Marco Vecchiato

• PostDoc Position at Ca' Foscari University of Venice

Personal Care Products (PCPs) contain contaminants of emerging concern. Despite increasing reports of their presence in polar regions, the behavior of PCP ingredients under cold environmental conditions remains poorly understood....

Arctic Amplification (AA) is leading to significant glacier ice melting, rapid sea ice decline, and alterations in atmospheric and geochemical processes in the Arctic regions, with consequences on the formation, transport, and chemical composition of aerosols and seasonal snowpack. Svalbard is particularly exposed to the AA, thus represents a relev...

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a widespread organic micro-pollutant, found in most environments, including alpine and Arctic regions, and several matrices such as waters and aerosols. Polar regions are characterized by periods of intense irradiation with no sunset due to the continuous sunlight, while alpine areas, despite following the day-night cycle of mi...

Reconstruction of the anthropogenic fingerprint over the last 150 years through the analysis of trace organic compounds preserved in Antarctic ice

Far from the general idea of pristine environments, remote areas may be affected by emissions from local human settlements and by the long-range transport of pollutants. Fragrances, as widely used components in household and personal care products (PCPs), may derive from both these types of sources. Consequently, the presence of nitro, polycyclic,...

A chronic toxicity test (21 d exposure) with the model organism Daphnia magna was performed to study the single-compound and combined effects of four fragrance materials (FMs), including musk xylene (MX), Celestolide ™ (ADBI), Galaxolide™ (HHCB), and ethylene brassylate (MT). Furthermore, the transcriptional responses of ten target genes related to...

The study of airborne chemical markers is crucial for identifying sources of aerosols, and their atmospheric processes of transport and transformation. The investigation of free amino acids and their differentiation between the L- and D- enantiomers are even more important to understand their sources and atmospheric fate. Aerosol samples were colle...

The distribution of Personal Care Products in Antarctica is still far from being well documented. A pilot study was conducted to evaluate the presence of organic UV filters in Antarctica using GC-MS/MS. The 2-Ethylhexyl 4-methoxycinnimate (EHMC), also known as octinoxate, was detected for the first time in Antarctic surface snow, and also in snowme...

This paper presents the results of simultaneous high time-resolution measurements of biogenic aerosol (methane sulfonic acid (MSA), non-sea salt sulfate nssSO42-) with its gaseous precursor dimethylsulfide (DMS), performed at the Italian coastal base Mario Zucchelli Station (MZS) in Terra Nova Bay (MZS) during two summer campaigns (2018–2019 and 20...

Amyl salicylate (AS) is a fragrance massively used as a personal care product (PCP) and following the discharged in wastewaters may end up in the aquatic environment representing a potential threat for the ecosystem and living organisms. AS was recently detected in water of the Venice Lagoon, a vulnerable area continuously subjected to the income o...

This paper presents the results on simultaneous high time resolution measurements of biogenic aerosol (methane sulfonic acid-MSA, non-sea salt sulfate nssSO42-) with its gaseous precursor dimethylsulfide (DMS) performed at the Italian coastal base Mario Zucchelli Station (MZS) in Terra Nova Bay (MZS) during two summer campaigns (2018–2019 and 2019–...

The presence of contaminants in the Arctic has been investigated and described in numerous studies over the past decades. However, a new group of contaminants is raising concern among the scientific community. During the past years, both the European Commission and the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme highlighted the importance to improve...

Protected woodlands are rare and small portions of the plain territory of northern Italy, where agricultural, industrial and urban activities strongly dominate the landscape. Such natural areas are frequently set on river floodplains and are therefore potentially conditioned by the contamination brought by the surface waters. We investigated the oc...

Fragrance materials (FMs) are used in a variety of detergents and cosmetics, including household and personal care products. Despite their widespread use and the growing evidence of their occurrence in surface waters worldwide, very little is known about their toxicity towards marine species, including a key component of the marine food webs such a...

Organic acids in aerosols Earth's atmosphere are ubiquitous and they have been extensively studied across urban, rural and polar environments. However, little is known about their properties, transport, source and seasonal variations in the Svalbard Archipelago. Here, we present the annual trend of organic acids in the aerosol collected at Ny-Ålesu...

In this study, recent and aged inputs of five classes of organic contaminants (i.e. PCBs, OCPs, PCDD/Fs, PAHs, and n-Alkanes) were evaluated in eight deep sediment cores of the Venice Lagoon, collected along the path of a new waterway whose excavation is under evaluation by local authorities, to assess the environmental quality status of the area....

The Great Acceleration of the anthropogenic impact on the Earth system is marked by the ubiquitous distribution of anthropogenic materials throughout the global environment, including technofossils, radionuclides and the exponential increases of methane and carbon dioxide concentrations. However, personal care products as direct tracers of human do...

Organic compounds stored in sedimentary archives, such as peat bogs, can provide information on numerous processes related to paleoenvironmental changes. The application of multi-proxy methods permits to overcome the limits imposed by reduced sample size, although complex matrices need particular attention to some analytical aspects. Here, we devel...

