The Mediterranean Region has a long lasting legacy of mercury mining activities and a high density of sub-marine volcanoes that has strongly contributed to its mercury budget. In the last forty years, there have been recorded increases in mercury concentrations in biota that have spurred a growing number of research activities to assess the impact of mercury pollution on human health and environment. Field investigations that quantify mercury concentrations in marine biota have led to a large amount of experimental data scattered in many peer-reviewed publications making it difficult for modelling applications and regional environmental assessments. This paper reviews existing peer-reviewed literature and datasets on mercury concentration in marine flora and fauna (Animal, Plants and Chromista Kingdoms) in the Mediterranean basin. A total of 24,465 records have been retrieved from 539 sources and included in Mercury in Mediterranean Biota (M2B). Well-defined specimens account for 24,407 observations, while a few records include generic plankton and unidentified fish species. Among all considered species, we selected Diplodus sargus, Sardina pilchardus, Thunnus thynnus and Xiphias gladius to show trends of mercury concentration against WHO and EU limits. Few notes on how M2B is intended to support the implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury by a user-driven Knowledge Hub are finally reported.
F.16 Improvements to an existing information system/databases
COBISS.SI-ID: 32775975The invention is a method for topographically controlled aggregation, wherein cells of the same type or different type, such as different strains of bacterial cells, are layered in a way that controls the size, structure and number of aggregates as well as the potential spatial distribution of the different species of cells within the aggregates. The aggregation of cells is based on electrostatic intearcions between cells, which are enhanced by the use of polyelectrolytes. Using this approach systems that are present in nature can be simulated and artificially constructed.
F.32 International patent
COBISS.SI-ID: 13157123