Multi-isotopic regional-scale screening on drinking groundwater in Lombardy Region (Italy)

Groundwater represents the main and safest source of water that supply, for drinking purposes, numerous urban and rural communities all over the world. A deep knowledge of aquifer systems in terms of quality, vulnerability and renewability is fundamental to preserve groundwater resources. Thanks to the contribution of different members of Water Alliance in synergy with Sapienza University, during November 2019 a multi-isotopic analysis at regional scale on groundwater tapped for drinking purposes in a wide area of Lombardy Region, has been carried out. The study aimed to improve knowledge about recharge mechanisms, groundwater relative age and impact of human activities on groundwater quality Each Water Alliance supplier selected wells and springs for a total of 121 samples, catching different aquifer groups and distributed from North to South. Groundwater stable isotope analyses were performed on all the monitoring points, instead tritium, nitrogen isotopes (15N and 18O in nitrates), sulphate isotopes (34S and18O) and 13C isotope in Dissolved Inorganic Carbon (DIC), were analysed in selected monitoring wells basing on previous data and major ions concentrations results. Therefore, results confirmed the key role of multi-isotopic approach in defining aquifer recharge processes, relative groundwater age and origin of pollutants, offering a useful tool to point out local issues which can be deeply investigated by each water supplier

A highly endemic area of Echinococcus multilocularis identified through a comparative re-assessment of prevalence in the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), Alto Adige (Italy: 2019-2020)

Surveillance of Echinococcus multilocularis at the edge of its range is hindered by fragmented distributional patterns and low prevalence in definitive hosts. Thus, tests with adequate levels of sensitivity are especially important for discriminating between infected and non-infected areas. In this study we reassessed the prevalence of E. multilocularis at the southern border of its distribution in Province of Bolzano (Alto Adige, northeastern Alps, Italy), to improve surveillance in wildlife and provide more accurate estimates of exposure risk. We compared the diagnostic test currently implemented for surveillance based on coproscopy and multiplex PCR (CMPCR) to a real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) in 235 fox faeces collected in 2019 and 2020. The performances of the two tests were estimated using a scraping technique (SFCT) applied to the small intestines of a subsample (n = 123) of the same foxes as the reference standard. True prevalence was calculated and the sample size required by each faecal test for the detection of the parasite was then estimated. True prevalence of E. multilocularis in foxes (14.3%) was markedly higher than reported in the last decade, which was never more than 5% from 2012 to 2018 in the same area. In addition, qPCR showed a much higher sensitivity (83%) compared to CMPCR (21%) and agreement with the reference standard was far higher for qPCR (0.816) than CMPCR (0.298) meaning that for the latter protocol, a smaller sample size would be required to detect the disease. Alto Adige should be considered a highly endemic area. Routine surveillance on definitive hosts at the edges of the E. multilocularis distribution should be applied to smaller geographic areas, and rapid, sensitive diagnostic tools using directly host faeces, such as qPCR, should be adopted

L’utilizzo del Lat Gel nell’anestesia locale delle ferite pediatriche in Pronto Soccorso

Sedation and analgesia are common strategies to manage acute procedural pain and anxiety in Emergency Department, but no standardized protocol in children is approved. Application of topical LATgel (Lidocaine 4%, Adrenaline 0,05%, Tetracaine 0,5%) on wounds before painful procedures seems to be as effective as intradermal infiltrations in reducing procedural pain. A review of 34 paediatric cases from Pavullo Hospital (MO, Italy) presenting with laceration requiring suture was conducted. Pain assessment was performed in triage and, after 30mins of LATgel application, from parents, children and doctors during the suture. LATgel administration improves children’s compliance, minimizing pain and related fear during procedures. Our findings are consistent with international literature

A multidisciplinary approach to estimating wolf population size for long-term conservation

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D6.1 Socio-economic indicators and framework for Nexus-relevant NBS

The use of water resources has become an important and relevant issue and it is increasingly clear that water management must be addressed with an integrative perspective, interlinking the objectives and needs of multiple sectors. This is at the basis of the water-energy-food-ecosystem (WEFE) nexus approach. The WEFE nexus approach considers the WEFE elements as interdependent and aims to maximise synergies while reducing trade-offs and conflicts that may occur among them. A plethora of emergent solutions are increasingly being considered within the WEFE nexus management. They fall under the umbrella term of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS). NBS are based on and inspired by nature. They are designed to address societal and environmental challenges and are capable to provide social, economic, and environmental benefits. The aim of this deliverable is to develop and provide indicators to assess the socio-economic benefits associated with NBS implementation to face WEFE nexus-related challenges vis-à-vis associated costs. Guidelines have been developed to support decision makers that will select NBS to face WEFE-related challenges. In particular, the guidelines are designed to support evaluating NBS capacity to provide benefits – in terms of ecosystem services - while also considering their implementation and management costs. An illustrative example of the guidelines’ implementation is presented. This document has been developed within the framework of the EU PRIMA Lenses project (LEarning and action alliances for NexuS EnvironmentS in an uncertain future). The project aims to support and operationalise the nexus paradigm contributing to improve water allocation, enhance food security while preserving ecosystems and aiding climate change adaptation. More specifically, the report has been developed under Work Package 6: “Environmental and natural resource economics approaches for nexus business cases” and task 6.1: “Socio-economic analysis of NBS”

