Department of
Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics

Ecotoxicology

The laboratory studies the bioaccumulation and toxic effects of priority and emerging contaminants, materials and environmental matrices (water, sediment and soil) on indicator organisms. Current research topics include:

  • The study of the effects of contaminants and materials on the larval development and reproductive capacity of crustaceans and molluscs (copepods, amphipods, marine bivalves, freshwater gastropods);
  • The study of the bioaccumulation of emerging contaminants in vertebrates (birds and mammals) using non-destructive methods (feather and faeces analysis);
  • The study of bioaccumulation of emerging contaminants in fish.
Research group

Collaborators

  • Benedetta Esposito
  • Lea Magnifico
  • Andrea Sabino
  • Giulia Silan

Collaborations

Publications

  • Picone, Marco; Volpi Ghirardini, Annamaria; Piazza, Rossano; Bonato, Tiziano First evidence of the suitability of hair for assessing wildlife exposure to anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) in ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH, vol. 264 (ISSN 0013-9351)
  • Picone, Marco; Russo, Martina; Marchetto, Davide; Distefano, Gabriele Giuseppe; Baccichet, Marco; Scalabrin, Elisa; Galvan, Thomas; Humar, Miha; Lesar, Bostjan; Guarneri, Irene; Tagliapietra, Davide; Capodaglio, Gabriele; Volpi Ghirardini, Annamaria An Integrated Testing Strategy (ITS) to assess the environmental compatibility of wood protection techniques in JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, vol. 472 (ISSN 0304-3894)
  • Picone, Marco; Giurin, Alessia; Giuseppe Distefano, Gabriele; Corami, Fabiana; Turetta, Clara; Volpi Ghirardini, Annamaria; Basso, Marco; Panzarin, Lucio; Farioli, Alessio; Bacci, Mattia; Sebastanelli, Claudio; Morici, Francesca; Artese, Carlo; De Sanctis, Augusto; Galuppi, Mirko; Imperio, Simona; Serra, Lorenzo Mercury and rare earth elements (REEs) show different spatial trends in feathers of Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) breeding along the Adriatic Sea coast, Italy in ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH, vol. 252 (ISSN 0013-9351)
  • Picone, Marco; Russo, Martina; Distefano, Gabriele Giuseppe; Baccichet, Marco; Marchetto, Davide; Volpi Ghirardini, Annamaria; Lunde Hermansson, Anna; Petrovic, Mira; Gros, Meritxell; Garcia, Elisa; Giubilato, Elisa; Calgaro, Loris; Magnusson, Kerstin; Granberg, Maria; Marcomini, Antonio Corrigendum to “Impacts of exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCS) discharge waters on planktonic biological indicators” in MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN, vol. 193, pp. 115152 (ISSN 0025-326X)
  • Picone M.; Russo M.; Distefano G.G.; Baccichet M.; Marchetto D.; Volpi Ghirardini A.; Lunde Hermansson A.; Petrovic M.; Gros M.; Garcia E.; Giubilato E.; Calgaro L.; Magnusson K.; Granberg M.; Marcomini A. Corrigendum to “Impacts of exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCS) discharge waters on planktonic biological indicators” (Marine Pollution Bulletin (2023) 190, (S0025326X23002771), (10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.114846)) in MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN, vol. 193, pp. 115152 (ISSN 0025-326X)
  • Picone, Marco; Russo, Martina; Distefano, Gabriele Giuseppe; Baccichet, Marco; Marchetto, Davide; Volpi Ghirardini, Annamaria; Lunde Hermansson, Anna; Petrovic, Mira; Gros, Meritxell; Garcia, Elisa; Giubilato, Elisa; Calgaro, Loris; Magnusson, Kerstin; Granberg, Maria; Marcomini, Antonio Impacts of exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCS) discharge waters on planktonic biological indicators in MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN, vol. 190, pp. 114846 (ISSN 0025-326X)
  • Picone, Marco; Distefano, Gabriele Giuseppe; Zangrando, Roberta; Gambaro, Andrea; Volpi Ghirardini, Annamaria Neonicotinoids and pharmaceuticals in hair of the Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) from the Cavallino-Treporti peninsula, Italy in ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH, vol. 228, pp. 115837 (ISSN 1096-0953)
  • Distefano, Gabriele Giuseppe; Zangrando, Roberta; Basso, Marco; Panzarin, Lucio; Gambaro, Andrea; Volpi Ghirardini, Annamaria; Picone, Marco Assessing the exposure to human and veterinary pharmaceuticals in waterbirds: The use of feathers for monitoring antidepressants and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT, vol. 821, pp. 153473 (ISSN 0048-9697)
  • Picone, Marco; Distefano, Gabriele Giuseppe; Marchetto, Davide; Russo, Martina; Baccichet, Marco; Zangrando, Roberta; Gambaro, Andrea; Volpi Ghirardini, Annamaria Inhibition of Larval Development of Marine Copepods Acartia tonsa by Neonocotinoids in TOXICS, vol. 10, pp. 158 (ISSN 2305-6304)
  • Picone, Marco; Distefano, Gabriele Giuseppe; Marchetto, Davide; Russo, Martina; Baccichet, Marco; Brusò, Luca; Zangrando, Roberta; Gambaro, Andrea; Volpi Ghirardini, Annamaria Long-term effects of neonicotinoids on reproduction and offspring development in the copepod Acartia tonsa in MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH, vol. 181, pp. 105761 (ISSN 0141-1136)

