Sites Of National Interest Research Articles

An ecological study shows increased prevalence of autism spectrum disorder in children living in a heavily polluted area

The burden of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is increasing worldwide with genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors being possibly responsible for the observed epidemiological figures. In the setting of environmental exposure, the city of Taranto, in Southern Italy, represents an interesting case study as it hosts well inside the city one of the biggest steel plants in Europe. This is a cross-sectional ecological study carried out in the year 2020 in the province of Taranto designed to estimate the burden of ASD in the municipalities of Taranto and Statte, classified as high environmental risk areas (Contaminated Site of National Interest—SIN), compared to the other 27 municipalities of the same province. Differences have been evaluated using the Chi Square Test. Children aged 6–11 years identified in SIN municipalities had a statistically significant higher prevalence of ASD than children of other municipalities (9.58 vs. 6.66/1000 respectively, p = 0.002). No statistically significant difference was observed for the 12–18 years group (3.41 vs. 2.54/1000, p = 0.12). The findings observed in this study are suggestive of the association between urban residential proximity to industrial facilities emitting air pollutants and higher ASD prevalence.

Human biomonitoring of PCDDs, PCDFs, and PCBs in women living in a Northern Italy industrial area.

In Brescia, a highly industrialized city in the Lombardy Region (Northern Italy) classified as a SIN (Contaminated Site of National Interest), a human biomonitoring study was carried out on breast milk of two groups of women residing in areas with presumably different levels of exposure to polychlorodibenzo-p-dioxins, polychlorodibenzofurans, and polychlorobiphenyls. This study was aimed at evaluating the possible difference between women living in Brescia and women living far from it but in the same Region. Between 2016 and 2018, 82 women were enrolled (41 "exposed" subjects and 41 "not exposed"), breast milk samples were collected, and a specific questionnaire was administered to the donors. Data obtained were processed by robust regression and Principal Component Factor Analysis. The differences in concentration between the two groups were significant for all the classes of analytes (except for PCDDs). The concentration increase rates from the not exposed to the exposed group resulted highly significant: some PCB congeners showed increase rates more than 1000 ng/g lb per one-unit change of the independent variable. Among the variables significantly associated with the observed concentrations, age showed the greatest influence, while BMI showed a counteracting effect. Consumption of vegetable oil and fruit resulted to possibly influence the chemicals body burden. For the not exposed group, the levels appear to be in line with the decreasing trend (2001-2018) observed for these contaminants in Italy.

Sex, environment, and death rate in a dementia cohort: a seven-years Bayesian survival analysis using medications data from a contaminated area in Italy.

Studies have analyzed the effects of industrial installations on the environment and human health in Taranto, Southern Italy. Literature documented associations between different variables and dementia mortality among both women and men. The present study aims to investigate the associations between sex, environment, age, disease duration, pandemic years, anti-dementia drugs, and death rate. Data from the regional medication registry were used. All women and men with an anti-dementia medication between 2015 and 2021 were included and followed-up to 2021. Bayesian mixed effects logistic and Cox regression models with time varying exposures were fitted using integrated nested Laplace approximations and adjusting for patients and therapy characteristics. A total of 7,961 person-years were observed. Variables associated with lower prevalence of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) medication were male sex (OR 0.63, 95% CrI 0.42-0.96), age 70-79 years (OR 0.17, 95% CrI 0.06-0.47) and ≥ 80 years (OR 0.08, 95% CrI 0.03-0.23), disease duration of 2-3 years (OR 0.43, 95% CrI 0.32-0.56) and 4-6 years (OR 0.21, 95% CrI 0.13-0.33), and pandemic years 2020 (OR 0.50, 95% CrI 0.37-0.67) and 2021 (OR 0.47, 95% CrI 0.33-0.65). Variables associated with higher mortality were male sex (HR 2.14, 95% CrI 1.75-2.62), residence in the contaminated site of national interest (SIN) (HR 1.25, 95% CrI 1.02-1.53), age ≥ 80 years (HR 6.06, 95% CrI 1.94-18.95), disease duration of 1 year (HR 1.50, 95% CrI 1.12-2.01), 2-3 years (HR 1.90, 95% CrI 1.45-2.48) and 4-6 years (HR 2.21, 95% CrI 1.60-3.07), and pandemic years 2020 (HR 1.38, 95% CrI 1.06-1.80) and 2021 (HR 1.56, 95% CrI 1.21-2.02). Variables associated with lower mortality were therapy with AChEIs alone (HR 0.69, 95% CrI 0.56-0.86) and in combination with memantine (HR 0.54, 95% CrI 0.37-0.81). Male sex, age, disease duration, and pandemic years appeared to be associated with lower AChEIs medications. Male sex, residence in the SIN of Taranto, age, disease duration, and pandemic years seemed to be associated with an increased death rate, while AChEIs medication seemed to be associated with improved survival rate.