The concentrations and particle-size distribution of sugars in Arctic aerosol samples were studied to investigate their potential sources and transport. Sugars are constituents of the water-soluble organic compounds (WSOC) fraction in aerosol particles where some saccharides are used as tracers of Primary Biological Aerosol Particles (PBAPs). Monos...

The International Cooperation GVC-UCODEP project "Promotion of environmental protection in the Việt Yên, Yên Dũng and Hiệp Hòa districts in the Bắc Giang Province, Vietnam" aimed at the restoration and preservation of natural resources together with the improvement of life conditions of the local population. It focused on the management of pollutan...

This data article presents the datasets obtained during the years 2011–2012 in the Provinces of Bắc Giang and Bắc Ninh (Northern Vietnam) in the framework of an International Cooperation project aimed at the restoration and preservation of natural resources together with the improvement of life conditions of the local population. All information re...

This study is aimed to evaluate the contamination of the Adige river waters due to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and Personal Care Products (PCPs), including UV-filters and Muskfragrances.

Deforestation associated with the initial settlement of New Zealand is a dramatic example of how humans can alter landscapes through fire. However, evidence linking early human presence and land-cover change is inferential in most continental sites. We employed a multi-proxy approach to reconstruct anthropogenic land use in New Zealand's South Isla...

Polar regions are fragile ecosystems threatened by both long-range pollution and local human contamination. In this context, the environmental distribution of the Personal Care Products (PCPs) represent a major knowledge gap. Following preliminary Antarctic studies, Fragrance Materials (FMs) were analyzed in the seawater and snow collected in the a...

The Mediterranean Sea is highly influenced by several anthropic pressures, including different kinds of organic pollutants. Fragrance Materials (FMs) and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) were investigated in the surface seawater of the Sicily Channel in offshore and coastal areas. Total concentrations of FMs and PAHs resulted respectively up...

In two areas of the Alps several analyses aiming to verify the presence of PAH and heavy metals deposition have been performed during the ablation season 2016. In relation to the different precipitation regime, exposition and elevation we selected three alpine glaciers owing their peculiar conditions: the Gran Pilastro glacier-Gliderferner, located...

Plant residues are the main source of organic matter in soil: this process takes place naturally in forests and with organic amendments in farmlands. Terrestrial plants also synthesize hydrocarbons: typically, angiosperms contain hundreds to thousands mg kg-1 of long-chain n-alkanes in leaf waxes. However, petroleum pollution is a worldwide issue a...

Abstract Personal Care Products are emerging pollutants whose distribution in the Antarctic and remote environments is still largely unknown. Among PCPs, long-lasting and stable Fragrance Materials were selected to perform a first pilot study on their occurrence in the coastal surface seawater of Terra Nova Bay in the Ross Sea, Antarctica. Ambrofix...

The 1999 Mw 7.4 earthquake triggered a tremendous human tragedy and had a great social impact over the population of the İzmit Bay, one of the most industrialized area of Turkey. Although the successive environmental disasters were well documented, information on its sedimentary record is lacking. The present research aims at filling this gap, thro...

Our research group has recently investigated POP contamination in the Nador Lagoon (N-E Morocco). Such studies have highlighted a peculiar situation: measurable total concentrations of Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and Polybrominated diphenyls ethers (PBDEs) were found at depths corresponding to times when these chemicals were not yet artificial...

Our research group has recently investigated POP contamination in the Nador Lagoon (N-E Morocco). Such studies have highlighted a peculiar situation: measurable total concentrations of Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and Polybrominated diphenyls ethers (PBDEs) were found at depths corresponding to times when these chemicals were not yet artificial...

Abstract Biomass burning and primary biological aerosol particles (PBAPs) represent important primary sources of organic compounds in the atmosphere. These particles and compounds are able to affect climate and human health. In the present work, using HPLC-orbitrapMS, we determined the atmospheric concentrations of molecular markers such as anhydro...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to define suitable tracers that are particularly significant in assessing the impact on the surrounding environment caused by a steel making plant. Design/methodology/approach – The authors focussed on the detection and quantification of inorganic pollutants such as heavy metals in the soil and in the air in...

Fragrance Materials (FMs) are omnipresent components of household and Personal Care Products (PCPs). In spite of their widespread use, little is known about their environmental occurrence. We selected 17 among the longest-lasting and most stable fragrance ingredients that are commercially available, namely: Amberketal, Ambrofix, Amyl Salicylate, Be...

Analyses of trace metals and organic contaminants (PCBs, PAHs, and PBDEs) were carried out in soils and sediments collected in different areas from the North of Morocco, in the framework of several bilateral projects between the Moroccan CNRST and the Italian CNR. Results indicated a situation of absent or low contamination in lagoons and salt mar...

Perfumes are ubiquitous in daily life. The majority of cosmetics, toiletries and a variety of household and Personal Care Products (PCPs) contain fragrance materials. In spite of their widespread use, little is known on the environmental fate of these compounds. The aim of this study is to partially fill this gap of knowledge. Commercial fragrances...

