Risk Characterization and Benefit–Risk Assessment of Brominated Flame Retardant in Commercially Exploited Freshwater Fishes and Crayfish of Lake Trasimeno, Italy

Among brominated flame retardants (BFRs), polybrominateddiphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs) were the most widely used in past decades. BFRs not being chemically bonded to polymers means they can easily leach from the products into the environment and bioaccumulate. Humans are exposed to flame retardants mainly through food consumption, especially fish and fish products. In the present study, the occurrence of PBDEs and HBCDs in freshwater fishes and crayfish from Lake Trasimeno (Umbria region, central Italy) was assessed according to monitoring plans recommended by European competent authorities. The dietary exposure of the central Italian population to such molecules was calculated, and the risk characterization and the benefit–risk evaluation were also assessed. A total of 90 samples were analyzed by means of gas and liquid chromatography associated with triple quadrupole mass spectroscopy. A total of 51% of samples were found positive for at least one of the congeners; the most frequently found molecule was BDE-47. The data on dietary exposure ranged from 0.138 to 1.113 pg/kg body weight/day for ∑PBDE and from 0.805 to 0.868 pg/kg body weight/day for ∑HBCD. The data show no health risks for the central Italian population consuming freshwater fish products from Lake Trasimeno in relation to exposure to PBDE and HBCD.

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Body weight trends in adolescents of Central Italy across 13 years: social, behavioural, and psychological correlates

Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1007/s10389-021-01627-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Giovanni Castellini ◽

Giulio D’Anna ◽

Eleonora Rossi ◽

Emanuele Cassioli ◽

Fabio Voller ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Body Weight ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

Sexual Activity ◽

Family Relationships ◽

Parental Education ◽

Central Italy ◽

Eating Behaviour ◽

Soft Drinks ◽

Bullying Victimisation

Abstract Aim The study aimed to determine trends in the prevalence of underweight, overweight, obesity and their putative risk factors in different cohorts from a representative population of adolescents in Central Italy. Subject and methods After random sampling, five cohorts of adolescents attending public high schools – aged 14 to 18 years – were evaluated from 2005 to 2018 (n: 25,174). Collected information included self-reported body mass index (BMI), descriptors of family environment, eating behaviour, physical activity, screen use, bullying victimisation, sexual behaviour (age at first intercourse, number of partners) and perceived psychological distress. For these data, between-cohort prevalence differences were used to esteem prevalence variations across time. In the 2018 cohort, the association between these factors and body weight was evaluated through multinomial regressions with sex-specific crude relative risk ratios for different BMI categories. Results An increased prevalence of overweight was observed for both boys and girls. The study outlined a transition towards higher parental education and unemployment, reduced soft drinks consumption and higher psychological distress. Sex-specific changes were observed for physical and sexual activity, and a rising percentage of girls reported being bullied and distressing family relationships. Parental education and employment, together with physical activity, confirmed to be protective factors against pathological weight. The latter clustered with reduced soft drinks consumption, bullying victimisation, early sexual activity, worse family relationships and higher distress. Conclusion An increased prevalence of both overweight and underweight was observed across time. Economic factors associated with unemployment and changes in behavioural patterns may have contributed to this trend.

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The Impact of Probability Density Functions Assessment on Model Performance for Slope Stability Analysis

Geosciences ◽

10.3390/geosciences11080322 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. 322

Author(s):

Evelina Volpe ◽

Luca Ciabatta ◽

Diana Salciarini ◽

Stefania Camici ◽

Elisabetta Cattoni ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Probability Density ◽

Central Italy ◽

Model Performance ◽

Probability Density Functions ◽

Slope Instability ◽

Complex Nature ◽

Density Functions ◽

Umbria Region ◽

Input Variables ◽

The Impact

The development of forecasting models for the evaluation of potential slope instability after rainfall events represents an important issue for the scientific community. This topic has received considerable impetus due to the climate change effect on territories, as several studies demonstrate that an increase in global warming can significantly influence the landslide activity and stability conditions of natural and artificial slopes. A consolidated approach in evaluating rainfall-induced landslide hazard is based on the integration of rainfall forecasts and physically based (PB) predictive models through deterministic laws. However, considering the complex nature of the processes and the high variability of the random quantities involved, probabilistic approaches are recommended in order to obtain reliable predictions. A crucial aspect of the stochastic approach is represented by the definition of appropriate probability density functions (pdfs) to model the uncertainty of the input variables as this may have an important effect on the evaluation of the probability of failure (PoF). The role of the pdf definition on reliability analysis is discussed through a comparison of PoF maps generated using Monte Carlo (MC) simulations performed over a study area located in the Umbria region of central Italy. The study revealed that the use of uniform pdfs for the random input variables, often considered when a detailed geotechnical characterization for the soil is not available, could be inappropriate.