Gender differences, environmental pressures, tumor characteristics, and death rate in a lung cancer cohort: a seven-years Bayesian survival analysis using cancer registry data from a contaminated area in Italy.

In Taranto, Southern Italy, adverse impacts on the environment and human health due to industrial installations have been studied. In the literature, associations have been reported between gender, environmental factors, and lung cancer mortality in women and men. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between gender, residence in areas with high environmental pressures, bronchus/lung cancer characteristics, and death rate. Data from the Taranto Cancer Registry were used, including all women and men with invasive bronchus/lung cancer diagnosed between 1 January 2016 and 31 December 2020 and with follow-up to 31 December 2022. Bayesian mixed effects logistic and Cox regression models were fitted with the approach of integrated nested Laplace approximation, adjusting for patients and disease characteristics. A total of 2,535 person-years were observed. Male gender was associated with a higher prevalence of histological grade 3 (OR 2.45, 95% CrI 1.35-4.43) and lung squamous-cell carcinoma (OR 3.04, 95% CrI 1.97-4.69). Variables associated with higher death rate were male gender (HR 1.24, 95% CrI 1.07-1.43), pathological/clinical stage II (HR 2.49, 95% CrI 1.63-3.79), III (HR 3.40, 95% CrI 2.33-4.97), and IV (HR 8.21, 95% CrI 5.95-11.34), histological grade 3 (HR 1.80, 95% CrI 1.25-2.59), lung squamous-cell carcinoma (HR 1.18, 95% CrI 1.00-1.39), and small-cell lung cancer (HR 1.62, 95% CrI 1.31-1.99). Variables associated with lower death rate were other-type lung cancer (HR 0.65, 95% CrI 0.44-0.95), high immune checkpoint ligand expression (HR 0.75, 95% CrI 0.59-0.95), lung localization (HR 0.73, 95% CrI 0.62-0.86), and left localization (HR 0.85, 95% CrI 0.75-0.95). The results among patients with lung cancer did not show an association between residence in the contaminated site of national interest (SIN) and the prevalence of the above mentioned prognostic factors, nor between residence in SIN and death rate. The findings confirmed the independent prognostic values of different lung cancer characteristics. Even after adjusting for patients and disease characteristics, male gender appeared to be associated with a higher prevalence of poorly differentiated cancer and squamous-cell carcinoma, and with an increased death rate.

Environmental pressures, tumor characteristics, and death rate in a female breast cancer cohort: a seven-years Bayesian survival analysis using cancer registry data from a contaminated area in Italy.

