Simonetta Corsolini

University of Siena | UNISI · Department of Environment, Earth and Physical Sciences

The Ross Sea Marine Protected Area (RS-MPA) hosts endemic species that have to cope with multiple threats, including chemical contamination. Adèlie penguin is considered a good sentinel species for monitoring pollutants. Here, 23 unhatched eggs, collected from three colonies along the Ross Sea coasts, were analysed to provide updated results on leg...

Global production and emission of chemicals exceeds societal capacities for assessment and monitoring. This situation calls for improved chemical regulatory policy frameworks and increased support for expedited decision making within existing frameworks. The polar regions of the Earth represent unique sentinel areas for the study of global chemical...

Correction for 'POPs in Antarctic ecosystems: is climate change affecting their temporal trends?' by Simonetta Corsolini et al., Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2022, 24, 1631-1642, https://doi.org/10.1039/D2EM00273F.

Time series of contaminants in the Arctic are an important instrument to detect emerging issues and to monitor the effectiveness of chemicals regulation, based on the assumption of a direct reflection of changes in primary emissions. Climate change has the potential to influence these time trends, through direct physical and chemical processes and/...

Climate change is affecting Antarctica and the Southern Ocean and effects have been already reported for the abiotic compartments of the ecosystems, e.g. ice loss and iceberg calving. Global warming can alter also the distribution of persistent organic pollutant (POPs) both at a global scale and in the Antarctic Region, due to their physical-chemic...

http://hdl.handle.net/11365/1143372

This work investigates the occurrence of OCPs, such as hexachlorocyclohexane (α-, β-, γ- and δ-HCH) isomers, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (p,p’-DDT) and its metabolite dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p’-DDE), endosulfan (α- and β-EDS) isomers, chlorpyrifos (CPF), dacthal (DAC) and phenolic compounds, such as 4-nonylphenol (4-NP) and its prec...

The air humidity in Antarctica is very low and this peculiar weather parameter make the use of flame retardants in research facilities highly needed for safety reasons, as fires are a major risk. Legacy and novel flame retardants (nFRs) including polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs), 1,2-bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy)...

The Victoria Land (East Antarctica) is characterized by the presence of lakes and ponds where rare water is found during the Summer months. These freshwater ecosystems are an important resource for migrating seabirds that use them and leave there their droppings and feathers, contributing to enrich the water with organic matter. Persistent organic...

The spatial distribution, source identification and ecotoxicological impact of a group of persistent organic pollutants (POPs: dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs), polychlorobenzenes (PCBzs)), and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were investigated in surface sediment samples (0–5 cm, <63...

Introduction: Recent climate changes are much faster than previous long-term ones, causing stress on polar marine ecosystems resulting in changes in atmosphere/ocean exchanges, ocean properties, sea ice cover and thickness. These phenomena, associated to anthropogenic emissions, are triggering shifts in global biogeochemical cycles and marine ecosy...

DDT isomers were detected in all the liver and muscle samples of Greenland sharks Somniosus microcephalus (n = 15) caught in Greenland seawaters. The mean concentrations of ΣDDTs (sum of o,p’ and p,p’ DDT, DDD, and DDE isomers) were 1094 ± 818 ng/g lipid weight (lw) in the muscle and 761 ± 416 ng/g lw in the liver. The p,p’-DDE accounted for 48% ±...

The Atlantic cod Gadus morhua, the Greenland cod Gadus ogac and the Greenland halibut Reinhardtius hippoglossoides are particularly sensitive to persistent organic pollutants (POP) exposure, playing an important role in monitoring the potential effects of these chemicals in Arctic marine ecosystems. DDTs, PCBs, PBDEs and HBCDs were determined in th...

Polybrominated-diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) include a class of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) that are added to many products (e.g. plastics, household textiles, etc.) to reduce their flammability. The top predator Greenland shark Somniosus microcephalus is an important cold-water species with slow growth and it is also the longest-lived vertebrate...

The Gulf of Follonica (Italy) is impacted by the chemical pollution from ancient mining activity and present industrial processes. This study was aimed to determine the bioavailability of dioxin-like compounds (DLCs) in coastal marine environment and to assess the genotoxic potential of waste waters entering the sea from an industrial canal. Modera...

