102,268 research outputs found
EU.Water, Transnational integrated management of water resources in agriculture for the EUropean WATER emergency control
No full textEU.WATER is one of the several projects that have been approved under the framework and by the financial support of the South East Europe Transnational cooperation programme, an instrument of the "Regional Policy’s Territorial Cooperation Objective", which aims to improve integration and competitiveness in an area which is as complex as diverse. It is just for this heterogeneity that the original intent of improving the territorial integration by producing concrete answers to the problem of water consumption and contamination in agriculture, encountered the need to develop new operative tools. Therefore, since the beginning, the Project’s Partners have agreed of changing the roadmap of the project, dedicating resources also to research. Some of these already published outcomes are reported below.
Mastrocicco M., N. Colombani, E. Salemi, G. Castaldelli (2011) Reactive modelling of denitrification in soils with natural and depleted organic matter. Water Air and Soil Pollution, 222 (1-4): 205-215.
Colombani N., E. Salemi, M. Mastrocicco, G. Castaldelli, 2011. Groundwater nitrogen speciation in intensively cultivated lowland areas. In: Advances in the Research of Aquatic Environment, Lambrakis N., Stournaras G. and Katsanou K. Eds., Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 291-298 pp. Isbn: 978-3-642-24076-8.
Aschonitis V. G., M. Mastrocicco, N. Colombani, E. Salemi, N. Kazakis, K. Voudouris, G. Castaldelli (2012) Assessment of the intrinsic vulnerability of agricultural land to water and nitrogen losses via deterministic approach and regression analysis. Water Air and Soil Pollution, 223(4): 1605-1614.
Castaldelli G., Colombani N., Vincenzi F., Mastrocicco M. 2012. Linking dissolved organic carbon, acetate and denitrification in agricultural soils. Environmental Earth Sciences, 1-7. Article in Press.
Mastrocicco M., N. Colombani, E. Salemi, F. Vincenzi, G., Castaldelli. 2012. The role of the unsaturated zone in determining nitrate leaching to groundwater. In: “Groundwater Quality Sustainability”, IAH Book Series (IAH Selected Papers), edited by A. Zuber, P. Maloszewski, S. Witczak and G. Malina - Taylor & Francis Books (UK), in press.
Mastrocicco M., Colombani N., Castaldelli G. 2013. A Stepwise Approach to Assess the Fate of Nitrogen Species in Agricultural Lowlands. In Water Treatment And Pollution Prevention: Advances In Research, Chapter 15, edited by S. K. Sharma and R. Sanghi, Springer Science Dordrecht, in press
Community metabolism and buffering capacity of nitrogen in a Ruppia cirrhosa meadow.
No full textFluxes of oxygen, inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and denitrification (isotope pairing) were measured from January 1997 to February 1998 via intact cores incubation in a shallow brackish area within the eutrophic Valli di Comacchio (northern Adriatic coast, Italy). Rates were measured in the light and in the dark in sediments colonized by the rooted macrophyte Ruppia cirrhosa and in adjacent sediments with benthic microalgae. Ruppia biomass (25-414 g DW m- 2) exhibited a seasonal evolution whilst that of microphytobenthos (12-66 mg chl a m- 2) was more erratic. Net (NP) and gross (GP) primary productivity was 1.15 and 6.89 mol C m- 2y- 1 for bare and 25.4 and 51.7 mol C m- 2y- 1 for Ruppia vegetated sediments. Nitrogen pools in Ruppia standing stock varied from 43.6 to 631.4 (annual average 201.2) mmol N m- 2; the macrophyte N content was correlated with DIN concentration in the water column. Estimated N pool in microphytobenthos was one order of magnitude lower (from 2.4 to 14.5 mmol N m- 2, annual average 7.2). Theoretical DIN assimilation calculated from NP was 127.8 and 1112.6 mmol N m- 2y- 1 whilst that calculated from GP was 765 and 2282 mmol N m- 2y- 1 for microphytobenthos and Ruppia respectively. Measured annual fluxes of DIN were 974.6 and - 577 mmol N m- 2y- 1 in bare and Ruppia vegetated sediments meaning that the two sites were a source and sink for DIN and that from 25 to 50% of Ruppia annual DIN requirements came from the water column. During the period of this study total denitrification was lower in the macrophyte colonized (92.3 mmol N m- 2y- 1) compared to bare sediments (163.3 mmol N m- 2y- 1) as a probable consequence of higher competition between denitrifiers and phanerogams. At both sites the ratio between denitrification of water column nitrate (DW) and denitrification coupled to nitrification (DN) was >1.6 due to little oxygen penetration in reducing sediments (< 1.2 mm) and scarce nitrification activity. DW (0-35 μmol N m- 2h- 1) was significantly correlated with water column NO3- (2-16 μM). Theoretical DIN assimilation to denitrification ratio varied from 12.0 to 24.8 for Ruppia vegetated and from 0.8 to 4.7 for unvegetated sediments. At Valle Smarlacca, Ruppia may influence nitrogen cycling by incorporating large DIN pools in biomass which is scattered in surrounding areas and fuels intense bacterial activity. With increasing anthropogenic nutrient input and insignificant organic matter export in the open sea the already severe eutrophic conditions are enhanced and may accelerate the decline of the macrophyte meado
Large tank experiment on nitrate fate and transport: the role of permeability distribution