In Taranto, Southern Italy, adverse impacts on the environment and human health due to industrial installations have been studied. In the literature, few associations have been reported between environmental factors and breast cancer mortality in women. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between residence in areas with high environmental pressures, female breast cancer characteristics, and death rate. Data from the Taranto Cancer Registry were used, including all women with invasive breast cancer diagnosed between 01 January 2015 and 31 December 2020 and with follow-up to 31 December 2021. Bayesian mixed effects logistic and Cox regression models were fitted with the approach of integrated nested Laplace approximation, adjusting for patients and disease characteristics. A total of 10,445 person-years were observed. Variables associated with higher death rate were residence in the contaminated site of national interest (SIN) (HR 1.22, 95% CrI 1.01-1.48), pathological/clinical stage III (HR 2.77, 95% CrI 1.93-3.97) and IV (HR 17.05, 95% CrI 11.94-24.34), histological grade 3 (HR 2.50, 95% CrI 1.20-5.23), Ki-67 proliferation index of 21-50% (HR 1.42, 95% CrI 1.10-1.83) and > 50% (HR 1.81, 95% CrI 1.29-2.55), and bilateral localization (HR 1.65, 95% CrI 1.01-2.68). Variables associated with lower death rate were estrogen and/or progesterone receptor positivity (HR 0.61, 95% CrI 0.45-0.81) and HER2/neu oncogene positivity (HR 0.59, 95% CrI 0.44-0.79). The findings confirmed the independent prognostic values of different female breast cancer characteristics. Even after adjusting for patients and disease characteristics, residence in the SIN of Taranto appeared to be associated with an increased death rate.

Positive effects of two decades of passive ecological restoration in a historically polluted marine site

The Mediterranean Sea is one of the most exploited regions of the world’s oceans. Here industrial activities have determined either acute or long-term impacts on coastal marine ecosystems. In this study, we investigated macrofauna distribution and diversity, and food-web functioning in a coastal area of the Mediterranean Sea facing an industrial chemical plant abandoned in the ‘90s to assess benthic ecosystem health. This area has been identified as a Site of National Interest (SNI) since 2002 and has been closed to any human activity awaiting to be remediated according to national laws. Our results indicate that, two decades after the SNI declaration (a decade after the plant decommissioning), there is no longer any sign of the impact of historical contaminations on macrofauna and benthic food web functioning. Overall, all the thirty-six sites showed high/good ecological quality according to the score assigned by AMBI and M-AMBI indexes, reflecting the absence of chronic impacts. Our findings reveal, for the first time, the positive effects of passive restoration (i.e., unassisted, or spontaneous recovery following cessation of anthropogenic impacts) on historically impacted coastal ecosystems since their health conditions, in terms of both abiotic (environmental variables and contaminant concentration) and biotic (macrofauna diversity and community composition, and benthic food-web structure) factors, were indistinguishable from surrounding non-impacted areas. These findings also suggest that other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) could be useful not only for biodiversity conservation of vulnerable and priority habitats in larger ocean sectors but also to promote the passive recovery of historically contaminated ecosystems.

Pollen and Flora as Bioindicators in Assessing the Status of Polluted Sites: The Case Study of the Mantua Lakes (SIN “Laghi di Mantova e Polo Chimico”; N Italy)

An integrated floristic and palynological approach was carried out at the site of national interest “Laghi di Mantova e Polo Chimico” to obtain an environmental assessment useful for monitoring polluted sites. The flora of highly contaminated sectors (area A and area B) was surveyed, and the floristic composition and ecological strategies of the species were compared with a control sector (area C). A total of 195 species were observed in the three sectors. Pollen preservation of six selected species was checked as a bioindicator of environmental health in the same sectors. Area A and area B likely share similar environmental pressures, including anthropogenic stressors such as pollution, geographical proximity and a similar set of habitats, leading to similarities in flora composition. Similarly, the incidence of pollen without cytoplasm is higher in area A (9.3%) and area B (7.6%) than in area C (2.5%). The floristic differences among the sectors and the quantity of empty or abnormal pollen, together with the CSR strategies adopted by the species, suggest that the effects of anthropogenic impact on local vegetation can be detected at both macroscopic and microscopic levels. The discovery of the protected species Narcissus pseudonarcissus in area C is noteworthy, which may be important in directing efforts towards the protection of plant communities in this sector.

