Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research

Mediterranean Tropical-Like Cyclones (MTLCs), commonly referred to as Medicanes, are tropical-like storms increasingly affecting the Mediterranean basin. Their dynamics result from the interaction of convection, boundary-layer processes, and mesoscale circulation, leading to a multiscale organization that is still only partially understood. This study examines the internal structure of Medicane Ianos by combining a 1 km Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) simulation with two complementary data-driven approaches: Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) for the spatial organization of the flow, and Empirical Mode Decomposition with Hilbert Spectral Analysis (EMD-HSA) for its temporal scaling properties. The POD results reveal a vertically stratified system dominated near the surface by boundary-layer forcing, with energy concentrated in a small number of coherent modes. Higher in the troposphere, the flow becomes more uniform and isotropic, while small-scale features persist as embedded structures shaped by the evolving circulation. Temporal fluctuations inside the eyewall display clear changes with height: temperature variability shows strong persistence in the lower troposphere, while correlations weaken progressively at higher levels, a pattern confirmed by the vertical distribution of Hurst exponents. Overall, the analysis depicts Ianos as a layered multiscale system and demonstrates how data-driven decomposition can effectively complement dynamical modeling in the study of MTLCs. • Ianos displays a vertically stratified structure, with planetary boundary layer forcing dominating the lowest levels and a transition toward more uniform flow in the free troposphere. • Energy distribution across scales reveals that large vortical structures govern the system, while smaller features persist as embedded patterns shaped by the evolving circulation. • Temporal fluctuations inside the eyewall show stronger persistence near the surface and a gradual weakening aloft, revealing a layered nature of the cyclone’s internal variability.

Air pollution poses a critical risk to both human health and the environment, particularly in the Arctic and Northern Europe, where pollutants are primarily transported from mid-latitudes by atmospheric circulation. Also, local sources further contribute to pollution levels in Arctic communities. Accurate short-term forecasts of atmospheric pollutant concentrations are vital for enabling adaptive measures and protecting public health during pollution episodes.The Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service (CAMS) provides 96-hour forecasts for key pollutants across Europe using 11 state-of-the-art models and an ensemble approach. However, these forecasts exhibit significant errors in Northern Europe and the Arctic. To address this, we investigate the applicability of deep learning (Transformer-based) models for 48-hour PM10 concentration forecasting at monitoring stations in Northern Europe. Our approach integrates in situ PM10 observations with CAMS model outputs and forecasted meteorological parameters as input features. We evaluated four time-series specialized models—Informer, Autoformer, FEDformer, and Crossformer—to identify the most effective architecture for this task. The Crossformer model demonstrated superior performance, outperforming CAMS by 30% in Mean Squared Error (MSE) and 23% in Mean Absolute Error (MAE). It also surpassed the newly introduced CAMS Model Output Statistics (MOS), reducing MSE by 12% and MAE by 14%.With its low computational complexity, fast execution time, and minimal resource requirements, the Crossformer presents a viable alternative to traditional numerical models for local-scale predictions. Future work will extend the forecasting window to 72 hours and incorporate additional pollutants, such as PM2.5, NO2, and O3, to enhance predictive capabilities for Arctic and Northern European communities.

In recent years, persistent environmental contaminants such as PFAS have emerged alongside traditional pollutants like heavy metals. Honey is a useful biomonitoring tool thanks to bees' foraging range, which reflects average pollution levels. The objective of this study was to determinate heavy metals and PFAS in honey from six areas of the Molise region (rural, industrial, and remote), to evaluate environmental impact on the matrix, verify if honey meets health standards, and assess potential consumer risks. 56 honey samples were collected over four months directly from honeycombs. Heavy metals were analyzed by ICP-AES; PFAS by SPE-LC-MS/MS. Aluminium, antimony, and selenium were the most detected metals; three PFAS (Bistriflimide, 6:2FTS, L-PFOS) were found at ultra-trace levels. Chemometric analysis identified arsenic, antimony, and selenium as area-specific markers. Risk assessment showed higher non-carcinogenic risk in areas A and E, and carcinogenic risk in C and D. Area B was the least impacted.

