Search Results (48)

This study assesses sediment toxicity in the historically contaminated Orbetello Lagoon (southern Tuscany) using Paracentrotus lividus embryo development bioassays. Elutriates from 15 sites were analysed for trace metals, organic matter, and ammonium. Despite elevated mercury concentrations, toxicity did not consistently correlate with metal levels. Instead, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) identified ammonium as a key driver of developmental toxicity, suggesting that it significantly influences both biological effects and metal bioavailability. These results demonstrate that ammonium, often overlooked, can confound sediment toxicity assessments and should be integrated into risk evaluation frameworks for coastal systems affected by legacy pollution. Full article

Ficus carica L., present in Italy since ancient times, is represented by numerous cultivars grown in both southern and central regions. In recent years, local accessions, as a source of genetic biodiversity, have gained increasing interest for both genetic conservation and their agronomic characteristics, which are well suited for ‘sustainable agriculture’. Based on these considerations, we conducted a parallel study combining the genetic analysis (SSRs marker) and chemical profiling (polyphenols and antioxidant capacity) of fig leaves to characterize 15 cultivars of the Tuscany region. A genetic analysis performed using seven SSR oligonucleotide primers successfully allowed the discrimination of the cultivars studied, with primers MFC2, MFC3, and LMFC30 exhibiting the highest polymorphism. The phytochemical profiling of the leaves, conducted by HPLC-DAD-TOF-MS, revealed 17 phenolic compounds, among which caffeic acid derivatives were the most abundant. The psolaren compound was absent only in Gigante di Carmignano cv. The antiradical capacity varied among cultivars, with Perticone, Brogiotto Nero, and Paradiso exhibiting the highest antiradical capacity. Additionally, Brogiotto Bianco, Corbo, Dottato, Paradiso, Pecciolo Nero, and Verdino contained the highest concentrations of total sugars. Statistically significant differences were observed in total polyphenol content (values ranging from 14.1 to 36.6 mgGAE/gDW) and in flavonoid content (ranging from 25.7 to 52.3 mgQE/gDW). In terms of sugars, the sum of fructose, glucose, and sucrose ranged from 20.60 (Bianco di Carmignano) to 49.24 mg g⁻¹ (Verdino), with fructose present in the highest amounts. In conclusion, the 15 cultivars were completely characterized genetically and chemically, offering valuable insights for both conservation strategies and agricultural applications. Full article

Wetlands are among the world’s valuable ecosystems for biodiversity conservation, but they are also among the most threatened habitats, heavily impacted by human pressures and threats. The Mediterranean basin features numerous small lakes, ponds, and pools, whose number and quality are decreasing at an alarming rate, and whose biodiversity is often little or not at all known. As a better knowledge of the biotic components of these minor water bodies is necessary, with this aim a phytosociological survey campaign was carried out in southern Tuscany (central Italy), an area where little information is available on the vegetation of aquatic and palustrine biotopes. Numerous previously unknown water bodies were located and surveyed in this work, while others already known were resurveyed. These investigations allowed us to identify 28 plant communities which can be classified into seven syntaxonomic classes. A new subassociation (Ranunculo ophioglossifolii-Callitrichetum stagnalis subass. ranunculetosum peltati) is described. The identification of the site-associated Natura2000 habitats led to the recognition of five habitats of conservation interest at the national and European level. The results of these investigations will improve the knowledge of the flora and vegetation of these small but valuable natural areas, providing a basis for their conservation. Full article

Precision agriculture relies on highly detailed soil maps to optimize resource use. Proximal sensing methods, such as EMI, require a certain number of soil samples and laboratory analysis to interpolate the characteristics of the soil. NIR diffuse reflectance spectroscopy offers a rapid, low-cost alternative that increases datapoints and map accuracy. This study tests and optimizes a methodology for high-detail soil mapping in a 2.5 ha hazelnut grove in Grosseto, Southern Tuscany, Italy, using both EMI sensors (GF Mini Explorer, Brno, Czech Republic) and a handheld NIR spectrometer (Neospectra Scanner, Si-Ware Systems, Menlo Park, CA, USA). In addition to two profiles selected by clustering, another 35 topsoil augerings (0–30 cm) were added. Laboratory analyses were performed on only five samples (two profiles + three samples from the augerings). Partial least square regression (PLSR) with a national spectral library, augmented by the five local samples, predicted clay, sand, organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), and cation exchange capacity (CEC). The 37 predicted datapoints were used for spatial interpolation, using the ECa map, elevation, and DEM derivatives as covariates. Kriging with external drift (KED) was used to spatialize the results. The errors of the predictive maps were calculated using five additional validation points analyzed by conventional methods. The validation showed good accuracy of the predictive maps, particularly for SOC and TN. Full article

