Active Moss Biomonitoring of Mercury in the Mine-Polluted Area of Abbadia San Salvatore (Mt. Amiata, Central Italy).

Active biomonitoring of mercury (Hg) using non-indigenous moss bags was performed for the first time within and around the former Hg mining area of Abbadia San Salvatore (Mt. Amiata, central Italy). The purpose was to discern the Hg spatial distribution, identify the most polluted areas, and evaluate the impacts of dry and wet deposition on mosses.

Thermal desorption technique to speciate mercury in carbonate, silicate, and organic-rich soils.

Thermal desorption is a well-assessed technique to speciate mercury (Hg) in soils and sediments. However, the effects related to the different matrices are still not properly assessed. In this study, thermal desorption was applied to Hg-free calcite mixed with Hg standard and soils rich in carbonate and silicate minerals, as well as organic matter.

Mercury distribution in plants and soils from the former mining area of Abbadia San Salvatore (Tuscany, Central Italy).

The distribution of heavy metals in plants (Castanea sativa, Sambucus nigra, Verbascum thapsus, Popolus spp., Salix spp., Acer pseudoplatanus, Robinia pseudoacacia) growing in soils from active and abandoned mining areas is of scientific significance as it allows to recognize their ability to survive in a hostile environment and provide useful indications for phytoremediation operations.

Mercury distribution in plants and soils from the former mining area of Abbadia San Salvatore (Tuscany, central Italy).

The distribution of heavy metals in plants growing in soils from active and abandoned mining areas is of scientific significance as it allows one to recognize their ability to survive in a hostile environment and to provide useful indications for phytoremediation operations. In this work, soils developed in the former Hg-mining area of Abbadia San Salvatore (Tuscany, Central Italy) were analyzed for total, leached Hg, % of organic- and inorganic-related Hg. The dehydrogenase enzyme activity (DHA) was also measured with the aim to evaluate the status of the soil, being characterized by high Hg content.

Hydrogeochemical and isotopic characterization of the Gioia Tauro coastal Plain (Calabria - southern Italy): A multidisciplinary approach for a focused management of vulnerable strategic systems.

This work pursues the hydro-geochemical and isotopic characterization of the complex groundwater system of the Gioia Tauro Plain, one of the most important industrialized and agricultural coastal areas of southern Italy. The anthropic pressure exposes the water resources at risk of depletion and quality degradation making the plain groundwater a system of high scientific and social interest. The plain is characterized by a shallow aquifer, mostly recharged by local rains and a deep aquifer apparently less influenced by local precipitation.

Continuous and near real-time measurements of gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) from an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle: A new approach to investigate the 3D distribution of GEM in the lower atmosphere.

We present the first real attempt to directly and continuously measure GEM through a Lumex RA-915 M, designed for real-time detection of mercury vapor, mounted on an UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, namely a heavy-lift octocopter), inside and outside the former Hg-mining area of Abbadia San Salvatore (Mt. Amiata, Italy), known as a GEM source. We tested the effectiveness of the UAV-Lumex combination at different heights in selected sites pertaining to both mining facilities and surrounding urban zones, shedding light on the GEM spatial distribution and concentration variability.

Are geochemical regime shifts identifiable in river waters? Exploring the compositional dynamics of the Tiber River (Italy).

Rivers are dynamic and sensitive systems that change their chemical composition from source to mouth. This is due to the influence of a set of variables controlled by hydro-litho-eco-atmospheric processes and anthropic pressures which are, in turn, affected by catchment attributes. This work proposes a new way of thinking about river geochemistry focused on environmental interconnections rather than single chemical variables.

Dissolved organic matter in a tropical saline-alkaline lake of the East African Rift Valley.

Saline-alkaline lakes of the East African Rift are known to have an extremely high primary production supporting a potent carbon cycle. To date, a full description of carbon pools in these lakes is still missing. More specifically, there is not detailed information on the quality of dissolved organic matter (DOM), the main carbon energy source for heterotrophs prokaryotes.

Assessment, control, and prevention of microbiological and chemical hazards in seasonal swimming pools of the Versilia district (Tuscany, central Italy).

Although in Europe the quality of swimming pools (SPs) is dictated by regulations, microbiological and chemical hazards are described in the literature. Environmental bacteria or toxic disinfection by-product (DBP) compounds may indeed be recovered in waters even after disinfection. We evaluated the water quality from 26 outdoor seasonal SPs of the Versilia district, according to requirements of Regional Decree 54R/2015.

New occurrence of reed bed decline in southern Europe: do permanent flooding and chemical parameters play a role?

Based on the experimental design proposed in similar studies, macromorphological and ecological traits of common reed beds were analysed at Lake Chiusi (Central Italy), together with selected chemical parameters in sediments and interstitial waters and aerial images of the site, in order to investigate reed decline and search for possible correlations among data. Typical symptoms of the reed dieback syndrome were detected, thus enlarging the occurrence of this phenomenon in southern Europe. Permanently dry, permanently flooded and partially flooded stands show different levels of decline, with the permanent flooding always co-occurring with reed dieback.