Background: From March to May 2020, lockdown measures were adopted in Italy to contain the epidemic of the novel Coronavirus. People were forced to restrict their movement and social contacts, therefore having a higher risk of inactivity. This study, carried out among Italian undergraduates, explored their sedentary and physical activities (PA) during the lockdown with respect to their previous habits. Methods: An electronic questionnaire was administered once to students attending three Italian universities after the end of lockdown. Results: A total of 1430 students (mean age 22.9 ± 3.5 years, 65.5% females) completed the questionnaire. All the sedentary behaviors increased significantly, and all the physical activities decreased significantly during the lockdown. Time spent using electronic devices showed the highest increase (+52.4 min/day), and walking the greatest decrease (−365.5 min/week). Being younger than 22 years old, female, and previously active, attending the universities of Naples and Rome and having at least one graduate parent were associated with the achievement of recommended levels of PA even during the lockdown. Conclusions: This study highlights the reduction of PA among Italian undergraduates in the course of home-confinement due to the CoViD-19 pandemic. The practice of adequate PA during the lockdown was mainly associated with the previous adoption of an active lifestyle. Promoting active lifestyles during the non-pandemic period may have had positive effects also in case of lockdown.

Background: Formaldehyde, classified as a carcinogen in 2004, as of today is widely used in many work activities. From its classification, further studies were performed to evaluate its carcinogenicity. The aim of the systematic review is to update the evidence on occupational exposure to formaldehyde and cancer onset. Methods: The review, in accordance with the PRISMA statement, includes articles in English reporting original results of studies conducted on workers exposed to formaldehyde, considering all types of cancer, published from 1 January 2000 to 30 July 2021 and selected from the Pubmed and Scopus databases. The studies’ quality was assessed by the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Results: A total of 21 articles were included, conducted in different European, American, and Asian countries. The most investigated occupational areas are those characterized by a deliberate use of formaldehyde. Some studies evaluated all types of cancer, whereas others focused on specific sites such as thyroid and respiratory, lymphohematopoietic, or central nervous systems. The results showed weak associations with lung cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer, leukemia, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Conclusions: The results demonstrate the need for further original studies carried out on representative samples of workers exposed to measured levels of FA. These studies should be designed to reduce the bias due to co-exposure to other carcinogens.

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) were introduced into the market in 2006 and their technological features have evolved substantially over time. Currently, there are four different generations of e-cigs that are broadly considered less harmful than the use of combusted tobacco products although passive exposure to aerosols often occurs in public spaces and indoor environments. The study aim was to evaluate the levels of airborne particulate matter (PM) emitted during the use of all the four generations of e-cigs, testing different use modalities. PM₁₀, PM₄, PM_2.5 and PM₁ were measured through a Dusttrak ™ II Aerosol Monitor, for a total of 20 independent experiments. All tested e-cigs devices produced PM during their use, and PM₁₀ was almost made of PM₁ size fraction. In addition, we observed a progressive increase in PM emission from the first to the fourth generation, and an upward trend of PM₁ emitted by the fourth generation e-cig with an increase in the operating power. The results showed that, whatever the model adopted, passive vaping does occur. This finding supports the need for legislative interventions to regulate the e-cigs use in public places and other enclosed environments, in order to protect the health of any subject who is potentially exposed.

Phthalates (or phthalate esters, PAEs) and bisphenol A (BPA) are widely used in various industries, particularly in the fields of cosmetics and packaging, and they increase the malleability and workability of materials. As a result of their use, some international health organizations have begun to study them. In this study, the authors developed a methodology for the simultaneous determination of dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP); dibutyl phthalate (DBP), bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP); di-n-octyl-phthalate (DnOP) and bisphenol A (BPA) from drinking and non-potable waters. The extraction of PAEs and BPA was performed using a solvent-based dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (SB-DLLME) method. The analytical determination was performed using a gas chromatography–ion trap mass spectrometry (GC-IT/MS) analysis. The entire procedure was validated as recoveries were studied according to the volume and the extraction solvent used, pH, and ionic strength. Dynamic linearity ranges and linear equations of all the compounds were experimentally determined as well as the limit of detection (LOD) (1–8 ng mL⁻¹) and the limit of quantification (LOQ) (5–14 ng mL⁻¹), reproducibility, and sensitivity. The method was applied to 15 water samples (mineral water and tap water) for determining PAEs and BPA released from the plastic container. After the release simulation, four PAEs (i.e., DiBP, DBP, DHEP, and DnOP) were determined at very low concentrations (below 1.2 ng mL⁻¹) in two water samples from (sport) bottles.

Recently, growing attention has focused on the impact of air pollution on gut microbiota as a possible mechanism by which air pollutant exposure increased the risk for chronic diseases, as evidenced by in vivo studies demonstrating important exposure-induced alterations in the diversity and relative abundance of gut bacterial taxa. This systematic review provides updated state-of-art findings of studies examining the impact of air pollution on the human gut microbiota. Databases PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched with the following strategy: “air poll*” AND “gut micro*” OR “intestinal micro*”; moreover, a total of 10 studies were included. Overall, there is the evidence that short-term and long-term exposure to air pollutants have the potential to alter the composition and diversity of gut microbiota; some studies also correlated air pollution exposure to adverse health effects (impaired fasting glucose, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and asthma attacks) via alterations in the composition and/or function of the gut microbiota. However, the evidence on this topic is still scarce, and large cohort studies are needed globally.