Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) represent one of the most recalcitrant class of compounds of emerging concern and their removal from water is a challenging goal. In this study, we investigated the removal efficiency of three selected PFAS from water, namely, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) and pefluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) using a custom-built non-thermal plasma generator. A modified full factorial design (with 2 levels, 3 variables and the central point in which both quadratic terms and interactions between couple of variables were considered) was used to investigate the effect of plasma discharge frequency, distance between the electrodes and water conductivity on treatment efficiency. Then, the plasma treatment running on optimized conditions was used to degrade PFAS at ppb level both individually and in mixture, in ultrapure and groundwater matrices. PFOS 1 ppb exhibited the best degradation reaching complete removal after 30 min of treatment in both water matrices (first order rate constant 0.107 min⁻¹ in ultrapure water and 0.0633 min⁻¹ in groundwater), while the degradation rate of PFOA and PFHxA was slower of around 65% and 83%, respectively. During plasma treatment, the production of reactive species in the liquid phase (hydroxyl radical, hydrogen peroxide) and in the gas phase (ozone, NO_x) was investigated. Particular attention was dedicated to the nitrogen balance in solution where, following to NO_x hydrolysis, total nitrogen (TN) was accumulated at the rate of up to 40 mg^N L⁻¹ h⁻¹.

Pharmaceuticals and hormones (PhACs) enter the aquatic environment in multiple ways, posing potential adverse effects on non-target organisms. They have been widely detected in drinking water sources, challenging water companies to reassure good quality drinking water. The aim of this study was to evaluate the concentration of sixteen PhACs in both raw and treated drinking water sources in the Metropolitan Area of Turin—where Società Metropolitana Acque Torino (SMAT) is the company in charge of the water cycle management—and evaluate the potential human health risks associated to these compounds. Multivariate spatial statistical analysis techniques were used in order to characterize the areas at higher risk of pollution, taking into account the already existing SMAT sampling points’ network. Health risks were assessed considering average detected concentrations and provisional guideline values for individual compounds as well as their combined mixture. As reported in the just-issued Drinking Water Directive 2020/2184/UE, in order to establish priority substances, a risk assessment of contaminants present in raw drinking water sources is required for monitoring, identifying potential health risks and, if necessary, managing their removal. The results showed negligibly low human health risks in both raw water sources and treated water.

The active herbicide ingredient glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine] is frequently detected as a contaminant in groundwater and surface waters. This study investigated effects of UV-A (365 nm), UV-B (302 nm) and UV-C (254 nm) irradiation of glyphosate in water on photolysis and toxicity to aquatic organisms from different trophic levels. A test battery with bacteria (Bacillus subtilis, Aliivibrio fischeri), a green microalga (Raphidocelis subcapitata), and a crustacean (Daphnia magna) was used to assess biological effect of glyphosate and bioactive transformation products before and after UV irradiation (4.7–70 J/cm²). UV-C irradiation at 20 J/cm² resulted in a 2–23-fold decrease in toxicity of glyphosate to aquatic test organisms. UV-B irradiation at 70 J/cm² caused a twofold decrease whereas UV-A did not affect glyphosate toxicity at doses ≤ 70 J/cm². UV-C irradiation of glyphosate in drinking water and groundwater with naturally occurring organic and inorganic constituents showed comparable or greater reduction in toxicity compared to irradiation in deionized water. High-resolution mass spectrometry analyses of samples after UV-C irradiation showed > 90% decreases in glyphosate concentrations and the presence of multiple transformation products. The study suggests that UV mediated indirect photolysis can decrease concentrations of glyphosate and generate less toxic products with decreased overall toxicity to aquatic organisms.

Per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a huge class of Contaminants of Emerging Concern, well-known to be persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic. They have been detected in different environmental matrices, in wildlife and even in humans, with drinking water being considered as the main exposure route. Therefore, the present study focused on the estimation of PFAS in the Metropolitan Area of Turin, where SMAT (Società Metropolitana Acque Torino S.p.A.) is in charge of the management of the water cycle and the development of a tool for supporting “smart” water quality monitoring programs to address emerging pollutants’ assessments using multivariate spatial and statistical analysis tools. A new “green” analytical method was developed and validated in order to determine 16 different PFAS in drinking water with a direct injection to the Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography tandem Mass Spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) system and without any pretreatment step. The validation of this analytical method resulted in really low Quantification Limits (5 ng L⁻¹), in satisfying recoveries (70%–102%) and in a good linearity (R² = 0.99) for every compound. Among the results, only 4 compounds and only 6% of the samples showed a pollution level higher than the limits of and Quantification (LOQ). Finally, the correlation study between the assessment findings and the industrial sites which serve as potential sources of pollution in the monitored area was carried out.