The ecological features of the Ross Sea trophic web are peculiar and different from other polar food webs, with respect to the use of habitat and species interactions; due to its ecosystem integrity, it is the world's largest Marine Protected Area, established in 2016. Polar organisms are reported to bioaccumulate lipophilic contaminant, viz persis...

In orther to carry out this PBDEs review in Antarctica, 60 scientific articles were collected by using the scientific literatura dated from 2004 to 2016

Introduction Hexabromocyclododecane (1,2,5,6,9,10-hexabromocyclododecane, HBCD) is a brominated flame retardant (BFR) consisting of 16 possible isomers, three of them (α-, β-and γ-HBCD) are the main components in the commercial mixtures 1. The Greenland shark Somniosus microcephalus is a top predator and the long-lived vertebrate known, with an ave...

Polyurethane foam (PUF) disk passive air samplers were deployed concurrently at five sites across Kolkata megacity and the rural mangrove wetland of Sundarban (UNESCO World Heritage Site) between January–March in 2014. Samples were analyzed for hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), dichlorodiphenyltricholoroethanes (DDTs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)...

This is the first survey to investigate the occurrence and extent of microplastic (MPs) contamination in sub surface waters collected near-shore and off-shore the coastal area of the Ross Sea (Antarctica). Moreover, a non-invasive method to analyze MPs, consisting in filtration after water sampling and analysis of the dried filter through Fourier T...

Lipids are important energy source and structural component for cellular membranes and tissues, involved in the osmoregulation and immune response, and are very important in the bioaccumulation of lipophilic chemicals too. Among lipids, fatty acids (FAs) give information on diet of organisms, since FA of consumer lipids can be related to those of d...

Biomagnification (increase in contaminant concentrations at successively higher levels of trophic web), is a process that can transversally impair biodiversity and human health. Most research shows that biomagnification should be higher at poles with northern sites having a major tendency to biomagnify Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) through t...

DDTs were analyzed in 1-5 g of white muscle and liver tissue samples from 11 Greenland sharks (6 ♀, 5 ♂, body length (bl) 104-454 cm). Eight specimens were caught by long-lines in the fjords of NW Greenland, the remaining specimens were caught offshore in the SW and SE Greenland. The sharks were collected at different depths (114-745 m). The o,p’-...

Persistent organic pollutants include several groups of chemicals with similar structures and physical–chemical properties that elicit comparable toxic effects. They have been used extensively worldwide in agriculture, industrial, and health applications. Their degradation is very slow in the polar regions due to the low temperatures and winter dar...

The occurrence of POPs in remote areas, such as Antarctica, is the result of their ability to udergo Long Range Transport (LRT) in the atmosphere, precipitation and cold condensation. In this study, both recent levels of various POPs in Trematomus bernacchii and their changes in roughly three decades were determined in order to evaluate trends of P...

Polyurethane foam (PUF) disk passive air samplers were deployed concurrently at five sites across Kolkata megacity and the rural mangrove wetland of Sundarban (UNESCO World Heritage Site) between January–March in 2014. Samples were analyzed for hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), dichlorodiphenyltricholoroethanes (DDTs), polychlorinated biphynyls (PCBs)...

Polyurethane foam disks (PUF) passive air samplers (PAS) were deployed over 4 sampling periods of 3-5-months (≥ 1 year) at ten urban and rural locations throughout the Tuscany Region. The purpose was to assess the occurrence and seasonal variations of ten current-use pesticides (CUPs). PUF disk extracts were analyzed using GC-MS. The organophosphat...

The present study investigated the influence of nano-TiO2 (1 mg L-1) on 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD) (46 pg L-1) bioconcentration and toxicity in the European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) during 7 days in vivo exposure. A multimarkers approach was applied in different organs: detoxification in liver; innate immunity and pro...

The Greenland shark Somniosus microcephalus is an opportunistic feeder, a top predator, and a very long-lived species. The brain, liver, red and white muscle, gonads, fat, skin, pancreas, and spleen of Greenland sharks from NE Greenland fjords were analysed for PCBs, PCDDs/DFs, PBDEs; DDT isomers; HCH isomers; dieldrin; endrin; HCB; Cd, Hg, Pb, and...