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The relationship between body weight and drug costs: An Italian population-based study

Clinical Therapeutics ◽

10.1016/j.clinthera.2006.09.016 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 28 (9) ◽

pp. 1472-1481 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Ezio Degli Esposti ◽

Alessandra Sturani ◽

Giorgia Valpiani ◽

Mirko Di Martino ◽

Francesco Ziccardi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Body Weight ◽

Population Based ◽

Drug Costs ◽

Italian Population ◽

Population Based Study ◽

The Relationship

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MASONRY IN PARALLEL. A KNOWLEDGE BASED STRATEGY POST CENTRAL ITALY EARTHQUAKE 2016

ISPRS - International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences ◽

10.5194/isprs-archives-xliv-m-1-2020-3-2020 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol XLIV-M-1-2020 ◽

pp. 3-9

Author(s):

C. Braucher ◽

E. Currà

Keyword(s):

Central Italy ◽

Field Research ◽

Masonry Buildings ◽

Knowledge Based ◽

Central Italy Earthquake ◽

Survey Form ◽

Umbria Region ◽

Post Traumatic ◽

New Form

Abstract. This research aims to propose a classification of masonry typologies in Central Italy after the earthquakes that in 2016 involved about 120 municipalities. This territory, since several decades, presents high fragility features due to the depopulation process that increase the vulnerability and risk degree. This condition affects even the maintenance practices of traditional buildings by the inhabitants and the extraordinary post-traumatic situation acts as an accelerating factor of the abandonment. In this article we will explain deeply the first part of the research, focusing in particular on methods and tools that were defined and used to carry out this study. The research highlights the need of a specific comparative tool for masonry facades classification. This was elaborated through the comparison of existed bibliography as the EMS-98, the Aedes schedules and the local classification by Umbria Region and the De Meo book. The result then is the production of another synoptic map that would simplifies the correlation between different approaches to classification and the censed facades. Moreover, it was elaborated a second synoptic map moving from the analyses of many survey forms already discuss in literature. The result of this comparison is a new survey form to carry out the field research on vernacular masonry buildings. This new form focuses on the characteristics of the buildings that the research aims to study in Central Italy. The two tools that are illustrate in the following paper were applied on one hundred survey of masonry buildings carried out during August 2018. The last part of this paper proposes a statistical analysis of the results of the field research.

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Free-range eggs from a very polluted site in central Italy: levels of Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-Dioxins/Furans and Polychlorinated Biphenyls and estimated human dietary exposure

Journal of Food Protection ◽

10.4315/jfp-21-126 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Federica Castellani ◽

Lamberto Manzoli ◽

Cecilia Acuti Martellucci ◽

Maria Elena Flacco ◽

Maria Luisa Astolfi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Polychlorinated Biphenyls ◽

Central Italy ◽

Dietary Exposure ◽

Contamination Level ◽

Free Range ◽

Weekly Intake ◽

Tolerable Weekly Intake ◽

Commission Regulation ◽

Contamination Levels ◽

A Site

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the contamination levels of some classes of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in free-range hen eggs and to estimate the related human dietary exposure in a Site of National Interest (SNI), characterized by a serious state of environmental pollution (Bussi sul Tirino area, central Italy). For these purposes, 17 samples of free-range hen eggs collected in home-producing farms located in the SNI territory were analyzed for 17 polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), 12 dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs) and 6 non-dioxin-like PCBs (ndl-PCBs). Dietary exposure was assessed assuming a standard consumption of eggs per week. The concentration of ∑PCDD/Fs + dl-PCBs ranged from 0.463 to 8.028 pg TEQ (Toxic Equivalent) g−1 fat, while the mean contamination level of the ∑ndl-PCBs ranged from 0.234 to 7.741 ng TEQ g−1 fat. PCDD/Fs and PCBs contamination levels were lower than maximum values established by the Commission Regulation (EU) 1259/2011, except for one sample. The estimated weekly intake (EWI), calculated in order to evaluate the contribution in terms of the monitored pollutants of the locally produced eggs to the diet, was lower than the tolerable weekly intake (TWI) established by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

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Heavy Metals Contamination in Shellfish: Benefit-Risk Evaluation in Central Italy

Foods ◽

10.3390/foods9111720 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (11) ◽

pp. 1720

Author(s):

Francesca Barchiesi ◽

Raffaella Branciari ◽

Mario Latini ◽

Rossana Roila ◽

Giuseppe Lediani ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Evaluation ◽

