion processes affecting the Kabilian-Calabrian Units. Concentrations of most trace elements in the deeper sediments w…