1,720,973 research outputs found
The use of lichen biomonitoring techniques for Environmental Justice assessment and the risk perception assessment in a typical European city (Milan, Italy)
Full text linkAim of this thesis is to investigate the application of lichen biomonitoring techniques in the study of environmental justice and risk perception of air pollution at urban scale. Lichen biomonitoring can, in fact, fill the void that several authors claim when talking about environmental justice assessment, i.e., the lack of high spatial resolution data of air quality, that is crucial when the goal is to match the socio-economic status with air quality. The area selected for the study is Milan municipality (N Italy) as an example of a typical European big city. In this area, a lichen biomonitoring survey was firstly carried out through transplants of lichen bags of the species Evernia prunastri, previously collected in a pristine area (Siena, C Italy). The exposure lasted three months during the winter period. To assess the biological effects of air pollution, analysis on the physiological status of the samples were conducted, in particular the photosynthetic efficiency of the photobiont, and damage to cell membranes and the antiradical activity of the mycobiont were measured. The bioaccumulation of trace elements Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Sb, Pb and Zn was quantified and an overall contamination index (CI) was elaborated on the basis of the bioaccumulated elements. The use of a geographic information system support (QGIS 3.8) allowed to visualize the distribution of the contamination over the area, elaborated through an IDW interpolation algorithm. A deeper insight on the contamination of the area was obtained through the analysis of source apportionment, i.e., the research of the main emission sources. A theoretical approach was followed through the statistical method of Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF). Through this method, the overall contamination was de-structured in “factors” that, based on trace elements correlation, provided different “contamination profiles”, ascribable to different emission sources. The spatial distribution of the profiles, combined with their elemental composition, suggested both the type of emission sources and their magnitude in the study area. An empirical approach for source apportionment was also followed: the grain size, shape and magnetic behaviour of bioaccumulated particles was studied and compared with those of known emission sources.
The results of the biomonitoring survey showed a general stress on the lichen physiology due to air pollution, but not so severe to compromise the general vitality of samples. Bioaccumulated elements were Cr, Cu, Fe, Sb and Pb and the Contamination Index showed generally high values over the whole area, even if central areas of the city were more polluted. Source apportionment analysis highlighted three main pollution profiles, ascribable to the industrial activity, brake abrasion from railways and cars, and soil resuspension. The magnetic behaviour of particles was in line with brake abrasion of vehicles, suggesting the vehicular traffic the most responsible of trace element contamination in Milan municipality.
For the assessment of environmental justice, the air contamination was matched with the socio-economic characteristics of the citizens. An index of socio-economic deprivation (SDI) was calculated on the basis of the socio economic information provided by the national statistics institute (ISTAT), at the smallest spatial unit available, the census unit. Results showed that peripheral areas experience less air pollution but more socio-economic deprivation, however, the census units closer to main emission sources were generally more deprived than average.
The last part of the study was dedicated to the evaluation of the risk perception of the citizens about air pollution. A questionnaire was elaborated and administrated randomly in the city of Milan to ca. 300 respondents. Main results showed a generally high attention for the air pollution issue in the city, as well as a high risk perception, regardless of gender, age or education level of the participants
Generative and Bioreceptive Design
Full text linkL’urgenza di soluzioni sostenibili sta spingendo molti settori, tra
cui la ricerca sul design, verso approcci innovativi transdisciplinari.