In compliance with the European Air Quality Directive, an Italian monitoring network was established under the framework of the “Reti Speciali” agreement. A key component of this framework is the monitoring of atmospheric mercury (Hg) across the Italian territory.To this end, a dedicated Hg network was designed including three ground-based monitoring stations, strategically located from Northern to Southern Italy, to identify potential geographical variations.Atmospheric Hg was measured using automated instrumentation, providing high-resolution time series for Total Gaseous Mercury (TGM) or Gaseous Elemental Mercury (GEM). While all three stations monitored these primary Hg species, one master station provided advanced speciation data, including Gaseous Oxidized Mercury (GOM) and Particulate-bound Mercury (PBM).The measurements carried out within this network produced a comprehensive four-year dataset (2020–2023), establishing the first preliminary baseline for atmospheric Hg concentrations in Italy. These Hg data are supplemented by concurrent meteorological measurements at each station, enabling multi-parameter analysis.The provided integrated dataset supports a extensive characterization of atmospheric Hg behaviour across the Italian peninsula, enabling the assessment of emission reduction policies mandated by the Minamata Convention on Mercury.

BackgroundNumerous sex differences has been described in aterosclerosis including in endothelial dysfunction. Oxidized low-density lipoproteins (ox-LDL) contribute to the formation of atherosclerotic plaque by binding to a membrane glycoprotein expressed by endothelial cells. Ox-LDL also play a key role in mediating endothelial dysfunction during pregnancy. Elevated maternal ox-LDL levels can lead to oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis in placental and fetal endothelial cells. The aim of this study was to investigate sex-related differences in the response to ox-LDL-induced damage in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) isolated from male and female newborns.MethodsIn our study, the effects of 100 µg/ml ox-LDL on HUVECs, obtained from umbilical cords of healthy newborns of both sexes, were analyzed. By flow cytometry, fluorescence microscopy, and Western blotting techniques, mitochondrial function, cell survival, and autophagy were studied.ResultsSex differences in cell motility and fate have been detected after ox-LDL treatment. Indeed, following ox-LDL treatment, male HUVECs (MHUVECs) exhibited reduced motility and a significant increase in adhesion molecules ICAM-1 and VCAM-1, in contrast to female HUVECs (FHUVECs). Furthermore, MHUVECs exhibited higher levels of fission proteins (DRP1 and Fis1), superoxide anion (O₂⁻), and earlier mitochondrial membrane (MM) hyperpolarization, while FHUVECs showed higher levels of fusion proteins (OPA1 and MFN2), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), and delayed MM changes. These findings were consistent with a greater propensity for apoptosis in MHUVECs. In contrast, FHUVECs exhibited higher levels of Survivin, making them less susceptible to apoptosis and more susceptible to the autophagy process.ConclusionsOur findings reveal significant sex-related variations in endothelial responses to oxidative stress. The enhanced survival and repair capacity of FHUVECs suggests that female cells are more resilient to ox-LDL-induced damage.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13293-026-00845-5.

Limonene is one of the most abundant, natural, bio-based monoterpenes. In recent years, it has attracted growing attention in both industrial and scientific communities due to its versatile physicochemical properties and wide spectrum of biological activities, including antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects. Its renewable origin and biodegradability make limonene an ideal candidate for sustainable development and as a key building block in green chemistry. The industrial relevance of limonene spans multiple sectors, ranging from its use as a solvent and flavoring agent to its application in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, polymers, and renewable fuels. Nevertheless, despite its numerous advantages, certain limitations and safety concerns have emerged. Prolonged or high-level exposure may result in sensitization, irritant reactions, or secondary oxidation products that pose potential health risks. Moreover, its oxidative instability can lead to the formation of reactive compounds under specific environmental conditions that influence indoor air quality and may contribute to secondary organic aerosol formation. Current research focuses on several key challenges: improving extraction and purification yields through biotechnological and enzymatic pathways; enhancing oxidative stability via encapsulation or chemical modification; and standardizing toxicological assessment protocols for both occupational and clinical settings. In this review, we analyze and discuss studies published predominantly in the last five years that explore the dual nature of limonene, its valuable industrial applications and its potential environmental and health-related challenges.