Introduction The river Po (Northern Italy) is the longest river in Italy (652 km) and it flows across the Pianura Padana eastward with a drainage area of 74,000 km² (about one fourth of the whole Italian surface) and more than 16 million people lived in the whole basin, nearly one third of the Italian population. The Po basin generates nearly 40% o...

POPs measurements in Remote environments

Despite the growing concern over the potential biological impact of nanoparticles (NPs) in the aquatic environment, little is known about their interactions with other pollutants. The bivalve Mytilus sp, largely utilized as a sentinel for marine contamination, has been shown to represent a significant target for different types of NP, including n-T...

Introduction The river Po (Northern Italy) is the longest river in Italy (652 km) and it flows across the Pianura Padana eastward with a drainage area of 74,000 km² (about one fourth of the whole Italian surface) and more than 16 million people lived in the whole basin, nearly one third of the Italian population. The Po basin generates nearly 40% o...

Despite the health risks associated with perfluorinated compounds (PFC) exposure and the detection of these compounds in many countries around the world, little is known on their occurrence in Italy. The results of a study on levels of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), analysed by HPLC-ESI-MS, in human milk and foo...

Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), widely used for their hydro-oil repellent properties, are almost non-degradable in the environment; there is scientific evidence that indicate bioaccumulation. They represent a threat to many organisms, because they are toxic and are endocrine disruptors. Scientific studies have demonstrated the presence of PFCs in...

The geographic isolation and extreme climate of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean are responsible for both their late discovery by man and the absence of any human impact (towns, industry, and mining), except for the scientific stations. Unfortunately, many studies have demonstrated that even this remote continent and ocean has been reached by ubiq...

The continent of Antarctica is a cold desert surrounded by the Southern Ocean; its northern boundary is the Antarctic circumpolar current (ACC), commonly referred to as the polar front. The ACC is formed where cold seawaters sink beneath the northerly warmer waters. It acts as a biological barrier: organisms are not able to cross it because of the...

The unhatched eggs of the following seabirds were analyzed to quantify PCBs, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), α-, β-, γ-, δ-hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), o,p' and p,p' isomers of DDT, DDD and DDE: resident Adèlie (Pygoscelis adèliae, ADPE) and Emperor (Aptenodytes forsteri, EMPE) penguins, migrating snow petrel (Pagodroma nivea, SNPT) and South Polar skua...

Surface sediment from 15 Italian marine protected areas (MPA) were analysed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The organic carbon percentage was also determined. Total PAH concentrations (ng g⁻¹ d.w.) ranged from 0.71 (Penisola del Sinis) to 1550 (Miramare). Individual PAH analysis showed that three and four rings PAHs were the most frequ...

Atlantic bluefin tuna (ABFT) are highly valued and heavily exploited, and critical uncertainties regarding their population structure hinder effective management. Evidence supports the existence of two breeding populations of ABFT; a western population in the Gulf of Mexico and an eastern population in the Mediterranean Sea; both of which migrate a...

Anthropogenic compounds, such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), together with naturally-produced organobromines, such as methoxylated PBDEs (MeO-PBDEs), polybrominated hexahydroxanthene derivatives (PBHDs), 2,4,6-tribromoanisole (TBA) and a mixed halogenated monoterpene (MHC-1), were measured in muscle from 26 farmed and wild bluefin tuna...

Prior to this study, reports of occurrence of polycyclic musks and polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) in human tissues from Italy were not available. In this study, concentrations of PCNs and polycyclic musks were determined in human adipose tissue from Italy collected during 2005-2006; for comparison, legacy organohalogen pollutants such as organ...

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) concentrations and congener profiles were evaluated in four species of Antarctic fish (Chionodraco hamatus, Chaempsocephalus gunnari, Gymnoscopelus nicholsi,Trematomus eulepidotes) and in one Mediterranean species (Tuna, Thunnus thynnus). The GC/MS-ECNI analysis revealed that average sigmaPBDE concentrations i...

