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DOI of original article:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2019.104178 .- Rosangela Addesso, Alessandro Bellino, Ilenia Maria D'Angeli, Jo De Waele, Ana Zélia Miller, Cristina Carbone, Daniela Baldantoni: Vermiculations from karst caves: The case of Pertosa-Auletta system (Italy) CATENA, Volume 182, November 2019, Pages 104178, The authors regret the presence of incomplete information in the author affiliations (reported correctly above) and in the acknowledgments of the original article (provided in the amended version below). The authors are obliged to Mr. Vincenzo Manisera, speleologist of the MIdA Foundation, for sharing his experiences and for his invaluable help in all the field activities, to Dr. Sacha A. Berardo (University of Salerno, Italy) for the language editing, and to the two anonymous reviewers, who provided helpful comments and suggestions. Funding was provided by the Spanish project MINECO CGL2016-75590-P with ERDF funds, by the MIdA Foundation, which generously supported the whole project, and by the University of Salerno, which provided facilities for carrying out the research. The authors would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are worldwide contaminants and, due to their long-range transport, they can accumulate far from the emission sources, in carbon-rich forest soils; thus new exploration in the indigenous microbial response to PAH exposure is important to deeper understanding of PAH natural degradation process. Since most of the studies are limited to aged PAH contaminated soils, we aimed to fill the gap in our knowledge on recent contamination. In order to investigate indigenous microbial community involvement in soil PAH degradation, a mesocosm trial was established. Soils from two forest systems (holm oak and black pine) were spiked with 3 PAHs (phenanthrene, pyrene and benzo[a]pyrene) and incubated under controlled conditions (T: 22 °C, R.H.: 88%). Along 360 days, structural and functional changes in soil microbial community were monitored analyzing bacterial and fungal biomass (by phospholipid fatty acid and ergosterol content) and enzyme activities (hydrolase, laccase and peroxidase).Both soil types indicated a capability of indigenous native microbial community to degrade almost completely PAHs yet after one year, with phenanthrene and pyrene faster degrading than benzo[a]pyrene, according to their molecular weight. In pine soil, the PAH degradation proceeds with a minor extent likely in relation to the sequestration of PAHs in soil richer in organic matter. In both forest soils fungi are mainly involved in the degradation of PAHs, as highlighted by the increase of both content of the fungal marker and enzyme activity mainly carried out by fungi, e.g. laccase in holm oak soil. Regarding the community structure, PAH contamination influences the relative abundance of several soil microbial groups yet after 4 days from contamination, when the microbial community composition shifts towards Gram+ bacteria in holm oak soil, whereas in pine soil pyrene and phenanthrene stimulate fungi and actinomycetes. In the long-term, after one year from contamination, a variation in microbial community was more evident in the holm oak soil, with an increase of fungi in the treatment with benzo[a]pyrene, and an increase of Gram+ in the treatment with phenanthrene. All the enzymes activities, after some fluctuations in the early stages of incubation, decreased after one year. During the quick and strong PAH degradation, hydrolytic activity showed high and constant values, exhibiting a stability in the long-term after the contamination. The obtained findings show the role of several microbial groups in PAH natural attenuation in different forest soils. Different PAH degradation rates between systems can be attributable to soil microbiome dominated by different populations in the two investigated forest soils. The use of indigenous microorganisms in bioremediation processes can reduce the risks associated with PAH contaminated soils, and a better understanding of the effects of PAH contaminants on soil microbial community is very critical for understanding microbial activity during bioremediation. The findings highlight the importance of fungi in the potential recovery of a soil polluted by organic contaminants.

Antibiotics are emerging pollutants released into the environment through wastewater and manure or effluents from livestock plants. Compared to the wide literature on the effects of antibiotics on the development of drugresistant bacteria and on the adverse effects on animals and human beings, the effects on plants are less investigated. Here we evaluated the effects of four antibiotics (cloramphenicol: CAP, spiramycin: SPR, spectinomycin: SPT, vancomycin: VAN) belonging to different chemical groups, on seed germination and root development of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L. cv. San Marzano). Specifically, seed germination and root elongation kinetics, as well as the number of mithotic figures in root apical meristem, were studied in relation to different concentrations of each antibiotic (0, 0.1, 1, 10, 100, 1000 mg L−1) for 10 and 7 days, respectively. Results showed that seed germination was not affected, but root development (root elongation kinetics and cell division) was impaired at concentrations from 10 mg L−1 (SPT) and 100 mg L−1 (CAP) to 1000 mg L−1 (SPR and VAN).

The Sarno River is considered the most polluted river in Europe and one of the ten most polluted rivers in the world. So far, its quality has been usually evaluated by water and sediment analyses of either inorganic or organic pollutants. However, a biomonitoring approach would be of paramount importance in the evaluation of river quality, since it integrates pollutant temporal fluctuations, as in the case of discontinuous inputs from urban, industrial and agricultural activities. To this end, a passive biomonitoring study of the Sarno River was carried out, using two native aquatic plants accumulators of inorganic pollutants. The spring area was monitored analysing the roots of the semi-submerged Apium nodiflorum, whereas the whole river course was monitored analysing the shoots of the submerged Potamogeton pectinatus. The information on the four macronutrient (Ca, K, Mg, P), the six micronutrient (Cu, Fe, Mn, Na, Ni, Zn) and the four toxic element (Cd, Cr, Pb, V) concentrations were separately combined in the Nemerow Pollution Index. Results evidenced a severe pollution degree of the Sarno River, attributable to toxic elements > micronutrients > macronutrients. In particular, the spring area showed high K concentrations, as well as high concentrations of several micronutrients and toxic elements. A generalized Zn contamination and a progressive macronutrient (above all Ca and P), micronutrient (above all Ni, Cu and Fe) and toxic element (above all Cr and Pb) accumulation toward the mouth was related to pollution from agricultural and urban activities. Industrial sources, especially tanneries along the Solofrana tributary, accounted for high Mn concentrations, whereas the volcanic origin of the substrate accounted for a generalized V contamination.

Concentrations of four heavy metals (HMs) (Cd, Cr, Fe, Pb) and four polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (fluoranthene, phenanthrene, chrysene, benzo[a]pyrene) in Quercus ilex L. leaves collected at the Campania Region (Southern Italy) in previous air biomonitoring studies were employed to (1) test the correspondence with an a priori site subdivision (remote, periurban, and urban) and (2) evaluate long temporal trends of HM (approximately 20 years) and PAH (approximately 10 years) air contaminations. Overall, Q. ilex leaf HM and PAH concentrations resulted along the gradient: remote < periurban < urban sites, reflecting the a priori subdivision based on human management. Over a long time, although a clear decrease of leaf Pb, chrysene, fluoranthene, and phenanthrene concentrations occurred at the urban sites, a high contamination level persists.