Quality assessment of freshwater and coastal seawater in the Ionian area of N.E. Sicily, Italy.

Abstract

This work was conducted to analyse pressing and competing demands of water in Northeast Sicily, Italy. In this area, looking at the Ionian Sea, freshwaters and coastal seawaters have been studied on the quality and on the transport processes of pollutants. Attention has been focused on chemical and microbial parameters proposed by European Directives for drinking freshwaters and bathing seawaters. The findings show that the ground freshwaters are of good quality but the surface ones, particularly torrents and correlated under-river aquifers, are clearly polluted. The characteristics of the coastal seawaters are according with those of the closely bound up estuarine waters. Contamination is due essentially to discharge of raw sewage in the watercourses by public and private pipes. The impact is usually less evident during the wet season because rain and seastorms dilute the polluting load, but in dry periods this pollution causes loss of habitat and deleterious effects on environment. A database has been developed to provide a graphic and mapping display interface of the area studied and to assist the management of the studied fluvial basins.