The development of high-throughput omics technologies represents an unmissable opportunity for evidence-based prevention of adverse effects on human health. However, the applicability and access to multi-omics tests are limited. In Italy, this is due to the rapid increase of knowledge and the high levels of skill and economic investment initially necessary. The fields of human genetics and public health have highlighted the relevance of an implementation strategy at a national level in Italy, including integration in sanitary regulations and governance instruments. In this review, the emerging field of public health genomics is discussed, including the polygenic scores approach, epigenetic modulation, nutrigenomics, and microbiomes implications. Moreover, the Italian state of implementation is presented. The omics sciences have important implications for the prevention of both communicable and noncommunicable diseases, especially because they can be used to assess the health status during the whole course of life. An effective population health gain is possible if omics tools are implemented for each person after a preliminary assessment of effectiveness in the medium to long term.

Bioaerosol characterization represents a major challenge for the risk assessment and management of exposed people. One of the most important bioaerosol sources is the organic waste collection and treatment. This work analyzed and discussed the literature with the purpose of investigating the main techniques used nowadays for bioaerosol monitoring during organic waste treatment. The discussion includes an overview on the most efficient sampling, DNA extraction, and analysis methods, including both the cultural and the bio-molecular approach. Generally, an exhaustive biological risk assessment is not applied due to the organic waste heterogeneity, treatment complexity, and unknown aerosolized emission rate. However, the application of bio-molecular methods allows a better bioaerosol characterization, and it is desirable to be associated with standardized cultural methods. Risk assessment for organic waste workers generally includes the evaluation of the potential exposition to pathogens and opportunistic pathogens or to other microorganisms as biomarkers. In most cases, Saccharopolyspora rectivirgula, Legionella spp., Aspergillus spp., and Mycobacterium spp. are included. Future perspectives are focused on identifying common composting biomarkers, on investigating the causality process between chronic bioaerosol exposure and disease onset, and finally, on defining common exposure limits.

Environmental pollutants can influence microbiota variety, with important implications for the general wellbeing of organisms. In subjects at high-risk of cancer, gut, and lung microbiota are distinct from those of low-risk subjects, and disease progression is associated with microbiota alterations. As with many inflammatory diseases, it is the combination of specific host and environmental factors in certain individuals that provokes disease outcomes. The microbiota metabolites influence activity of epigenetic enzymes. The knowledge of the mechanisms of action of environmental pollution now includes not only the alteration of the gut microbiota but also the interaction between different human microbiota niches such as the lung–gut axis. The epigenetic regulations can reprogram differentiated cells in response to environmental changes. The microbiota can play a major role in the progression and suppression of several epigenetic diseases. Accordingly, the maintenance of a balanced microbiota by monitoring the environmental stimuli provides a novel preventive approach for disease prevention. Metagenomics technologies can be utilized to establish new mitigation approaches for diseases induced by polluted environments. The purpose of this review is to examine the effects of particulate matter exposure on the progression of disease outcomes as related to the alterations of gut and lung microbial communities and consequent epigenetic modifications.

Environmentally sustainable methods of waste disposal are a strategic priority. For organic waste management and innovative biological treatments present advantageous opportunities, although organic waste treatment also includes environmental drawbacks, such as bioaerosol production. This study aims to evaluate bioaerosol spread during an innovative experimental treatment. The process consists of two anaerobic steps: acidogenesis, which includes polyhydroxyalkanoate accumulation, followed by methanogenesis. Bioaerosol, PM10, and endotoxin concentrations were measured at three sampling points during different campaigns to evaluate: (1) the background levels, (2) the contamination produced in the pre-treatment stage, and (3) the residual contamination of the outgoing digested sludge. Environmental PM10 seemed to be generally quite contained, while the endotoxin determination was close to 90 EU/m³. Significant microbial concentrations were detected during the loading of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (fungi > 1300 CFU/m³, Bacillus genus (≈10³ CFU/m³), higher Clostridium spp. and opportunistic human pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae), suggesting a significant contamination level. Such results are useful for hazard identification in the risk assessment of innovative processes, as they reveal contaminants potentially harmful to both workers’ health and the environment.