No Excess of Mortality from Lung Cancer during the COVID-19 Pandemic in an Area at Environmental Risk: Results of an Explorative Analysis

The COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictive measures associated with it placed enormous pressure on health facilities and may have caused delays in the treatment of other diseases, leading to increases in mortality compared to the expected rates. Areas with high levels of air pollution already have a high risk of death from cancer, so we aimed to evaluate the possible indirect effects of the pandemic on mortality from lung cancer compared to the pre-pandemic period in the province of Taranto, a polluted site of national interest for environmental risk in the south of Italy. We carried out a retrospective observational study on lung cancer data (ICD-10: C34) from the Registry of Mortality (ReMo) for municipalities in Taranto Province over the period of 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2021. Seasonal exponential smoothing, Holt-Winters additive, Holt-Winters multiplicative, and auto-regressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models were used to forecast the number of deaths during the pandemic period. Data were standardized by sex and age via an indirect method and shown as monthly mortality rates (MRs), standardized mortality ratios (SMRs), and adjusted mortality rates (AMRs). In Taranto Province, 3108 deaths from lung cancer were recorded between 2011 and 2021. In the province of Taranto, almost all of the adjusted monthly mortality rates during the pandemic were within the confidence interval of the predicted rates, with the exception of significant excesses in March (+1.82, 95% CI 0.11-3.08) and August 2020 (+2.09, 95% CI 0.20-3.44). In the municipality of Taranto, the only significant excess rate was in August 2020 (+3.51, 95% CI 0.33-6.69). However, in total, in 2020 and 2021, the excess deaths from lung cancer were not significant both for the province of Taranto (+30 (95% CI -77; +106) for 2020 and +28 (95% CI -130; +133) for 2021) and for the municipality of Taranto alone (+14 (95% CI -47; +74) for 2020 and -2 (95% CI -86; +76) for 2021). This study shows that there was no excess mortality from lung cancer as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in the province of Taranto. The strategies applied by the local oncological services during the pandemic were probably effective in minimizing the possible interruption of cancer treatment. Strategies for accessing care in future health emergencies should take into account the results of continuous monitoring of disease trends.

Toxicity evaluation of the contaminated area of Crotone from biological indicators: a multispecies approach

Contamination of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems by toxic industrial waste has become a major issue in many countries. Of particular concern is the reuse of toxic hazardous waste in construction materials. This paper examined for the first time the chemical and radiation ecotoxicity of site-specific Technological Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (TENORM) residues from phosphate processing industry in soil environmental matrices through bioindicators. The area under investigation was the former industrial district of Crotone (Calabria, Italy), recently included within the Sites of National Interest (SIN), comprising the 42 Italian national priority contaminated sites. Major biological exposure pathways considered were absorption and bioaccumulation. The marine bacterium Vibrio fischeri and the freshwater crustacean Daphnia magna were employed as aquatic bioindicators, while for the soil ecosystem, the seeds of Sorghum saccharatum and Lepidium sativum were used. Selection of test species aimed at assessing the toxicity of wastes in soil as well as in freshwater or marine systems. Results indicated V. fischeri as the most sensitive of all the species tested (5.56 g/L), while D. magna was found to be affected at 94.27 g/L. An overall inhibition was observed in seedling growth as compared to control at the highest concentration of the pollutants (100 g/L), while seed germination was not adversely affected by the pollutant. At this preliminary level, data indicated a potential risk for biodiversity of the area. In fact, the measured toxicity thresholds, even if above 100 mg/L, are comparable to concentrations of the toxicants spread all over the territory of Crotone.

The contaminated sites in the SENTIERI Project: an update of legislative, contamination, and sources of environmental exposure aspects in Italy

In Italy, the problem of contaminated sites was introduced for the first time at a regulatory level with the 'Ronchi Decree' No. 22 of 1997. Subsequently, the regulations that defined most of the contaminated Sites of National Interest (SINs) were Law No. 426 of 09.12.1998 and Law no. 179 of 31.07.2002. Today, the reference directive is the Legislative Decree 152/2006 'Consolidated Environmental Act', which in Part IV, Title V 'Remediation of contaminated sites', dictates the administrative and technical procedures for the remediation of contaminated sites. Over time, there have been numerous regulatory updates that have changed the selection criteria for the SINs, leading some of these to be downgraded to Sites of Regional Interest (SIRs). The SINs in their entirety are managed by the Italian Ministry of the Environment, today called 'of the Ecological Transition', while the pass to the competence of the territorially concerned Regions SIRs regarding the verification and eventual remediation operations. Currently, in Italy there are 42 SINs and 17 SIRs. All the information derived from the various environmental regulations and that found in the context of the remediation procedures made it possible to define the exposure of the population residing in the areas adjacent to the SINs and SIRs as well as the elaboration of sheets containing all the site-specific information.