Human leishmaniasis is facing important epidemiological changes in Southern Europe, driven by increased urbanization, climate changes, emerging of new animal reservoirs, shifts in human behavior and a growing population of immunocompromised and elderly individuals. In this evolving epidemiological landscape, we analyzed the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of human leishmaniasis in the Tuscany region of Central Italy. Through a multicentric retrospective analysis, we collected clinical and demographic data about all cases of leishmaniasis recorded between 2018 and 2023. We observed 176 cases of human leishmaniasis, with 128 (72.7%) visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and 47 (26.7%) cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). Among these, 92.2% of VL and 85.1% of CL cases were autochthonous. The cumulative incidence of autochthonous human leishmaniasis was 0.22 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in 2018, but reached 1.81/100,000 in 2023. We identified three main areas of transmission: around the city of Florence (North-East Tuscany), around Grosseto city (South-West Tuscany) and Elba Island. Our findings confirm that the epidemiology of leishmaniasis is undergoing significant changes in Central Italy. Awareness towards this emerging health threat and surveillance strategies need to be improved in order to reliably assess the disease’s burden. Further research is needed in a “One-Health” perspective, to clarify the epidemiological dynamics at the environmental, reservoir, vector and human levels. The role of climate change and specific climatic factors affecting the epidemiological patterns of human leishmaniasis should be assessed. Further knowledge in these fields would promote targeted control and prevention strategies at regional and national levels. Full article

The southern Apuan Alps (Italy) are prone to rainfall-induced landslides. A first attempt to calculate rainfall thresholds was made in 2006 using non-statistical and repeatable methods for the 1975–2002 period. This research aims to update, validate, and compare the results of that attempt through different statistical approaches. Furthermore, a new dataset of rainfall and landslides from 2008 to 2016 was collected and analyzed by reconstructing the rainfall events via an automatic procedure. To obtain the rainfall thresholds in terms of the duration–intensity relationship, we applied three different statistical methods for the first time in this area: logistic regression (LR), quantile regression (QR), and least-squares linear fit (LSQ). The updated rainfall thresholds, obtained through statistical methods and related to the 1975–2002 dataset, resulted in little difference from the ones obtained with non-statistical methods and have similar efficiency values among themselves. The best one is provided by the LR, with a landslide probability of 0.55 (efficiency of 89.8%). The new rainfall thresholds, calculated by applying the three statistical methods on the dataset from 2008–2016, are similar to the 1975–2002 ones, except for the LR threshold, which exhibits a higher slope. This result confirms the validity of the thresholds obtained with the old database. Full article

A study was conducted to assess the efficacy of chabazite zeolite in mitigating ammonia levels in wastewater from a land-based marine fish farm in southern Tuscany (Italy). The fish farm discharges effluent into a lagoon, constituting an important eutrophication source. The experimental setup involved a pond/canal that received wastewater from three sea bream tanks (40 L/s). A 50 m canal section was divided into two parallel halves (T and B), each about 3 m wide. In T, a chabazite bed (granules about 3 cm ϕ) was placed that was about 6 cm thick; B was untreated and used as a control. Five sampling trials were conducted in both T and B to determine N-NH₄, N-NO₃, and P-PO₄ levels, in surface and near-bottom waters at both input and output. Prior to the zeolite addition, T and B sediments were sampled for TN and TP determination. Results indicated the not-managed canal system released nutrients and the output values were higher than the input, overshadowing the zeolite effects. Significant zeolite effects were observed by comparing B and T for differences between input and output: in T, nitrate increased (p = 0.05), demonstrating a resumption of nitrification, and ammonium (p = 0.07) and SRP (p = 0.06) decreased, in contrast to B. Full article

The Via Francigena stands as a European Cultural Route recognized by the Council of Europe, serving as a link between Northern and Southern Europe, extending from Canterbury through France and Switzerland to Rome in Italy. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights underscores the right of all individuals to partake in the cultural life of their communities, which entails ensuring that heritage sites remain accessible to everyone, regardless of their physical, cognitive or sensory abilities. To achieve this, the ‘rurAllure’ project has been initiated to promote and disseminate the cultural and natural heritage along this pilgrimage route in an inclusive manner. This paper reviews the existing resources regarding accessibility in the Italian segment of the Via Francigena, comparing them to initiatives undertaken on other European Cultural Routes. This serves as an initial step to comprehend the measures required to guarantee that everyone can fully engage with and comprehend these cultural experiences. The analysis revealed that most of the limited accessibility efforts along this route have primarily focused on physical accessibility. Regrettably, cognitive and sensory accessibility has received considerably less attention. In this context, this paper proposes the thermal heritage located along the Val d’Orcia section in Tuscany, Italy, as particularly promising for the development of accessible experiences due to its tactile characteristics. The future efforts to enhance accessibility along this route should consider approaches like Universal Design for Learning and the geography of perception to create resources and new experiences that cater to a wide range of individuals. Full article