No full textA long-term elution experiment to study the saturated transport of pre-accumulated fertilizers by-products, was conducted within a large tank (4 x 8 x 1.4 m) equipped with 26 standard piezometers. Sandy sediments (35 m(3)), used to fill the tank, were excavated from an unconfined alluvial aquifer near Ferrara (Northern Italy); the field site was connected to a pit lake located in a former agricultural field. To evaluate spatial heterogeneity, the tank's filling material was characterized via slug tests and grain-size distribution analysis. The investigated sediments were characterized by a large spectrum of textures and a heterogeneous hydraulic conductivity (k) field. Initial tank pore water composition exhibited high concentration of nitrate (NO(3) (-)) sulfate (SO(4) (2-)) calcium (Ca(2+)), and magnesium (Mg(2+)), due to fertilizer leaching from the top soil in the field site. The initial spatial distribution of NO(3) (-) and SO(4) (2-) was heterogeneous and not related to the finer grain-size content (< 63 mu m). The tank's material was flushed with purified tap water for 800 days in steady-state conditions; out flowing water was regularly sampled to monitor the migration rate of fertilizer by-products. Complete removal of NO(3) (-) and SO(4) (2-) took 500 and 600 days, respectively. Results emphasized organic substrate availability and spatial heterogeneities as the most important constraints to denitrification and nitrogen removal, which increase the time required to achieve remediation targets. Finally, the obtained clean-up time was compared with a previous column experiment filled with the same sediments
The role of permeability distribution on nitrate fate and transport, in different scale experiments under saturated conditions
No full textA range of laboratory and field experiments has been performed to quantify NO 3 - clean up times in sandy loamy sediments representative of the Po Plain lowlands (northern Italy), an intensively cultivated area affected by serious nitrate pollution for decades. Column and tank experiments were performed to elucidate the relevant transport and redox processes affecting nitrogen dissolved species, in order to study the same processes in controlled 1-D and 3-D environments. In addition, a grid of piezometers were installed and monitored in a former agricultural field, to quantify the presence and degradation of nitrogen dissolved species in the shallow unconfined aquifer. NO 3 - was found to be persistent in column, tank and field experiments, due to limited availability of organic substrates needed for denitrification processes. The comparison between laboratory transport experiments and the field site monitoring highlighted the role of permeability distribution in defining clean up times, with silt and clay lenses that hamper groundwater flux and provide a continuous source of nitrogen via diffusion. This study confirms that laboratory experiments can give a good representation of the redox processes undergone by nitrogen species in saturated conditions, but despite of this, laboratory experiments should not only account for 1-D flow and transport processes, but also for 3-D flow field. Copyright © 2011 IAHS Press
How much are we paying for drinking water in (PET) bottles? A global assessment of the hidden costs and potential damage to the environment
No full textPlastic pollution is a global problem of unprecedented magnitude. In particular, marine plastic pollution is one of the biggest environmental problems, mainly due to single-use or disposable plastic waste, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles. With the aim of quantifying their post-use fate and types of environmental damage, we have carried out the first global calculation of total stocks and fluxes since 1950, as well as an estimate of the value of ecosystem services lost due to the mismanagement and abandonment of PET bottles in the environment.
The analysis was conducted by collecting and synthesizing published data on the production, use and end-of-life management of PET bottles. The results show that since the start of plastic production in 1950, about 80 % of all PET bottles produced and used have been mismanaged, littered or dumped. Of this, about 8 %, or about 19 Mt, has been lost to oceans and seas, resulting in global damage costs of about USD 8.6 billion, mainly due to the loss of ecosystem services. For a single PET bottle, this corresponds to a hidden cost estimated at around USD 0.02, which is around 100 % of the current average production price of a 500 ml PET bottle
PFAS levels in fish species in the Po River (Italy): New generation PFAS, fish ecological traits and parasitism in the foreground
No full text: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are resistant to breakdown and are now considered ubiquitous and concerning contaminants. Although scientific and legislative interest in these compounds has greatly increased in recent decades, our knowledge about their environmental fate and their effects on organisms is still incomplete, especially those of the new generation PFAS. In this study, we analysed the level of PFAS contamination in the fish fauna of the Po River, the most important waterway in Italy, to evaluate the influence of different factors (such as fish ecological traits and parasitism) on the accumulation of 17 PFAS. After solvent extraction and purification, hepatic or intestinal tissues from forty specimens of bleak, channel catfish, and barbel were analysed by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LOQ = 2.5 ng/g w.w.). The prevalent PFAS were perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), present in all samples at the highest concentration (reaching a maximum of 126.4 ng/g and 114.4 ng/g in bleak and channel catfish, respectively), and long-chain perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFDA and PFUnDA). Perfluorooctanoic acid and new generation PFAS (Gen X and C6O4) were not detected. Comparison of the hepatic contamination between the benthic channel catfish and the pelagic bleak showed similar concentrations of PFOS (p > 0.05) but significantly higher concentrations of other individual PFAS and of the sum of all measured PFAS (p < 0.05) in bleak. No correlation was found between the hepatic level of PFAS and fish size in channel catfish. For the first time, PFAS partitioning in a parasite-fish system was studied: intestinal acanthocephalans accumulated PFOS at lower levels than the intestinal tissue of their host (barbel), in contrast to what has been reported for other pollutants (e.g., metals). The infection state did not significantly alter the level of PFAS accumulation in fish, and acanthocephalans do not appear to be a good bioindicator of PFAS pollution