BIGEPI project: environmental and health data

the BIGEPI project, co-funded by INAIL, has used big data to identify the health risks associated with short and long-term exposure to air pollution, extreme temperatures and occupational exposures. the project consists of 5 specific work packages (WP) aimed at assessing: 1. the acute effects of environmental exposures over the national territory; 2. the acute effects of environmental exposures in contaminated areas, such as Sites of National Interest (SIN) and industrial sites; 3. the chronic effects of environmental exposures in 6 Italian longitudinal metropolitan studies; 4. the acute and chronic effects of environmental exposures in 7 epidemiological surveys on population samples; 5. the chronic effects of occupational exposures in the longitudinal metropolitan studies of Rome and Turin. BIGEPI analyzed environmental and health data at different levels of detail: the whole Italian population (WP1); populations living in areas contaminated by pollutants of industrial origin (WP2); the entire longitudinal cohorts of the metropolitan areas of Bologna, Brindisi, Rome, Syracuse, Taranto and Turin (WP3 and WP5); population samples participating in the epidemiological surveys of Ancona, Palermo, Pavia, Pisa, Sassari, Turin and Verona (WP4). environmental exposure: PM10, PM2,5, NO2 and O3 concentrations and air temperature at 1 Km2 resolution at national level. Occupational exposures: employment history of subjects working in at least one of 25 sectors with similar occupational exposures to chemicals/carcinogens; self-reported exposure to dust/fumes/gas in the workplace. Health data: cause-specific mortality/hospitalisation; symptoms/diagnosis of respiratory/allergic diseases; respiratory function and bronchial inflammation. BIGEPI analyzed data at the level of the entire Italian population, data on 2.8 million adults (>=30 yrs) in longitudinal metropolitan studies and on about 14,500 individuals (>=18 yrs) in epidemiological surveys on population samples. The population investigated in the longitudinal metropolitan studies had an average age of approximately 55 years and that of the epidemiological surveys was about 48 years; in both cases, 53% of the population was female. As regards environmental exposure, in the period 2013-2015, at national level average values for PM10, PM2.5, NO2 and summer O3 were: 21.1±13.6, 15.1±10.9, 14.7±9.1 and 80.3±17.3 µg/m3, for the temperature the average value was 13.9±7.2 °C. Data were analyzed for a total of 1,769,660 deaths from non-accidental causes as well as 74,392 incident cases of acute coronary event and 45,513 of stroke. Epidemiological investigations showed a high prevalence of symptoms/diagnoses of rhinitis (range: 14.2-40.5%), COPD (range: 4.7-19.3%) and asthma (range: 3.2-13.2%). The availability of these large datasets has made it possible to implement advanced statistical models for estimating the health effects of short- and long-term exposures to pollutants. The details are reported in the BIGEPI papers already published in other international journals and in those published in this volume of E&P. BIGEPI has confirmed the great potential of using big data in studies of the health effects of environmental and occupational factors, stimulating new directions of scientific research and confirming the need for preventive action on air quality and climate change for the health of the general population and the workers.

Occurrence and congener profiles of dioxins (PCDDs), furans (PCDFs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in ovine and caprine milk samples collected in a very polluted site in Central Italy

Concentrations of 7 polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), 10 polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and 18 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), including 12 dioxin-like (DL-PCBs) and 6 non-dioxin-like PCBs (NDL-PCBs) were measured in 16 ovine and caprine milk samples collected in the territory of Bussi sul Tirino, central Italy, a Site of National Interest (SNI) due to its high and widespread environmental pollution. All the analyzed samples were compliant with the maximum levels fixed by Commission Regulation (EU) 1259/2011 for the content of PCDD/Fs and the sum of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs. In two cases, contamination levels of the sum of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs were higher than the action levels fixed by EU Recommendation 663/2014. The statistical analysis, performed by Principal Component Analysis (PCA), revealed that the differences in contamination profiles of the different milk samples were independent of the distance of the farms from the Bussi illegal landfill but likely related to local emission sources influencing the exposure to POPs of studied animals.