Variability in lithology and weathering degree affects physical and mechanical properties of rocks. In this study, we investigated the relationships between weathering degree and engineering geological properties of trachydacitic volcanic rocks from Monte Amiata (central Italy) by coupling field and laboratory analyses. We collected in situ Schmidt hammer tests in the field. We evaluated weathering quantifying the percentage of secondary minerals through thermal analysis in the laboratory. We also determined dry density (${\rho }_d$), specific gravity of solids (Gs), porosity (n) and two-dimensional (2D) porosity as resulted from scanning electron microscopy investigations. The results of our study indicate a negative linear correlation between Schmidt hammer rebound values and secondary mineral percentage. This correlation provides a tool to quantitatively estimate the deterioration of rock uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) as weathering increases. Moreover, thermal analysis turned out to be a quantitative and reproducible method to evaluate weathering degree of magmatic rocks. Full article

Increasing interest in new sources of secondary metabolites as biologically active substances has resulted in an advanced study of many plant species. Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl. = Rhaphiolepis bibas (Lour.) Galasso & Banfi, Rosaceae family), an evergreen, subtropical fruit tree, native to China and Japan, but cultivated in southern countries of Europe, is a species commonly used in folk medicine and may be an excellent source of bioactive compounds. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the profile of the phenolic constituents of E. japonica fruits and leaves originating from Tuscany (Italy), as well as their in vitro antioxidant and chemopreventive activities on human cancer cell lines breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7), colon adenocarcinoma (Caco-2 and HT-29), and glioblastoma (U87MG). Results revealed that the extract of leaves displayed higher antioxidant and anticancer potential than the fruit extract and contained 25 individual phenolic compounds that have been characterized and quantified by the UPLC-PDA-MS method. The antiproliferative activity was correlated with the content of polyphenolic compounds indicating that both fruits and leaves are a good source of antioxidants and may be exploited as nutraceuticals enriching food or as components for the cosmetic/pharmaceutical industry. Full article

The Eurasian beaver Castor fiber was once present in the Palearctic, ranging from the western Iberian Peninsula to northwestern China. In the Middle Ages, this rodent underwent a severe decline in population due to habitat loss, hunting for fur and meat, and the demand for castoreum. At the beginning of 1900, the range of the Eurasian beaver was limited to scattered refugia in Eurasia. Since 1920, legal protection, reintroduction events, and natural spread triggered the recovery of the species in most of its original range. In March 2021, the presence of the Eurasian beaver in Central Italy (Tuscany and Umbria regions) was confirmed through camera trapping after the detection of unequivocal signs of presence (i.e., gnawed trunks). Recordings are located about 550 km south of the known range of this species, thus suggesting that the presence of beavers in Tuscany and Umbria might be due to a local unauthorised reintroduction. In this work, we also reported the presence of beavers in the Abruzzi region and in Southern Italy (Molise-Campania regions), over 380 km in a straight line south to the southernmost record of beaver presence in Central Italy. Full article

Reintroductions represent an opportunity to restore local biodiversity and reverse the effect of taxa extinction. However, they need feasibility and monitoring plans before and during their implementation to ensure concrete and lasting results. During the 20th century, the osprey (Pandion haliaetus) underwent a severe population decline in many European countries due to direct persecution and coast exploitation. In the 1960s–1970s, it was declared extinct as a breeder in Italy. In 2004, the Maremma Regional Park (Tuscany, central Italy) started a reintroduction project by capturing and releasing, from 2006 to 2010, 33 juvenile Corsican ospreys on the southern coast of Tuscany. The settlement of the first breeding pair in 2011 was the initial sign of the success of the reintroduction project, then further pairs settled from 2011 onward. A total of 81 feather or blood samples were collected for DNA extraction from both translocated (2006–2010) and newborn individuals (2011–2021). Individuals were analyzed at 16 microsatellite loci to verify any changes in genetic variability over time and to set out a protocol for the reconstruction of kinship for conservation and management purposes. We did not observe a reduction in genetic variability between the two sampling periods, although we found a slight sign of the founder effect in the reestablished population. A strong genetic differentiation was observed between this Mediterranean population and an injured osprey from a Northern European population, thus confirming the importance of considering the local genetic pool in any reintroduction project. Monogamous behavior was confirmed by family reconstruction, which allowed the identification of clear kinship relationships. Our findings indirectly inform on the genetic variability of the population during the 16-year period from the start of the project and provide useful insights for its long-term conservation. Full article

