Studies on indoor air quality are indispensable when considering that people spend approximately 85% of their time in confined environments. This short review mostly takes into consideration research that uses passive samplers to evaluate the quality of indoor environments (houses, school, cars, etc.). This short review summarizes most analytical methods to detect and quantify PAHs and PAEs in house dust used as a passive sampler. The objective of house dust analysis is to identify the presence, amount and distribution of specific hazardous substances in confined spaces and, if possible, to identify their sources. Household dust and the compounds present in it can enter the human body by inhalation, non-food ingestion and absorption through the skin. The observed differences in concentrations of house dust may also indicate important differences in the chemical and physical nature of pollutants caused by air filtration and absorption during the migration of ambient air into the indoor environment.

Phthalic acid esters (PAEs) are ubiquitous pollutants with reported endocrine-disruption and multiplex toxic activities in a wide range of invertebrate and vertebrate animals. In the present review, the molecular and physiological effects of phthalate exposure on invertebrates, as well as less characterized vertebrates such as amphibians, reptiles, and mammals, are thoroughly examined. PAEs induce a series of adverse effects, such as reproductive toxicity, oxidative stress, immune system impairment, and neuroendocrine disruption. The effects can extensively vary depending on the species, developmental stage, and environmental conditions, ranging from impaired hormone signaling, developmental malformations, and thyroid impairment in amphibians and reptiles to lipid metabolism disturbances and epigenetic changes in mammals. This review will place particular emphasis on transgenerational effects, mixture toxicity, and chronic low-level exposure. By integrating evidence from in vivo, in vitro, and omics studies, this review defines areas of knowledge gaps and the necessity to integrate these taxa in integrated ecological risk assessments, as well as regulatory policy.

This study investigates the nutritional and chemical profile of cricket (Acheta domesticus) flour, evaluating its potential as a sustainable and highly nutritious food source. Cricket flour, with a protein content of approximately 60%, offers a significantly higher nutritional value compared to many traditional food sources. It is particularly rich in essential amino acids, making it a valuable and sustainable protein alternative. Additionally, the flour is rich in minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper, and zinc. The administration of 100 g of cricket flour would exceed the recommended daily intake for adults for most nutrients, making its incorporation into more traditional foods such as bread and pasta at low percentages feasible, easily compensating for any imbalances and increasing their nutritional values. We found that an addition of a mere 10% of cricket flour to produce an experimental pasta fulfilled half of the recommended daily intake values for protein, lipids, and minerals. Chemical analyses of the pure cricket flour revealed only trace amounts of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and linear alkanes, with concentrations well below safety thresholds established for other food categories, indicating that cricket flour is safe for human consumption. The study’s findings confirm that cricket flour is a promising sustainable protein source, and its integration into classic foods could safely contribute to alleviating iron and copper deficiencies as well as malnutrition.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are persistent organic pollutants posing significant environmental and health risks. This study evaluates the suitability of the invasive grass Cenchrus setaceus (syn. Pennisetum setaceum) as a passive collector of PAHs contamination across urban and coastal areas of Palermo, Sicily. Sampling campaigns were conducted in August and December at 12 sites characterised by varying levels of traffic intensity and anthropogenic pressure. Sixteen priority PAHs were extracted from inflorescence tissues and quantified by GC-MS in selected ion monitoring mode. Seasonal variations in PAH concentrations, with total levels ranging from 86.2 to 254.1 ng g^-1 in summer and from 49.4 to 1217 ng g^-1 in winter, were confirmed by a one-way PERMANOVA (p = 0.0042). Low molecular weight PAHs predominated in summer, whereas intermediate and high molecular weight PAHs increased in winter. This reflects temperature-dependent gas-particle partitioning, deposition processes and emission patterns. Diagnostic isomeric ratios indicated predominantly mixed sources of PAHs, mainly driven by vehicular traffic and liquid fossil fuel combustion, with additional contributions from biomass and coal combustion, as well as minor petrogenic contributions. Our results demonstrate that C. setaceus, which is widely distributed along road verges and anthropized habitats, effectively integrates atmospheric PAHs deposition over time. This supports its potential use as a passive biomonitor. Furthermore, incorporating this species into urban and coastal environmental assessments could facilitate dual management, enabling contamination monitoring while promoting the valorisation of biomass into high value-added bio-based products within circular economy strategies.