An occupational health risk index: definition, description and mapping at municipality level.

to develop an occupational health risk index that can help to introduce the occupational risk component into epidemiological studies and assess the level of occupational risk in Italian municipalities useful for supporting prevention measures. defi nition of a municipal index as a combination of occupational and territorial indicators derived from national registers of occupational data and environmental archives. the index composition is based on data on work injuries, occupational diseases and workers exposed to carcinogens in the years 2015-2019 available at the municipal level, as well as data on municipalities hosting sites of national interest for environmental remediation (SIN) and those in which big industrial facilities (GIE), registered as pollutant emitters, are located. standardized rates of occupational injuries and occupational diseases occurred in Italian municipalities were calculated from data collected by the Italian National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (Inail) in relation to the working-age population (15-69 and 15+ for injuries and occupational diseases, respectively), estimated by the Italian National Statistical Institute (Istat) in 2018. In addition, data from the National Information System on Occupational Exposure to carcinogens (SIREP) were included, from which raw rates were calculated at municipal level. Finally, two other indicators were included, describing the presence/absence of a SIN and the number of GIEs industrial facilities in each municipality. The index of occupational health risk (INDORS) is calculated by summing standardised values of the above fi ve indicators as a continuous variable and it was also classifi ed by quintiles of population as a categorical variable. The association between cause-specific mortality and INDORS levels was evaluated using data on mortality occurring in 2015. during the observation period 2,011,457, 131,353 and 140,183 events were recorded for injuries, occupational diseases and workers exposed to carcinogens, mainly among male workers. A municipal map of INDORS levels (1-5) shows a strong South-North gradient, in line with the Italian industrial geographical context. The contributions of the SIN and GIE indicators are higher in the hot spot municipalities located in the Southern regions and islands. Among the municipalities analysed 1,099 were classifi ed in the lowest risk level, 1,331 in the low-medium level, 1,619 in the medium level, 2,621 in the medium-high level and 1,284 in the highest risk level. The index shows a direct correlation with accidental mortality and an inverse correlation with all-cause and malignant neoplasm mortality. the proposed index can be useful to introduce the occupational risk dimension in ecological studies and results as a flexible tool to rank Italian municipalities in terms of occupational risk.

Mulching in lowland hay meadows drives an adaptive convergence of above- and below-ground traits reducing plasticity and improving biomass: A possible tool for enhancing phytoremediation.

We aimed to understand the effect of mulching (i.e., cutting and leaving the crushed biomass to decompose in situ) on above- and below-ground plant functional traits and whether this practice may be a potential tool for enhancing the phytoremediation of lowland hay meadows. To this aim, we evaluated at the community level seven years of mulching application in a PCBs and HMs soil-polluted Site of National Interest (SIN Brescia-Caffaro) through the analysis of the floristic composition and the above- and below-ground plant traits. We found that the abandonment of agricultural activities led to a marked increase in the soil organic carbon and pH, and the over-imposed mulching additionally induced a slight increase in soil nutrients. Mulching favored the establishment of a productive plant community characterized by a more conservative-resource strategy, a higher biomass development, and lower plasticity through an adaptative convergence between above- and below-ground organs. In particular, the analysis of the root depth distribution highlighted the key role of roots living in the upper soil layer (10cm). Mulching did not show a significant effect on plant species known to be effective in terms of PCB phytoremediation. However, the mulching application appears to be a promising tool for enhancing the root web that functions as the backbone for the proliferation of microbes devoted to organic contaminants' degradation and selects a two-fold number of plant species known to be metal-tolerant. However, besides these potential positive effects of the mulching application, favoring species with a higher biomass development, in the long term, may lead to a biodiversity reduction and thus to potential consequences also on the diversity of native species important for the phytoremediation.

