Volume 39, no. 6, June 2026. Environmental contaminants: where do they end up? New synthetic opioids: the transformation of the market and the public health response. The role of human biomonitoring in assessing exposure and early biological effects of micro- and nanoplastics. RarISS Insert. Between science and clinical practice: Francesco Torti, the cinchona doctor

Abstracts:

Environmental contaminants: where do they end up?
Environmental contaminants are substances capable of causing harmful effects on the environment, animals, and humans, contributing to pollution processes. For years, the Human Exposure to Environmental Contaminants Unit, Department of Environment and Health at the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (National Institute of Health in Italy) has been involved in the study and monitoring of some of the main toxic contaminants present in numerous matrices. In this context, during the European Researchers' Night, we proposed interactive and engaging activities to the children audience in order to show the migration of contaminants from the soil to the aquifer towards surface watercourses, while illustrating the main sources of exposure.

New synthetic opioids: the transformation of the market and the public health response
In recent years, the National Centre on Addiction and Doping at the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (National Institute of Health in Italy) has strengthened its research and surveillance efforts on emerging synthetic opioids. These substances are not entirely new chemical entities but often analogues or derivatives of molecules developed by pharmaceutical companies since the 1960s, some of which were abandoned due to their high toxicity. The ease of synthesizing these compounds in low-cost illegal laboratories, without the need for plant-based raw materials, has facilitated their rapid proliferation. The main classes of emerging opioids identified include fentanyls, nitazenes, and a group of experimental synthetic opioids that never reached the market, known as orphines.

The role of human biomonitoring in assessing exposure and early biological effects of micro- and nanoplastics
Microplastics (0.1-5,000 μm) and nanoplastics (≤0.1 μm) are emerging global contaminants, detected in air, water, soil, food, and consumer products, making human exposure inevitable. Due to their extremely small size, microplastics and nanoplastics can cross biological barriers and interact with cells and tissues, triggering biological effects that are still under investigation. To address this challenge, the European Union has introduced regulatory measures and promoted the use of alternatives such as bioplastics. The BioPlast4Safe project, within a One Health framework, combines the analysis of biomarkers of exposure to persistent and biodegradable polymers with the analysis of early-effect biomarkers, employing advanced analytical methodologies to enable accurate risk assessment and guide evidence based prevention policies.