Case studies

  • Development of methods based on the early life cycle stages of ecologically and economically important species
  • Development of evaluation and management tools for sediment monitoring, purification technologies, environmental compatibility of natural and artificial materials
  • Development of ecotoxicological approaches for nanomaterials

Current topics of importance include:

  1. the development of ecotoxicological methods based on long-term endpoints
  2. the study of drug contamination in water environments
  3. the study of the ecotoxicological effects of emerging pollutants (neonicotinoids, fragrances, drugs)
  4. the environmental compatibility of wood protection techniques.

Equipment

  • Thermostatic cells (climatic chamber VtoZETA038)
  • Laminar flow hood
  • Aquariums of various sizes and types
  • Glove boxes
  • Ultracentrifuge and benchtop centrifuge
  • Thermostatic baths
  • Refrigerated thermostats/incubators
  • Jar Test and Rotax, Spectrophotometer
  • Inversion microscope, Microtox analyser

Research projects

DuraSoft - Innovative technologies to improve the durability of traditional wooden structures in socio-ecologically sensitive environments

Over millennia, in the Italian lagoons and in the Slovenian highlands, fishing and agro-pastoral activities have produced unique house forms in which wood is dominant. They are associated with wooden service infrastructures such as fences, piers and moorings. In humid mountain and coastal environments the existence of these structures and their associated cultural heritage was made possible only by a constant maintenance which, nowadays, is no longer economically sustainable. Hence, to counter the massive and rapid degradation of wood, impacting preservatives and unsuitable materials have been used. The project therefore aims to test some innovative techniques and products, developed and produced by the partners, which increase the durability of traditional wood species, especially softwood. The wood treated in this way could be used in traditional buildings located in Socio-ecologically sensitive environments within the Alpine-maritime Adriatic area, making its use economically and environmentally sustainable. The environmental compatibility of these techniques will be assessed in the light of the most recent scientific knowledge and protocols developed by the partners and transferable to the entire program area.

Website: https://www.ita-slo.eu/it/durasoft

EMERGE - Evaluation, control and Mitigation of the EnviRonmental impacts of shippinG Emissions

The EMERGE project aims to comprehensively quantify and evaluate the effects of several potential emission reduction technologies for shipping in Europe and provide recommendations and guidance on the most suitable, effective and cost-beneficial options to significantly reduce marine pollution. This activity will include the collection of experimental data and the development of an integrated modelling framework to assess the combined impacts on the aquatic and atmospheric environments of air emissions and waste streams of ships equipped with several potential emission control technologies.

Website: https://emerge-h2020.eu/

NANORESTART - NANOmaterials for the REStoration of works of ART

NANORESTART is a H2020 project involving 26 international partners which aims to develop sustainable nanotechnologies for the conservation of modern and contemporary art. New nanotechnological formulations will be developed for the following operations: cleaning of plastic and pictorial surfaces, consolidation of canvases and pictorial layers, removal of unwanted materials and protection of works of art in museums and outdoor areas. These formulations will be tested, as part of the project, on numerous case studies.

Website: http://www.nanorestart.eu/

Last update: 05/05/2025