Modeling groundwater/surface-water interactions and their effects on hydraulic barriers, the case of the industrial area of Mantua (Italy)

The town of Mantua is a good example of an urban area with an intricate surface water system leading to complex groundwater/surface-water interactions. In this context, the Site of National Interest (SIN) “Laghi di Mantova e Polo Chimico”, is characterized by intense pumping activity by means of industrial wells and hydraulic barriers. In order to establish the interactions between groundwater and the surface water system, evaluating their relation with the pumping activities, a transient groundwater numerical model was developed (January 2016 - December 2018) using MODFLOW-2005 and the Streamflow-Routing (SFR2) package, following a participatory approach. Results show how, depending on the minimum/ maximum groundwater conditions and the discharge values of the surface channels, the relation between groundwater/surface-waters can vary during the year, also affecting the operation of the hydraulic barriers. The stakeholders could use the calibrated model in the future to ensure optimal management of the pumping activities within the SIN.

Geo-Environmental Characterisation of High Contaminated Coastal Sites: The Analysis of Past Experiences in Taranto (Southern Italy) as a Key for Defining Operational Guidelines

Despite its remarkable geomorphological, ecological, and touristic value, the coastal sector of the Apulia region (Southern Italy) hosts three of the main contaminated Italian sites (Sites of National Interest, or SINs), for which urgent environmental remediation and reclamation actions are required. These sites are affected by intense coastal modification and diffuse environmental pollution due to the strong industrialisation and urbanisation processes that have been taking place since the second half of the XIX century. The Apulian coastal SINs, established by the National Law 426/1998 and delimited by the Ministerial Decree of 10 January 2000, include large coastal sectors and marine areas, which have been deeply investigated by the National Institution for the Environmental Research and Protection (ISPRA) and the Regional Agency for the Prevention and Protection of the Environment (ARPA) with the aim of obtaining a deep environmental characterisation of the marine matrices (sediments, water, and biota). More recently, high-resolution and multidisciplinary investigations focused on the geo-environmental characterisation of the coastal basins in the SIN Taranto site have been funded by the “Special Commissioner for the urgent measures of reclamation, environmental improvements, and redevelopment of Taranto”. In this review, we propose an overview of the investigations carried out in the Apulian SINs for the environmental characterisation of the marine matrices, with special reference to the sea bottom and sediments. Based on the experience gained in the previous characterisation activities, further research is aimed at defying a specific protocol of analysis for supporting the identification of priority actions for an effective and efficient geo-morphodynamic and environmental characterisation of the contaminated coastal areas, with special reference to geomorphological, sedimentological, and geo-dynamic features for which innovative and high-resolution investigations are required.

Feasibility of the Sabellarid Reef Habitat Restoration

Polychaetes of the genus Sabellaria (Annelida, Sabellariidae) are gregarious bioconstructors that build reefs by assembling rigid tubes with sand grains in shallow waters. Sabellarid bioconstructions provide important ecosystem services such as sediment stabilization, water filtration and the mitigation of coastal erosion as well as nursery areas, shelter and feeding grounds for several marine species. Moreover, sabellarid reefs are exposed to both natural and anthropogenic disturbance and are therefore listed by international directives among the marine habitats deserving protection. We conducted a pilot study to assess the feasibility of habitat restoration with the sabellarid reef through a novel transplantation method. Fragments of S. spinulosa reef were collected at 1 m depth, fixed using epoxy putty into terracotta vases and then attached on the landward side of the two breakwaters in a coastal marine area enclosed in a Site of National Interest (SNI) of the central-western Adriatic (Mediterranean Sea). Overall, 14 of the 24 transplanted fragments (54.2%) survived during the study period (17 months). The total area of the transplanted reef fragments reduced during the early phase, appearing stable toward the end of the experiment. The transplantation method resulted effective given the survival rate observed, however, we did not observe the expected increase in the reef surface. Small-scale variation in environmental conditions such as organic load, sediment granulometry and hydrodynamics might have affected the growth capacity of the transplanted reef fragments. Further studies considering the microscale environmental requirements of this species are needed to better understand the feasibility of sabellarid reef restoration and its large-scale implementation.