Sea Urchins ◽

Central Italy ◽

Daily Intake ◽

Italian Population ◽

Bivalve Mollusks ◽

Human Diet ◽

Consumption Benefit ◽

Italian Coasts ◽

Cadmium Lead

Seafood is a source of nutrients in human diet but also of environmental contaminants and its consumption could pose a risk to consumers’ health. A survey regarding the exposure to cadmium, lead and mercury through the consumption of bivalve mollusks, gastropods and sea urchins collected on Italian coasts was carried out among central Italian population over a period of three years. A limited number of samples exceeds the threshold set by legislation (6 samples) and the average level of contamination was low in all the species considered. The contribution Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) was higher for cadmium (9.17%) than lead (1.44%) and mercury (0.20%). The benefit-risk evaluation suggests that the bivalve mollusks and sea urchins consumption (Benefit Risk Quotient < 1) could be increased without health detrimental effects.

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Variations in the Survival of Adult Cancer Patients in Italy

Tumori Journal ◽

10.1177/030089169708300112 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 83 (1) ◽

pp. 497-504 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Gemma Gatta ◽

Eva Buiatti ◽

Ettore Conti ◽

Vincenzo De Lisi ◽

Fabio Falcini ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cancer Patients ◽

Geographical Area ◽

Central Italy ◽

Relative Survival ◽

Cancer Registries ◽

Population Based ◽

Italian Population ◽

Age Class ◽

General Survival ◽

General Improvement

Aims As part of the ITACARE project, the present study analyzed and compared population-based data on the survival of adult cancer patients in Italy, according to sex, age, period of diagnosis and geographical area. Methods Nine Italian population-based cancer registries provided data on all their cancer patients (total 90,431 cases) followed for at least 5 years and diagnosed during the period 1978–1989. About 10% of the Italian population is covered by these registries. The data was analyzed by means of a multivariate model. Results The major findings were that there was a general improvement in 5-year relative survival over the study period (from 33% to 39%) and that there were significant differences in survival between different areas of the country, particularly for cancer sites which respond well to treatment. In general, the area covered by the Ragusa (Sicily) registry was characterized by significantly worse survival than other registry populations. Other important findings were that for all malignant cancer sites 5-year relative survival decreased with age from 50% for the youngest age class (15–44 years) to 27% for the oldest age class (75+ years) and that women have a better prognosis for most cancer sites (overall 5-year relative survival in women 48% vs 32% in men). Conclusions The significant regional differences in survival may reflect unequal provision of care, particularly between northern-central Italy and the south. The reasons for the general survival improvement with time are not completely understood, whereas the marked overall sex difference is related to the fact that the commonest cancer in women (breast cancer) is eminently more treatable than the commonest malignancy in men (lung cancer). The unfavorable trend with increasing age may be due to increasing difficulty in applying complete therapy protocols as general health declines, sometimes in relation to an advanced cancer stage at diagnosis.

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A geomorphological approach to the estimation of landslide hazards and risks in Umbria, Central Italy

Natural Hazards and Earth System Science ◽

10.5194/nhess-2-57-2002 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 2 (1/2) ◽

pp. 57-72 ◽

Cited By ~ 161

Author(s):

M. Cardinali ◽

P. Reichenbach ◽

F. Guzzetti ◽

F. Ardizzone ◽

G. Antonini ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Central Italy ◽

Landslide Hazard ◽

Aerial Photographs ◽

Site Specific ◽

Landslide Hazards ◽

Umbria Region ◽

Multi Temporal ◽

Landslide Inventory Map ◽

Hazard And Risk ◽

Inventory Map

Abstract. We present a geomorphological method to evaluate landslide hazard and risk. The method is based on the recognition of existing and past landslides, on the scrutiny of the local geological and morphological setting, and on the study of site-specific and historical information on past landslide events. For each study area a multi-temporal landslide inventory map has been prepared through the interpretation of various sets of stereoscopic aerial photographs taken over the period 1941–1999, field mapping carried out in the years 2000 and 2001, and the critical review of site-specific investigations completed to solve local instability problems. The multi-temporal landslide map portrays the distribution of the existing and past landslides and their observed changes over a period of about 60 years. Changes in the distribution and pattern of landslides allow one to infer the possible evolution of slopes, the most probable type of failures, and their expected frequency of occurrence and intensity. This information is used to evaluate landslide hazard, and to estimate the associated risk. The methodology is not straightforward and requires experienced geomorphologists, trained in the recognition and analysis of slope processes. Levels of landslide hazard and risk are expressed using an index that conveys, in a simple and compact format, information on the landslide frequency, the landslide intensity, and the likely damage caused by the expected failure. The methodology was tested in 79 towns, villages, and individual dwellings in the Umbria Region of central Italy.

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