L’ultimo decennio è stato caratterizzato da una crescente interazione
tra design e discipline scientifiche, consolidata nell’approccio del
biodesign. Il contributo si concentra sullo studio e lo sviluppo prototipale di piastrelle biorecettive attraverso il computational design per
migliorare la propagazione di licheni e muschi per il loro utilizzo come
biosensori della qualità dell’ari
Assessing Environmental Justice at the Urban Scale: The Contribution of Lichen Biomonitoring for Overcoming the Dichotomy between Proximity-Based and Distribution-Based Approaches
Full text linkIn this study, we tested the use of lichen biomonitoring techniques for the assessment of air quality disparities at the urban scale. We based our evaluation on the results of a previous lichen biomonitoring study carried out in Milan (Northern Italy), which estimates the contamination by potentially toxic elements (PTEs) and its distribution over the area, also providing an evaluation of the main emission sources. Therefore, we used the traditional methodologies for environmental justice assessment: the proximity-based and the distribution-based approaches. The workflow we propose is a data-driven selection of emission sources that contributes to overcoming the dichotomy between the two approaches and is now widely debated in the scientific community. A socio-economic deprivation index was elaborated for each census unit of Milan city and then related to the proximity of the emission sources previously selected. The results suggested that in the surrounding of industries and railways, the deprivation is higher, while the proximity of main roads is inhabited by wealthier populations. The distribution-based approach was run through a quantile regression analysis, and the outcome indicated that among the wealthier groups, an increase in contamination is followed by an increase in socio-economic deprivation, whilst among the deprived groups, people with greater economic opportunities tend, however, to live in worse air quality conditions due to the proximity of communication routes. This study poses the potential to review the classical methods of EJ assessment, providing a reliable workflow applicable in urban areas—the most vulnerable in terms of air quality disparities in the present and in the future
Disentangling sources of trace element air pollution in complex urban areas by lichen biomonitoring. A case study in Milan (Italy)
Full text linkIn this study we investigated the bioaccumulation of selected trace elements in lichen samples transplanted for three months in Milan, Italy, with the aim of assessing the main environmental contaminants
and the overall pollution load, and of disentangling the main air pollution sources as well as of estimating fluxes of element deposition. The results highlighted Cu and Sb as important contaminants and
suggested a common origin for these two elements from railways and non-exhaust sources of vehicular
traffic such as brake abrasion. High or very high global air pollution emerged for all study sites. Source
apportionment outlined three main factors, that found reliable correlation with distance from major
roads and railways, an industrial plant, and soil resuspension. Ranges of estimated mean annual element
deposition rates in the study area were similar to those reported for other cities
Local Economic Conditions Affect Aedes albopictus Management
Full text link: Invasive mosquitoes are an emerging public health issue, as many species are competent vectors for pathogens. We assessed how multiple environmental and socio-economic factors affected the engagement of municipalities in Italy (n = 7679) in actions against Aedes albopictus, an invasive mosquito affecting human health and well-being, between 2000 and 2020. We collected information about mosquito control from official documents and municipal websites and modeled the role played by multiple environmental and socioeconomic factors characterizing each municipality through the random forest algorithm. Municipalities are more prone to manage A. albopictus if more urbanized, in lowlands and with long infestation periods. Moreover, these variables are more predictive of management in municipalities with a high median income and thus more economic resources. Only 25.5% of Italian municipalities approved regulations for managing A. albopictus, and very few of them were in Southern Italy, the most deprived area of the country. Our findings indicate that local economic conditions moderate the effect of other drivers of mosquito control and ultimately can lead to better management of A. albopictus. If the management of invasive mosquitoes, or other forms of global change, is subjected to local economic conditions, economic inequalities will jeopardize the success of large-scale policies, also raising issues of environmental and climate justice
May lichen biomonitoring of air pollution be used for environmental justice assessment? A case study from an area of N Italy with a municipal solid waste incinerator
No full textIn this work, we aimed to identify the contribution of a municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) to the air contamination of a complex urbanized area of N Italy using lichen transplants as biomonitors, and to compare the values of contamination with the data of socioeconomic deprivation of the population living in the area.
The method adopted allowed the identification of the elements of atmospheric origin that contaminate the study area. Although not distinguishable from the background, the contribution of the MSWI could be apportioned and mercury emerged as atmospheric tracer. Although not posing immediate risk, it is advisable to monitor in time the accumulation of Hg in biological systems.
Consistently with similar studies, in the surrounding of the MSWI, we observed also the highest socio-economic deprivation. Overall, we found a close correlation between socioeconomic deprivation and air pollution, clearly showing that the most disadvantaged population is clustered in the most polluted areas
Bioreceptive interfaces for biophilic urban resilience
No full textThe emerging field of Biodesign sees living organisms as embedded in the design process to create bio-generated materials and artefacts. To support the growth and maintenance of
these organisms, designers can adopt a Bioreceptive Design
(BD) approach, recently defined as a design approach occurring every time materials or artefacts are intentionally designed to be colonized by life forms. Through this approach,
the inert counterpart undergoes specific studies to reach
the best bioreceptive potential for the designated life form,
also considering the environment in which the artifact will be
placed. In urban environments, BD examples tackle vegetation to create greener spaces and provide phytoremediation
for better air quality and biodiversity in the built environment,
in the wider view of nature-based solutions and climatic transitions of cities.
This study addresses the possibility of developing bioreceptive interfaces for mosses and lichens to respond to biophilic and regenerative sustainability needs in urban contexts.
