Ecotoxicological effects of Atmospheric particulate on aquatic And edaphic organisms

The continuous increase of human activities produced new sources of pollution. The increase in specific contaminants bound to atmospheric PM involves a serious risk factor influencing the ecosystems global balance. The question arises about what can happen when well-known ubiquitous pollutants interact with emerging ones, and considering as a reference matrix the PM generated by the abrasion of the brake systems. The focus was paid of the effects of air pollution on aquatic and edaphic ecosystems, identifying the biological effects by developing biomarkers at different levels of functional complexity, suitable in monitoring the stress syndrome evolution from sub-cellular levels up to organism/population dysfunctions. First, the cytotoxic effects of b[a]p and fullerene-C60 were evaluated in relation to the triggering of autophagic pathways on M. galloprovincialis. The lysosomal membrane stability, the increase in the lysosome/cytoplasm ratio, the production of lipofuscins and neutral lipids have been verified. The results were used for immunohistochemical investigations to detect alterations in the mTOR kinase complex pathway, strictly related to autophagy. The possibility that co-exposure of b[a]p and fullerenec60 could generate a "Trojan Horse effect" was also evaluated. Subsequent investigations of a more holistic nature were carried out to study the environmental impact of the brake wear's nano-micro PM that directly affect the quality of the air but, following transport and deposition phenomena, it can determining risks for edaphic and aquatic ecosystems. An industrial research to obtain more eco-friendly braking systems served as a contour to the present study. To assess the impact of the commercial/experimental technology employed, a battery of ecotoxicological assays has been prepared with model organisms of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems at different trophic levels, evaluating lethal and sublethal endpoints and the possible onset of genotoxicity.