Cristina Pignata’s research while affiliated with Università degli Studi di Torino and other places


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Publications (66)


Antibiotic resistance and pathogen spreading in a wastewater treatment plant designed for wastewater reuse
  • Article

September 2024

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27 Reads

Environmental Pollution

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Fig. 1 Prevalence and trend of positivity for BA.2.86* over the study period for both environmental and clinical data
Fig. 3 Geographical distribution of BA.2.86 lineage prevalence over four months. The detection of the Omicron BA.2.86* is represented with increasing shades of blue based on its prevalence. Grey Regions/
Tracking the Spread of the BA.2.86 Lineage in Italy Through Wastewater Analysis
  • Article
  • Full-text available

June 2024

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125 Reads

Food and Environmental Virology

The emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants poses challenges to global surveillance efforts, necessitating swift actions in their detection, evaluation, and management. Among the most recent variants, Omicron BA.2.86 and its sub-lineages have gained attention due to their potential immune evasion properties. This study describes the development of a digital PCR assay for the rapid detection of BA.2.86 and its descendant lineages, in wastewater samples. By using this assay, we analyzed wastewater samples collected in Italy from September 2023 to January 2024. Our analysis revealed the presence of BA.2.86 lineages already in October 2023 with a minimal detection rate of 2% which then rapidly increased, becoming dominant by January 2024, accounting for a prevalence of 62%. The findings emphasize the significance of wastewater-based surveillance in tracking emerging variants and underscore the efficacy of targeted digital PCR assays for environmental monitoring.

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Main characteristics of the 2 applied tests for the mutagenic assay comparison after protocol development. The common modifications, with respect to the traditional method, are shown in bold for comparison.
Descriptive analysis of the mutagenic results (net revertants/m 3 ) for each strain and each method.
Direct Impact of the Air on Mutant Cells for Mutagenicity Assessments in Urban Environments

December 2023

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28 Reads

Microorganisms

Background: Urban air pollution is recognized as a critical problem for public health and is classified as a carcinogen for humans. A great number of studies have focused on the monitoring of urban air mutagenicity. One of the best-known and applied methods for assessing mutagenicity is the Ames test, a bacterial reverse mutation test. The classic protocol for assessing air mutagenicity involves the concentration of particulate matter (PM) on filters and subsequent extraction using organic solvents. This work aimed to develop a method for the evaluation of air mutagenicity directly impacted by air on microbial plates already containing an Ames’ microbial sensor. Methods: A specific six-month sampling campaign was carried out in Turin in a period with high air pollution. Samples were tested for mutagenicity on Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98, TA100, and YG1024 with the traditional method and with the new direct method. Results: The new protocol is able to evaluate the mutagenicity of the sampled air and obtain repeatable results. The final sensitivity is similar to the traditional method (≈10 net revertants/m3); however, the mutagenic response is due to the complete air pollution mixture, including volatile and semivolatile pollutants avoiding the concentration of filters and the following laborious extraction procedures. Conclusions. Despite some critical issues in contamination control, the method is easier, faster, and less expensive than traditional methods.


Are Indicator Microorganisms Predictive of Pathogens in Water?

August 2023

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149 Reads

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13 Citations

Water

The microbiological quality assessment of drinking water (DW) and drinking water sources (DWSs) is based on the detection of indicator microorganisms (IMs). However, the relationship between IMs and pathogens has been questioned, as pathogens have been detected even in the absence of IMs, and vice versa. Therefore, the aim of this review was to evaluate the reliability of IMs by analysing the correlation between the presence of IMs and pathogens in water. This review focused on studies that reported statistical analyses of the relationship between traditional and alternative IMs and enteric pathogens in DWSs (groundwater, surface water, and rainwater) and in DW. Additionally, the main DW guidelines and regulations, along with a focus on the application of Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA), were also reported. The overall analysis of publications revealed a controversial correlation, characterised by high spatiotemporal variability, indicating the impossibility of identifying a reliable IM for any specific pathogen or water type. The association was also influenced by numerous factors, such as intrinsic characteristics of microorganisms, seasonal variations, sample number, water sample volume, and the detection method used. In conclusion, the detection of IMs should be considered complementary to, rather than a substitute for, the detection of pathogens.







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Citations (44)


... The development of short-term and long-term water monitoring systems across various water bodies within the royal reserve is required to monitor the presence of some bacterial pathogens which indicate a low water quality. So, the biodiversity research could be used to gain a better understanding of the structure and function of the microbial community because it provides more information on the current bacteria [12][13][14][15]. Over the past two decades, microbial ecologists have used numerous techniques to study sediment microbial communities with microbial diversity coverage ranging from 5% for freshwater to 25% for sediment, but these techniques are effort-and time-consuming. ...