D6.2 Policy indicators and framework for Nexus-relevant NBS

LENSES WP6 requested to provide the methodological and practical foundations for the validation of Nature based Solutions (NBS), in order to guide pilots in the delivering of Nexus-added values. In response to the request, the Working Group on Task 6.2 worked on the definition of a technical guideline to allow the project's pilots to assess the policy enabling environment and governance challenges for Nature-based Solutions (NBS) and devised the following objectives: - Investigate whether and how WEFE Nexus and NBS concepts are addressed within key European and international policy documents. - Create an exercise that can guide LENSES pilots to investigate WEFE and NBS concepts within national and subnational policies. - Collect and present criteria on the most relevant NBS policy and governance frameworks. - Develop a new framework to support the analysis of the enabling environment capable of assessing how well policy and governance conditions are conducive to the implementation and success of an NBS project. - Develop a framework user guide to give instructions on the use of the framework to promote its application and circulation among LENSES pilots and other potential final users. The aim of the report is to provide a useful tool for those who want to design and implement an NBS so that they can work on the less impactful aspects of their NBS project and make it successful. It is important to note that the results of these activities present an initial framework that can be further elaborated and improved through users’ suggestions

Deliverable 3.10 – Report on Socioeconomic indicators for Nexus analysis and management

Ecosystem services (ES) are the benefits that humans obtain from ecosystems. Rexus project WP3 aims to investigate the benefits and challenges of applying Nature based Solutions (NBS) within the framework of the Water-Energy-Food (WEF). Task 3.6 oversees considering socio-economic benefits of NBS and addressing the following specific objectives: - Deepen the ES concept within different classification systems developed so far by the main international initiatives on ES to identify which ES may have a role in addressing the WEF challenges identified by the pilot cases. - Develop an economic evaluation framework for selected ES and gathering of specific indicators to assess potential ES along with their benefits and values. - Provide guidance on the selection of the most appropriate NBS to address challenges related to climate resilience and the provision of ES. The aim of this report is not to assess all the ES involved in the WEF Nexus or in pilot's challenges, rather to provide examples of literature-based indicators and methods for assessing ES that could be applicable in the pilot cases. Thirteen ES have been considered. For each of them a set of three indicators (supply, demand, and economic value) have been identified and reported, including details about the rationale and the meaning of each indicator. To show how to operationalize selected indicators, a test-assessment for the Isonzo-Soča Basin pilot area has been performed and results are shortly presented and discussed. Finally, to further operationalize the ES analysis and to orient the selection of appropriate NBS, the relation between ES and NBS was investigated via existing literature to provide a preliminary guidance for the selection of NBS by pilots based on the challenges they face and the ES they wish/need to value. The final part of the report is linked with Rexus Task 5.2, where NBS assessment and identification are fully developed and addressed

Bioremediation of Per- and Poly-Fluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) by Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803: A Chassis for a Synthetic Biology Approach

One of the main concerns in industrialized countries is represented by per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), persistent contaminants hardly to be dealt with by conventional wastewater treatment processes. Phyco-remediation was proposed as a green alternative method to treat wastewater. Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 is a unicellular photosynthetic organism candidate for bioremediation approaches based on synthetic biology, as it is able to survive in a wide range of polluted waters. In this work, we assessed the possibility of applying Synechocystis in PFAS-enriched waters, which was never reported in the previous literature. Respirometry was applied to evaluate short-term toxicity of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), which did not affect growth up to 0.5 and 4 mg L 121, respectively. Continuous and batch systems were used to assess the long-term effects, and no toxicity was highlighted for both compounds at quite high concentration (1 mg L 121). A partial removal was observed for PFOS and PFOA, (88% and 37%, with removal rates of about 0.15 and 0.36 mg L 121 d 121, respectively). Measurements in fractionated biomass suggested a role for Synechocystis in the sequestration of PFAS: PFOS is mainly internalized in the cell, while PFOA is somehow transformed by still unknown pathways. A preliminary bioinformatic search gave hints on transporters and enzymes possibly involved in such sequestration/transformation processes, opening the route to metabolic engineering in the perspective application of this cyanobacterium as a new phyco-remediation tool, based on synthetic biology