Mean hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) concentrations, measured in seawater and air samples, confirmed the decline in levels of these compounds in Antarctic air and water. However, low alpha/gamma-HCH ratios in air at the beginning of the sampling period suggest a predominance of fresh lindane entering the Antarctic atmosphere...

Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) have emerged as a new class of global environmental pollutants. In this study, the presence of perfluorochemicals (PFCs) in penguin eggs and Antarctic fur seals was reported for the first time. Tissue samples from Antarctic fur seal pups and penguin eggs were collected during the 2003/04 breeding season. Ten PFC cont...

The aim of this study was to investigate levels of some major environmental contaminants, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and organochlorine pesticides in Antarctic samples. Concentrations of some persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were investigated in Antarctic fur seal pups...

In the late 1960s the first scientific studies on contamination in Antarctica demonstrated the presence of pollutants in Antarctic ecosystems. Many Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are transported globally from the areas in which they are produced and released into the environment in remote areas, including Antarctica. Here we report results ob...

A critical review of the levels and patterns of industrial contaminants in biota from Antarctica and the Southern Ocean revealed that concentrations are low with respect to other regions of the world, although in some specimens/species (e.g. leopard seal, some invertebrates) they are occasionally high and comparable to those found in regions with a...

The relative isolation of the Mediterranean population, their feeding habits, and the widespread use of their fillets for human consumption make the Mediterranean swordfish, Xiphias gladius, an interesting species from an ecotoxicological and commercial point of views. High resolution gas chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry detected 19 PBDE...

Fish-eating seabirds are recognized to be at risk of accumulating toxic contaminants due to their high position in the trophic web and to their low ability to metabolize xenobiotic compounds. Penguins are widely distributed in Antarctica and represent an important fraction of the Antarctic biomass. They feed mainly on krill and, depending on krill...

The bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus (Linnaeus 1758), is biologically and economically important in the Atlantic--Mediterranean ecosystems. Bluefin tuna feed on diverse food items depending on their age, thus they occupy different trophic levels during their lifespan. Hexachlorobenzene (HCB), p,p'-DDE and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are well-know...

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) include several groups of chemicals with similar structures and physical-chemical properties that elicit similar toxic effects. They have been used worldwide in agriculture (pesticides), industrial and health applications. Some POPs mimic natural hormones and are defined as endocrine disrupter compounds (EDCs),...

Concentrations and enantiomeric signatures of organochlorine pesticides were determined in Antarctic krill, emerald rockcod and Adélie penguin from the Ross Sea, Antarctica. HCB and DDTs were prevalent contaminants in penguin eggs. The highest concentrations of SigmaHCHs (1.35 +/- 0.72 ng/g) were found in the rockcod muscle, where gamma-HCH (1.23 +...

Many persistent organic pollutants (POPs) pose serious health hazards to both the environment and human. Among these, polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) are probable human carcinogens and can also pose non-cancer health hazards to intellectual functions and the nervous, immune and reproductive systems. The risks and hazards associated with POP residues in...

Perfluorooctanesulfonyl fluoride based compounds have been used in a wide variety of consumer products, such as carpets, upholstery, and textiles. These compounds degrade to perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS), a persistent metabolite that accumulates in tissues of humans and wildlife. Previous studies have reported the occurrence of PFOS, perfluorohex...

Adélie penguin (Pygoscelisadeliae) stomach contents, krill (Euphausiasuperba and E.crystallorophias) and silverfish (Pleuragrammaantarcticum) from the Ross Sea were analysed to determine several persistent organic pollutants (POPs). In discussing the data, the prey-predator linkage between these species was taken into account. Sampling was carried...

Concentrations of 2378-substituted polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), dibenzofurans (DFs) and non- and mono-ortho-substituted polychlorinated biphenyls (dioxin-like PCBs) were measured in livers of polar bears from the Alaskan Arctic and in eggs of Adelie penguin and south polar skua and weddell seal liver, fish and krill from Antarctica. T...

Remote areas including the Polar regions were considered to be pristine until contamination was first documented in the 1970's. Given the fact that the xenobiotics detected in polar ecosystems are persistent and toxic, investigating the presence of these chemicals in a pristine environment such as Antarctica has become a priority. In specimens of t...