The Paradox of an Unpolluted Coastal Site Facing a Chronically Contaminated Industrial Area

Present and past industrial activities in coastal areas have left us a legacy of contamination and habitat degradation with potential implications for human health. Here, we investigated a coastal marine area enclosed in a Site of National Interest (SNI) of the central-western Adriatic (Mediterranean Sea), where priority actions of environmental remediation are required by governmental laws due the high environmental and human risk, and that is off-limits to any human activity since 2002. In particular, our investigation was focused on an area located in front of a chemical industry dismissed more than 3 decades ago. We report that the concentrations of heavy-metal and organic contaminants in the investigated sediments were generally lower than those expected to induce detrimental biological effects. Meiofaunal abundance, biomass and community structure changed among stations, but regardless of the distance from the abandoned industrial plant. Taxa richness within the SNI did not change significantly compared to the controls and the lack of some taxa in the SNI transects was not due to the contamination of the SNI area. The results of this study suggest a natural recovery of the marine area over 2 decades of restrictions on human activities, including fishing and shipping bans. If the hypothesis of the natural recovery of this SNI will be further confirmed by other studies, the plans for the identification and monitoring of the most polluted areas in Italy should necessarily be redefined also in the light of the Water Framework, the Marine Strategy Framework and the Environmental Quality Standard Directives.

Levels of Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-Dioxins/Furans and Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Free-Range Hen Eggs in Central Italy and Estimated Human Dietary Exposure

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the contamination levels of some classes of persistent organic pollutants in free-range hen eggs and to estimate the related human dietary exposure in a site of national interest, characterized by a serious state of environmental pollution in the Bussi sul Tirino area in central Italy. For these purposes, 17 samples of free-range hen eggs collected in home-producing farms located in the site of national interest territory were analyzed for 17 polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), 12 dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs), and 6 non-dioxin-like PCBs (ndl-PCBs). Dietary exposure was assessed assuming a standard consumption of eggs per week. The concentration of ∑PCDD/Fs plus dl-PCBs ranged from 0.463 to 8.028 pg toxic equivalent g-1 fat, whereas the mean contamination level of the ∑ndl-PCBs ranged from 0.234 to 7.741 ng toxic equivalent g-1 fat. PCDD/Fs and PCBs contamination levels were lower than maximum values established by the Commission Regulation (European Union) 1259/2011, except for one sample. The estimated weekly intake, calculated to evaluate the contribution in terms of the monitored pollutants of the locally produced eggs to the diet, was lower than the tolerable weekly intake established by the European Food Safety Authority.

CO2 footprint analysis of consolidated and innovative technologies in remediation activities

Effective remediation of contaminated soil requires selecting appropriate technology and adequate strategies. However, activities aimed at the remediation of contaminated sites or the treatment of effluents also have an environmental impact, since they make significant use of chemical products or processes.In the present work, the potential application of different remediation approaches to a real problem of heavy metal contamination was studied by examining the consequences of their environmental impact through a Life Cycle Assessment (CO2 footprint analysis) procedure, with the aim of identifying the least impacting option from an environmental point of view. Phytoremediation (with various options for the disposal of the biomass generated) and the electrokinetic approach (powered by renewable and non-renewable sources) were compared with soil washing (off-site, or ex-situ on-site) and excavation and landfill disposal (commercial or municipal waste). In all cases, the environmental impacts were reported in terms of global warming potential over a period of 100 years and normalized to the cubic meter of soil to be remediated. The analyses considered each process in its entireness (from cradle to grave) and an application on the whole area of the site to be reclaimed (an area of about 700 m2 located in an abandoned industrial district in Tuscany, Italy, and considered a “site of national interest”).The results obtained for each technology were then compared, highlighting those phases, activities and materials that present the greatest impacts for each approach (both in relative and absolute terms) and thus revealing aspects that would otherwise have been difficult to notice, such as the weight of chelating agents in phytoremediation or the use of energy from renewable sources for the electrokinetic approach. The resulting increase in knowledge on the technologies considered opens the way for further “eco-compatible” changes and improvements.