Background/Objectives: Oxidative stress and iron overload remodel erythrocyte membranes in β-thalassemia, but their systemic metabolic correlates are not well defined. We applied untargeted metabolomics to identify serum biomarkers reflecting these pathophysiological processes. Methods: Thirty-one adults with β-thalassemia [18 transfusion-dependent (TDT), 13 non-transfusion-dependent (NTD)] and 8 age/sex-matched healthy controls were studied. Fasting serum was profiled using untargeted UHPLC–Orbitrap MS. Multivariate modeling (SIMCA-P) and FDR-controlled univariate statistics identified discriminant features, followed by pathway enrichment analysis. Associations with clinical variables (chelation regimen, ferritin, cardiac MRI T2*, and liver iron concentration) were examined. Results: A total of 183 metabolites were detected; versus controls, 124 were decreased, 54 increased, and 5 remained unchanged in patients. Key discriminants included lysophosphatidylcholines (LysoPC 18:1, 18:3), polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)-bearing phosphatidylcholines (PC 20:4/18:0, PC 18:0/20:4), conjugated bile acids (glycocholic acid, glycochenodeoxycholic acid, and glycoursodeoxycholic acid), and bilirubin. Pathway analysis revealed significant enrichment (FDR-corrected) in linoleic acid metabolism (q = 0.024, impact = 1.000) and arachidonic acid metabolism (q = 0.022, impact = 0.433), with supportive nominal signals from glycerophospholipid (impact = 0.401) and porphyrin/heme (impact = 0.242) pathways. No significant metabolic differences were observed between TD and NTD patients. Conclusions: β-thalassemia serum metabolomics reflects oxidative membrane lipid remodeling with a prominent PLA₂/LysoPC–arachidonic axis and evidence of heme turnover and altered bile-acid signaling. These data propose a practical biomarker panel-LysoPCs, arachidonic acid-enriched PCs, and conjugated bile acids-warranting targeted validation alongside conventional clinical parameters for disease monitoring and therapeutic assessment.

Background/Objectives: Oxidative stress and iron overload remodel erythrocyte mem-branes in β-thalassemia, but their systemic metabolic correlates are not well defined. We applied untargeted metabolomics to identify serum biomarkers reflecting these patho-physiological processes. Methods: Thirty-one adults with β-thalassemia [18 transfu-sion-dependent (TDT), 13 non-transfusion-dependent (NTD)] and 8 age/sex-matched healthy controls were studied. Fasting serum was profiled using untargeted UHPLC-Orbitrap MS. Multivariate modeling (SIMCA-P) and FDR-controlled univariate statistics identified discriminant features, followed by pathway enrichment analysis. Associations with clinical variables (chelation regimen, ferritin, cardiac MRI T2* and liver iron concentration) were examined. Results: A total of 183 metabolites were detected; versus controls, 124 were decreased, 54 increased, and 5 remained unchanged in patients. Key discriminants included lysophosphatidylcholines (LysoPC 18:1, 18:3), polyunsatu-rated fatty acid (PUFA)-bearing phosphatidylcholines (PC 20:4/18:0, PC 18:0/20:4), con-jugated bile acids (glycocholic acid, glycochenodeoxycholic acid, glycoursodeoxycholic acid), and bilirubin. Pathway analysis revealed significant enrichment (FDR-corrected) in linoleic acid metabolism (q = 0.024, impact = 1.000) and arachidonic acid metabolism (q = 0.022, impact = 0.433), with supportive nominal signals from glycerophospholipid (impact = 0.401) and porphyrin/heme (impact = 0.242) pathways. No significant metabolic dif-ferences were observed between TD and NTD patients. Conclusions: β-thalassemia serum metabolomics reflects oxidative membrane lipid remodeling with a prominent PLA₂/LysoPC–arachidonic axis and evidence of heme turnover and altered bile-acid signaling. These data propose a practical biomarker panel - LysoPCs, arachidonic ac-id-enriched PCs and conjugated bile acids - warranting targeted validation alongside conventional clinical parameters for disease monitoring and therapeutic assessment.