The processes and transformations occurring in the Antarctic aerosol during atmospheric transport were described using selected sugars as source tracers.Monosaccharides (arabinose, fructose, galactose, glucose, mannose, ribose, xylose), disaccharides (sucrose, lactose, maltose, lactulose), alcohol-sugars (erythritol, mannitol, ribitol, sorbitol, xy...

Dating of sediment cores in dynamic environments (such as tropical coastal lagoons) is often impossible to achieve, due to the difficulty to recover continuous and undisturbed records. Detailed temporal definition of environmental changes cannot be assured, but there is the possibility that information retained in such sediments can still provide u...

Antarctica is usually considered a pristine ecosystem; nevertheless it is influenced by Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), mainly driven by long-range atmospheric transport (LRAT). However, localized sources such as human and wildlife activities can also contribute to pollution, constituting contaminated points at a local scale. Antarctic ice-fr...

To investigate the impact of marine aerosols on global climate change it is important to study their chemical composition and size distribution. Amino acids are a component of the organic nitrogen in aerosols and particles containing amino acids have been found to be efficient ice nuclei. The main aim of this study was to investigate the L- and D-f...

To investigate the impact of marine aerosols on global climate change it is important to study their chemical composition and size distribution. Amino acids are a component of the organic nitrogen in aerosols and particles containing amino acids have been found to be efficient ice nuclei. The main aim of this study was to investigate the L- and D-...

Analytical methods relative to the determination of contaminants (including PCBs, PBDEs, PAHs, chlorinated pesticides, hydrocarbons, metals and As) in soils and sediments of the southwestern Bac Giang province and the Cau River (northern Vietnam) are presented. In this study, a novel simultaneous analytical method for PCBs, PAHs and PBDEs is presen...

Soils and sediments of the Bac Giang province (Northern Vietnam) have been analysed to determine level, distribution and sources of PAHs. Concentrations are low for the majority of samples and only two sites are above the international guideline that defines the threshold above which adverse effects on biota and humans can be expected. These two si...

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as PCBs, PBDEs, PCDD/Fs together with chlorinated pesticides and hydrocarbons (C>12) were analysed in 30 soil and sediment samples taken from different environments in the southwestern Bac Giang province. In general, PCBs are quite low, whereas PBDEs, excepting the congener 209, were relatively high and cer...

Despite geographical isolation and almost complete absence of human settlements, Antarctica is affected by Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs): the traces of these impacts are recorded in the snow. Although POPs were detected in Antarctica decades ago, there are still large knowledge gaps and a comprehensive understanding of their fundamental patt...

The chemical composition and size distribution of marine aerosols constitute an important parameter to investigate the latter's impact on global climate change. Amino acids are an important component of organic nitrogen in aerosols and have the ability to activate and act as cloud condensation nuclei, with important effects on the radiation balance...

Amino acids represent a fraction of organic matter in marine and freshwater ecosystems, and a source of carbon, nitrogen and energy. l-Amino acids are the most common enantiomers in nature because these chiral forms are used during the biosynthesis of proteins and peptide. To the contrary, the occurrence of d-amino acids is usually linked to the pr...

Concentration and distribution of PCBs, PCB 11, and PBDEs in both surficial sediment and soil samples, taken from a zone subject to recent accelerated development, were investigated to assess the environmental quality and understand both natural and anthropogenic processes that influence contaminant behaviors. Values of PCB and PBDE are in the lowe...

The development of a unique analytical method for the determination of five classes of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in atmospheric gas and the particle phase through gas chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry is presented. Every step of the pre-analytical and analytical optimization process is described. Great effort wa...

Concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were measured in a sediment core from the tropical freshwater inner lagoon of Las Matas, near the petroleum industrial area of Minatitlán-Coatzacoalcos, in the Gulf of Mexico. A 210Pb-derived chronology was used to reconstruct the historical PAH and PCB a...

PCBs were analysed in surficial sediments and selected sediment cores collected between 2002 and 2008 in Central Vietnam coastal lagoons. The aim was to determine contamination levels and trends, and to evaluate the effects of anthropogenic pressures and natural events. Samples were mostly fine-grained with low total PCB concentrations (0.367-44.7...

Samples from nine Central Vietnam coastal lagoons, together with three soils and sediments collected in two freshwater reservoirs of the Thua Thien-Hué province, were analysed for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs). Total concentrations are low, from 192 to 2912 pg g(-1) and depth profiles in Tam Giang-Cau Hai (TG-CH) sed...

The accumulation of PCBs over time was studied in a sediment core collected from Espejo de los Lirios, an ecological reserve located within the heart of Cuatitlan Izcalli, in the Northern part of Mexico City Metropolitan Zone. A 210Pb-derived chronology, was used to reconstruct the historical PCB fluxes to the site during ∼84 yr (1911–95). The high...