Direct measurement of dissolved dinitrogen to refine reactive modelling of denitrification in agricultural soils
No full textNitrogen fertilizers used in agriculture often cause nitrate leaching towards shallow groundwater, especially in lowland areas where soil permeability, ploughing, clay content, and the flat topography minimizes surface runoff. The introduction of good agricultural practices to reduce the nitrate amount entering the groundwater system is crucial to ameliorate the kinetic control on nitrate denitrification capacity. With this aim, a series of anaerobic mesocosms, consisting of loamy and clay soils and nitrate rich water, were modelled using acetate and natural organic matter as electron donors. Acetate was chosen because it is the main intermediate in many biodegradation pathways of organic compounds, and hence it is a suitable carbon source for denitrification. To account for the spatial variability of soil parameters, the experiments were performed in triplicates. The geochemical code PHREEQC(3) was used to simulate kinetic denitrification, and equilibrium reactions of gas and mineral phases. The reactive modelling results highlighted a rapid acetate and nitrate degradation rate, a rapid production of dissolved inorganic carbon and dinitrogen, and a steady concentration of dissolved iron and sulphate, suggesting that the main pathway of nitrate attenuation is through denitrification; concomitantly excluding the occurrence of other processes leading to nitrate consumption. In the absence of acetate, the loamy soil, poor of natural organic matter, did not allow to complete the denitrification process.This modelling study investigates in detail the relationship between the denitrification process in natural soils, with excess and in limitation of organic substrates, and the occurrence and fate of dissolved dinitrogen analysed with a high precision membrane inlet mass spectrometer. Results demonstrate that modelling nitrate degradation processes as a whole, using geochemical datasets and codes, will improve the estimates of agricultural landscapes denitrification and support better nitrogen management, especially in lowland environments. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
Multi-scale spatio-temporal patchiness of macrozoobenthos in the Sacca di Goro lagoon (Po River Delta, Italy)
No full textBenthic fluxes of oxygen, ammonium and nitrate and coupled-uncoupled denitrification rates within Communities of three different primary producer growth forms
No full textInorganic nitrogen and oxygen fluxes together with coupled-uncoupled denitrification were studied in sediments covered by different primary producers (benthic microalgae, the floating macroalga Ulva rigida, and the rooted phanerogam Ruppia cirrhosa). High DIN (Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen) assimilation rates were measured for all the primary producers and resulted in low denitrification rates, in particular at the Ulva and Ruppia colonised sites. The competition for NH 4 + and NO3 − between phototrophic organisms and nitrifiers-denitrifiers was particularly strong when DIN concentrations in the water column were low. Despite algal uptake denitrification rates were appreciable (>200 μmol N m−2h−1 in the site covered by benthic diatoms due to high availability of NO3 − in the water column and efficient coupling between nitrification and denitrification. In the sites with macrophytes losses of N due to coupled-uncoupled denitrification were negligible compared to assimilation rates. Most of the organic nitrogen pool in the Ulva biomass is probably recycled in the water column while a consistent part of the N stored in Ruppia may be buried in the sediment
Numerical assessment of effective evapotranspiration from maize plots to estimate groundwater recharge in lowlands
No full textTo maximize the irrigation efficiency and to protect groundwater from agrochemical pollution, two variables must be known with good accuracy: effective evapotranspiration and infiltration, especially in lowland areas were the run-off is minimal. Three different experimental plots cultivated with maize were equipped with tensiometers and soil moisture probes to monitor every day the water movement in the unsaturated zone. Other relevant parameters of the various soil layers, as hydraulic conductivity and water retention curve, were obtained in laboratory experiments, while boundary conditions, as precipitations, temperature and root growth, were obtained on site. Inverse modeling was performed using HYDRUS-1D to assess the degree of uncertainty on model parameters. Results showed a good model fit of water content and head pressure at various depths, in each site, using Penman-Monteith formula for daily potential evapotranspiration calculation, but poor fit applying the Hargreves and Turk formulas. Best performance of model fit was observed for S-shaped equation employed to simulate the root water-uptake reduction with respect to Feddes equation. The soil parameters uncertainty was limited and remained within analytical errors, thus a robust estimation of cumulative infiltration and evapotranspiration has been derived. This study points out that evapotranspiration is the most important variable in defining groundwater recharge for maize crops in lowlands. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
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