D2.3.2.2-Messa a punto di metodi analitici per ...

Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) are defined as any synthetic or naturally occurring chemical that is not commonly monitored in the environment, though having the potential to enter soil and aquatic ecosystems and cause adverse effects in humans, wildlife, and the environment. CECs include synthesized and commercialized chemicals that have just gained entry into the environment and a range of chemicals that have been produced and released into the environment for long, for which new concerns (occurrence, fate, adverse effects on human health and the environment) have recently raised. They include herbicides, pesticides (i.e. glyphosate, piretroids, neonicotinoids), pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, perfluorinated alkylated substances (PFAS), bisphenol A, and microplastics. The contribution to the environmental status of water, sediments and biota of some classes of these contaminants could be even higher with respect to the contribution of priority pollutants. Recent Italian regulations added some emerging contaminants to the list of the priority pollutants (D. Lgs. 172/2015), such as some flame-retardants and pesticides. The line 2.3 has the specific objectives to deepen the knowledge regarding the contamination of water, sediments and biota in the Venice lagoon, due to the presence of emerging contaminants and to investigate the distribution and fate of these contaminants in the water environment of the lagoon, experimentally and using models. With this aim, the classes of substance that should be included in future monitoring activities will be identified by the assessment of the ecotoxicological effects and environmental risk associated with these contaminants. Two approaches are considered: target quantification of environmental contaminants reported in the EU Watch List (2015/495) and untargeted characterization of the environmental matrices. The present document, on the basis of the scrupulous literature research previously carried out to identify the classes of emerging pollutants to be investigated, their main sources, the diffusion pathways and targets (refer to D2.3.1), deals with the validated analytical methods for the analysis of all contaminants classes. The report, following the setup of the D2.3.1, is subdivided into chapters, one chapter for each class of contaminants: Pharmaceuticals, Plant Protection Products, Neonicotinoid insecticides, Industrial chemicals, Fragrances, PFASs, and Microplastics. In each chapter the analytical methods’ information are described with all the validation parameters carried out in our laboratories: the details regarding the used reagents and standards, sample preparation and the instruments’ conditions.