On 13 January 2012, the Italian vessel Costa Concordia wrecked on the shore of Giglio Island, about 15 km off the coast of southern Tuscany (Italy), causing the loss of 32 lives. It is considered one of the worst disasters in maritime history. Salvage operations started immediately after the wreck with the coordination of the Italian National Civil Protection Department and the technological support of several Research Centers, which were activated for the management of the consequent emergency phase. A multi-parametric and multiplatform monitoring system was promptly implemented, involving several advanced remote sensing techniques, among which was Infrared Thermography (IRT). In this framework, IRT monitoring was performed during a 35-day period (25 January–1 March 2012), using a terrestrial, hand-held thermal camera. Six different thermal images were acquired daily from the island’s coastline in three different positions, both in daylight and night times. The aim was to detect thermal anomalies connected to possible deformations of the vessel and oil spills. Between 3–4 February, IRT successfully revealed on oil spill drifting from the stern of the wreck towards the island harbor. Furthermore, the wreck’s thermal dilatation was also analyzed during a 24-day close-range monitoring, providing interesting insights for the interpretation of the deformation monitoring results. This paper presents the outcomes of these innovative and experimental monitoring activities, with the aim of testing the potential of IRT as a versatile and operative tool to be used in maritime and environmental disaster response. Full article

For about a decade, olive groves in Apulia (Southern Italy) have been progressively destroyed by Olive Quick Decline Syndrome (OQDS), a disease caused by the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca (Xfp). Recently, we described an additional wilting syndrome affecting olive trees in that area. The botryosphaeriaceous fungus Neofusicoccum mediterraneum was found associated with the diseased trees, and its high virulence toward olive trees was demonstrated. Given the common features with Branch and Twig Dieback (BTD) of olive tree, occurring in Spain and California, we suggested that the observed syndrome was BTD. During our first survey, we also found a botryosphaeriaceous species other than N. mediterraneum. In the present article, we report the morphological and molecular characterization of this fungal species which we identified as Neofusicoccum stellenboschiana. In the study, we also included for comparison additional N. stellenboschiana isolates obtained from olive trees in Latium and Tuscany region (Central Italy). The occurrence of N. stellenboschiana in olive trees is reported here for the first time in the northern hemisphere. The pathogenicity and virulence were tested in nine inoculation trials, where the Apulian N. stellenboschiana isolate was compared with the isolate from Latium and with the Apulian isolate of N. mediterraneum. Both isolates of N. stellenboschiana proved pathogenic to olive trees. They caused evident bark canker and wood discolouration when inoculated at the base of the stem of two/three-year-old trees and on one-year-old twigs. However, virulence of N. stellenboschiana was significantly lower, though still remarkable, compared with N. mediterraneum in term of necrosis progression in the bark and the wood and capacity of wilting the twigs. Virulence of N. stellenboschiana and N. mediterraneum did not substantially change when inoculations were performed in spring/summer and in autumn, suggesting that these fungal species have the potential to infect and damage olive trees in all seasons. The high thermotolerance of N. stellenboschiana was also revealed with in vitro growth and survival tests. The high virulence of these Botryosphaeriaceae species highlights their contribution in BTD aetiology and the necessity to investigate right away their diffusion and, possibly, the role of additional factors other than Xfp in the general decline of olive groves in Apulia. Hence the importance of assessing the degree of overlap of BTD/Botryosphariaceae with OQDS/Xfp is discussed. Full article

The incidence of thyroid cancer (TC) in Italy is one of the highest in Europe, and the reason for this is unclear. The intra-country heterogeneity of TC incidence suggests the possibility of an overdiagnosis phenomenon, although environmental factors cannot be excluded. The aim of our study is to evaluate the TC incidence trend in southern Tuscany, Italy, an area with particular geological characteristics, where the pollution and subsequent deterioration of various environmental matrices with potentially toxic elements (heavy metals) introduced from either geological or anthropogenic (human activities) sources are documented. The Tuscany cancer registry (ISPRO) provided us with the number of cases and EU standardized incidence rates (IR) of TC patients for all three provinces of southeast Tuscany (Siena, Grosseto, Arezzo) during the period of 2013–2016. In addition, we examined the histological records of 226 TC patients. We observed that the TC incidence rates for both sexes observed in Grosseto Province were significantly higher than those observed in the other two provinces. The increase was mostly due to the papillary (PTC) histotype (92% of cases), which presented aggressive variants in 37% of PTCs and tumor diameters more than 1 cm in 71.3% of cases. We demonstrated a high incidence of TC in Grosseto province, especially among male patients, that could be influenced by the presence of environmental heavy metal pollution. Full article