Reference:

Metagenomic Analysis of Sediment Bacterial Diversity and Composition in Natural Lakes and Artificial Water Points of Tabuk Region in King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Royal Natural Reserve, Saudi Arabia
Are Indicator Microorganisms Predictive of Pathogens in Water?

Water

... The improper use of antibiotics is a serious worldwide health issue, leading to the emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant microbes [40]. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that illnesses caused by bacteria that are resistant to drugs have a higher mortality rate [41]. ...

Occurrence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and resistance genes in the urban water cycle

Environmental Science and Pollution Research

... Residents are aware of the abnormal appearance and taste of the water, which has generated concern about its safety and has led to the search for solutions to improve this situation. (11,12) Testing and improving water quality in Belisario Quevedo could provide significant benefits. These include reducing water-related illnesses, improving overall community health, increasing confidence in the water supply, and promoting a healthier and more sustainable environment. ...

Occurrence of human pathogenic viruses in drinking water and in its sources: A review

Journal of Environmental Sciences

... By treating household wastewater (HWW) to established quality standards, they also ensure the preservation of the ecological balance in surface water bodies, maintaining the habitat of aquatic organisms. Modern wastewater treatment technologies make it possible not only to remove contaminants, but also to return water to the natural cycle, which contributes to resource conservation [3]. At the same time, wastewater treatment plants are environmental protection structures; they implement wastewater treatment technologies, and this activity is associated with environmental risks. ...

Impact of wastewater treatment plants on microbiological contamination for evaluating the risks of wastewater reuse

Environmental Sciences Europe

... The main hazard of its application is the strong toxic byproducts after disinfection compared with peracetic acid (PAA) or other chemicals (Luongo et al., 2020). Although a significant reduction of microbiological parameters can be achieved by using NaOCl compared to UV treatment and PAA disinfection, scientists have demonstrated that Salmonella contamination and stx2 genes will be present within the disinfected effluent even after the treatment by NaOCl (Bonetta et al., 2021). Interestingly, some studies have demonstrated that the new SARS-CoV-2 can be susceptible to NaOCl. ...

Comparison of UV, Peracetic Acid and Sodium Hypochlorite Treatment in the Disinfection of Urban Wastewater

Pathogens

... Results obtained in the present study evidenced a possible genotoxic effect of fine PM2.5 on human lymphocytes, at all tested concentrations. Showed data seem to be concordant with results obtained by other authors although these last used different assays (chromosomal aberration test or Comet assay) and observed a significant increase of genotoxicity at generally higher concentrations of PM (for example 33, 100, 300 µg/mL) 14,41,42 . The mechanism by which PM induces genotoxicity, could be linked to the production of ROS. ...

Mutagenic and genotoxic effects induced by PM0.5 of different Italian towns in human cells and bacteria: The MAPEC_LIFE study
  • Citing Article
  • November 2018

... The lowest amount of BTEX occurred in summer due to increased solar radiation and photochemical reactions 45 . In a study accomplished by De Donno et al., the annual concentrations of benzene did not exceed the guideline value (5 µg/m 3 ), which was similar to results obtained in our study 46 . The reason for high concentrations of benzene in the summer could be more fuel consumption by vehicles and the use of cooling systems. ...

Health Risk Associated with Exposure to PM10 and Benzene in Three Italian Towns
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH)

... Legionella detection (spp. and pneumophila) was carried out using a quantitative molecular PCR method as previously described [19]. Briefly, 20 mL of influent and 250 mL of different effluents were concentrated by filtration; DNA was extracted from filter using the DNeasy PowerWater Kit (Qiagen) and quantified using commercial kits (iQ-Check Quanti Legionella spp. ...

Effectiveness of a neutral electrolysed oxidising water (NEOW) device in reducing Legionella pneumophila in a water distribution system: A comparison between culture, qPCR and PMA-qPCR detection methods
  • Citing Article
  • July 2018

Chemosphere

... years), although reported without available information on sampling season [81], are in accordance with this study. Also, in the study by Villarini et al. [82], MNi frequencies in school children were associated with the winter season and air pollution in the town where sampling was performed. ...

Buccal micronucleus cytome assay in primary school children: A descriptive analysis of the MAPEC_LIFE multicenter cohort study
  • Citing Article
  • June 2018

International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health

... 17 However, the FW recycling process often leads to severe bioaerosol pollution due to sorting, mechanical agitation, aeration, and biosolid/liquid aerosolization. 18,19 Airborne culturable microorganism levels in FW composting plants have been reported to be as high as 10 4 −10 5 cfu/m 3 , with the potential to spread over hundreds of meters and persist for days to weeks. 20−22 More importantly, FW has been identified as a significant ARG reservoir, 23−25 among which ARGs and related resistant bacteria would be inevitably released into ambient air via bioaerosols and further inhaled by nearby humans, especially in densely populated megacities. ...

Aerosol exposure and risk assessment for green jobs involved in biomethanization
  • Citing Article
  • March 2018

Environment International