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Lake basins can behave as accumulators of microplastics released in wastewaters as such or resulting from degradation of larger items before and/or during their journey toward the marine environment as a final sink. A novel multianalytical approach was adopted for the detection and quantification of microplastics with size < 2 mm in the sediments of the volcanic lake of Bracciano, Italy. Simple analytical techniques such as solvent extraction/fractionation (for polyolefins and polystyrene) or depolymerization (for polyethylene terephthalate, PET), along with chromatographic detection (SEC and HPLC), allowed quantitative and qualitative determination of the main synthetic polymer contaminants. In particular, PET microplastic concentrations of 0.8–36 ppm were found, with variability related to the sampling site (exposure to incoming winds and wave action). Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H-NMR) and Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transformed InfraRed (ATR-FTIR spectroscopic investigations supported the identification and chemical characterization of plastic fragments and polymer extracts. The average molecular weight of solvent extractable polymers was evaluated from 2D 1H-NMR diffusion ordered spectroscopy (DOSY) experiments. The proposed, easily accessible multianalytical approach can be considered as a useful tool for improving our knowledge on the nature and the concentration of microplastics in sediments, giving insights on the impact of human activities on the health status of aquatic ecosystems.

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Amphipods of the genus Gammarus are a vital component of macrozoobenthic communities inEuropean inland and coastal, marine and brackish waters of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Exceptional levels of cryptic diversity have been revealed for several widespread freshwater Gammarus species in Europe. No comprehensive assessment has yet been made for brackishwater counterparts, such as Gammarus aequicauda and G. insensibilis, which are among the most widely dispersed members of the so-called "G. locusta group" in the Mediterranean and in the Black Sea. Here we probe the diversity of these morphospecies examining the partitioning of mtDNA and nDNA across multiple populations along their distribution range and discuss it within the regional paleogeographic framework.We gathered molecular data from a collection of 166 individuals of G. aequicauda and G. insensibilis from 47 locations along their distribution range in the Mediterranean including the Black Sea. They were amplified for both mitochondrial COI and 16S rRNA as well as the nuclear 28S rRNA. All five MOTU delimitation methods applied revealed deep divergence between Black Sea and Mediterranean populations in both G. aequicauda and G. insensibilis.There were eight distinct MOTUs delimited for G. aequicauda (6-18% K2P) and 4 MOTUs for G. insensibilis (4-14% K2P). No sympatric MOTUs were detected throughout their distribution range. Multimarker time-calibrated phylogeny indicated that divergence of both G. aequicauda and G. insensibilis species complexes started already in the late Oligocene/early Miocene with the split between clades inhabiting eastern and western part of the Mediterranean occurring in both species at the similar time.Our results indicate a high cryptic diversity within Mediterranean brackishwater Gammarus, similar to that observed for freshwater counterparts. Moreover, the phylogenetic history combined with the current geographic distribution indicate that the evolution of both studied Gammarus morphogroups has been strongly connected with the geological events in the Mediterranean Basin and it reflect the turbulent history of the area. The results also point out the possibility of the existence of monopolization and yet unknown biogeographical barriers in the Mediterranean that might inhibit the sympatry and the dispersal of the existing lineages.