This study focuses on a systematic investigation of the structural and magnetic properties of NiO nanoparticles (NPs) synthesized via the thermal dehydroxylation of a polyol-derived nickel layered hydroxyacetate salt (Ni-LHS). The turbostratic brucite-like Ni-LHS precursor undergoes a phase transition into pure NiO at 260-600 °C, yielding single-phase NPs with crystallite sizes ranging from ∼4.5 to 18 nm. Structural analyses reveal a transition from a sheet-like to a rougly spherical morphology and a progressive lattice contraction with increasing annealing temperature. Magnetic measurements at 5 K reveal characteristic signatures of nanoscale antiferromagnetism, including unsaturated hysteresis loops, high coercivity values, and pronounced exchange bias (EB). Both coercivity and EB exhibit a non-monotonic size dependence, reflecting a crossover from surface-disordered to core-ordered magnetic behaviour. These findings provide new insights into the interplay between finite-size effects and interfacial anisotropy in antiferromagnetic NiO NPs.

<strong class="journal-contentHeaderColor">Abstract.</strong> Styrene is the second most efficient aromatic compound in the formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) after toluene. Recent experiments have identified C₇ and C₈ series compounds as the main components of SOA in the photooxidation of styrene. However, their molecular structures and formation pathways remain largely uncharacterized. Herein, the formation mechanisms of highly oxidized products from the multi-generation &middot;OH oxidation of styrene are studied using the quantum chemistry methods. The calculations show that the multi-generation &middot;OH oxidation mechanisms of styrene are modulated by RO₂ and RO radicals. For the first generation &middot;OH oxidation, the addition of OH radicals to the C<em>_&beta;</em>-site of vinyl group is the dominant pathway, and the main C₇- and C₈-products are benzaldehyde, 1^st-ROOH (C₈H₁₀O₃) and 1^st-RONO₂ (C₈H₉NO₃). For the second generation &middot;OH oxidation, OH-addition reaction occurring at the <em>ortho</em>-position of 1^st-ROOH and 1^st-RONO₂ has a significant dominance. The peroxide bicyclic peroxy radicals (BPR) can react with HO₂&middot;and NO to form the C₈-products 2^nd-ROOH (C₈H₁₂O₈) and 2nd-RONO2 (C₈H₁₀N₂O₁₀). The formed peroxide bicyclic alkoxy radical (BAR) can proceed either the ring-opening reactions to form the multifunctionalized dicarbonyls and ketene-enols, or the cyclization reactions to generate the highly oxidized C₆-epoxides with the branching ratios of ~30 %. For the third generation &middot;OH oxidation, <em>syn</em>-OH-addition occurring at the C=C double bond of 2^nd-ROOH and 2^nd-RONO₂ has the smallest barrier. The major C₈-products are the multifunctionalized hydroperoxides and organic nitrates. The volatility of the multi-generation &middot;OH oxidation products significantly decreases with increasing the number of &middot;OH oxidation steps.

This study focuses on piezoelectric quartz crystal microbalances (QCMs), widely used in space and military instrumentation, as fundamental components in highly sensitive mass detection devices. In this research, a proper setup was developed to investigate the relationship between clamping preload and crystal resonance, with particular attention to the effects of concentrated loads. The latter ones, not properly addressed in the literature, come from the need to safely clamp QCMs in critical environments, like those experienced during the launch of rockets or payloads. Thus, the study investigates the behaviour of piezoelectric quartz crystals (AT-cut, 10 MHz) with gold electrodes, using a QCMs’ three-pinned mounting system. Measurements showed that the effect of the preload on the frequency variation resulted in a repeatable increase in the crystals’ resonance, increasing the loading, up to three ppm more than the unloaded quartz crystal oscillating frequency.

• Compressed biomethane lowers GHG from garbage trucks by 75 % compared to CNG. • CCU and CCS technologies play a pivotal role in reducing GHG from biomethane production. • Feedstock selection for AD affect WTT emissions and contributes to waste management. The transition to biofuels, particularly biomethane from waste biomass, is seen as a positive step towards decarbonising transport. Environmental benefits are enhanced by capturing and using or sequestering off-gas CO 2 from biogas upgrading, and by developing interconnected systems of waste collection, biomethane production, pressurization, and vehicle refuelling. This well-to-wheels analysis focuses on garbage trucks to evaluate various production and management scenarios with different carbon capture strategies, identifying the best combination of feedstock and technology. The use of diverse feedstocks for anaerobic digestion and the geographical spread of biogas plants in Italy, together with its high production potential, provide a solid basis for analysis. Results indicate GHG emission reductions for compressed biomethane ranging from 55 % to 75 % compared to compressed natural gas, potentially higher with certain feedstocks and carbon capture technologies, which can completely counter climate change impacts from anaerobic digestion and biogas upgrading.