These organisms have contributed as pioneers, during the
evolution of life on our Planet, in the formation and regulation
of soil and atmosphere; moreover, they are currently used in
biomonitoring actions, also contributing to the environmental
awareness of the built environment. The paper proposes BD as
a design approach of mutual interest, aiming at responding to
the host needs and preferable environmental conditions, serving multiple species that act as co-authors of an open-ended
design, increasing urban biodiversity, and providing resilient, restorative, and regenerative environments.
In particular, we present some of the results of an interdisciplinary research through design, born from the collaboration
between design and biology, aiming both to bring sustainable
and innovative solutions for the Biodesign and architecture
sectors, but also to positively affect biological activities of biomonitoring and citizen awareness. From the design perspective, BD is applied for the selection of those material features
that match the needs of the selected organism (e.g., porosity,
color). Moreover, the use of Computational Design has played
a crucial role in designing and prototyping bioinspired, organic shapes and textures. From a biological perspective, the research compares different methodologies for the bio-colonization of artefacts to obtain the best results for the timing and
survival of the organisms. The prototypes were therefore exposed open-air with no protection or superficial treatments in
a highly colonized area (from mosses and lichens), favoring the
attachment of spores and propagules on the surfaces. On the
other hand, some prototypes were used to test the transplant
of the organisms as an alternative and faster possibility, also
suitable for interior design.
This study points out how BD can be applicable when designing for the living, making clear the designer’s possibilities
for adopting this approach: ranging from material design to biomimicry, designing for not-only-human users, considering the
host’s needs and preferable growth conditions, adopting a multispecies design approach while suggesting new relationships
among biotic and abiotic agents. The paper highlights how BD
can provide sustainable, low-maintenance, and regenerative
nature-based solutions to foster resilient urban environments
Lichen Biomonitoring of Airborne Microplastics in Milan (N Italy)
Full text linkThis study investigated the deposition of airborne microplastics (MPs) in the urban area of Milan across 12 sites and at a background control site (northern Italy) using 3-month transplants of the fruticose lichen species Evernia prunastri (exposed in triplicate). The primary objective was to evaluate the use of lichen transplants for the assessment of MP deposition; as such, the study sites spanned a gradient in vehicular traffic and population density across four concentric land-use zones (i.e., urban parks, centre, semi-periphery, and periphery). A total of 149 MP particles were detected in the exposed lichen samples; 94.6% were classified as fibres and 5.4% as fragments. The control site and urban parks experienced a similar number of MPs per gram of dry lichen (20–26 MP/g), while a higher number of MPs were detected in central and peripheral areas (44–56 MP/g), with a clear increasing gradient from the city centre towards the periphery. We estimated the MP deposition in Milan to be in the range of 43–119 MPs m2/d, indicating that people living in Milan are exposed to airborne MPs, with potential health effects. This study suggests that lichens are suitable biomonitors of airborne MPs under a relatively short exposure of three months in urban environments
Assessing the impact of vehicular particulate matter on cultural heritage by magnetic biomonitoring at Villa Farnesina in Rome, Italy
Full text linkMagnetic biomonitoring methodologies were applied at Villa Farnesina, Rome, a masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance, with loggias frescoed by renowned artists such as Raffaello Sanzio. Plant leaves were sampled in September and December 2020 and lichen transplants were exposed from October 2020 to early January 2021 at increasing distances from the main trafficked road, Lungotevere Farnesina, introducing an outdoor vs. indoor mixed sampling design aimed at assessing the impact of vehicular particulate matter (PM) on the Villa Loggias. The magnetic properties of leaves and lichens - inferred from magnetic susceptibility values, hysteresis loops and first order reversal curves - showed that the bioaccumulation of magnetite-like particles, associated with trace metals such as Cu, Ba and Sb, decreased exponentially with the distance from the road, and was mainly linked to metallic emission from vehicle brake abrasion. For the frescoed Halls, ca. 30 m from the road, the exposure to traffic-related emissions was very limited or negligible. Tree and shrub leaves of the Lungotevere and of the Villa's Gardens intercepted much traffic-derived PM, thus being able to protect the indoor cultural heritage and providing an essential conservation service. It is concluded that the joint use of magnetic and chemical analyses can profitably be used for evaluating the impact of particulate pollution on cultural heritage within complex metropolitan contexts as a preventive conservation measure
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