1,721,801 research outputs found
Mercury transport in stream sediments from a former mining area to the sea: the case of the Fiora River basin, Southern Tuscany, Italy
No full textMercury (Hg) is a top-priority contaminant at a global scale due to its high toxicity, mobility, and persistence
in the environment. It was observed that remobilization of Hg polluted soils and sediments represents the
main source of Hg release in mining areas. The Monte Amiata Mining District (MAMD, Southern Tuscany)
represented the 3rd largest Hg producer worldwide (Nannoni et al., 2022). Previous works studied Hg dispersion
into fluvial ecosystem from the MAMD through the Paglia River catchment (SE sector of the MAMD) and to
the Mediterranean Sea, proving that this mining area is a persistent source of pollution and that the Paglia River
has a low resilience to Hg pollution (Rimondi et al., 2019; Fornasaro et al., 2022a, Fornasaro et al., 2022b). The
contribution of the Fiora River basin (S sector of the MAMD) to the dispersion of Hg-polluted sediments and
its temporal variability is presented here. The Fiora River originates on the S flank of Mount Amiata and flows
for 80 km towards the Mediterranean Sea. Fifty-one stream sediment samples were collected in 2022: a) 15
samples were taken along the main course of the Fiora River, b) 27 on the secondary creeks draining abandoned
mining areas, and c) 9 samples along the Fiora River tributaries that do not drain the mining areas. The total
Hg content (Hgt) of the samples were compared with the data obtained in 1985 by the RIMIN company (E.N.I.
Group) in the Tuscan section of the river catchment. The 2022 sampling also included the downstream part of
the Fiora River down to the outlet in the Latium region. Hgt varied between 0.4 and 3300 mg/kg, with mean
and median values of 111.1 and 3.7 mg/kg, respectively. The RIMIN data in the same sites showed a wider
range of Hgt (0.5-6450 mg/kg), a higher mean value (592 mg/kg) and a median (3.8 mg/kg) similar to that of
the 2022 sampling campaign. Both samplings showed that Hgt frequently exceeded the Italian law limit for
residential, public green and agricultural soil (1 mg/kg) and the highest Hgt values were found in the NE part
of the catchment, i.e., along the tributaries that drain the Abetina-Solforate (AS) mining site (up to 3300 mg/kg
in 2022). Between 1985 and 2022, Hgt decreased in the AS area and along the secondary tributaries that drain
the other former mines. The samples collected in the non-mining areas showed Hgt ranging from 0.4 to 3.5 mg/
kg. Sediments along the main course of the Fiora River showed Hgt above 1 mg/kg, with most of the highest
values (30-39 mg/kg) in the downstream segment, close to the outflow in the Mediterranean Sea.
This study demonstrates that a) the Fiora River gives a significant contribution to the transport of Hg
towards the sea, and b) this river catchment has a low resilience to Hg pollution, similarly to the Paglia River,
since the contamination did not decrease significantly in the last 40 years.
Fornasaro S., Morelli G., Rimondi V., Fagotti C., Friani R., Lattanzi P. & Costagliola P. (2022a) - Mercury distribution
around the Siele Hg mine (Mt. Amiata district, Italy) twenty years after reclamation: Spatial and temporal variability
in soil, stream sediments, and air. J. Geochem. Explor., 232, 106886.
Fornasaro S., Morelli G., Rimondi V., Fagotti C., Friani R., Lattanzi P. & Costagliola P. (2022b) - The extensive mercury
contamination in soil and legacy sediments of the Paglia River basin (Tuscany, Italy): interplay between Hg-mining
waste discharge along rivers, 1960s economic boom, and ongoing climate change. J. Soils Sediments, 22(2), 656-671.
Nannoni A., Meloni F., Benvenuti M., Cabassi J., Ciani F., Costagliola P., Fornasaro S., Lattanzi P., Lazzaroni M., Nisi B.,
Morelli G., Rimondi V. & Vaselli O. (2022) - Environmental impact of past Hg mining activities in the Monte Amiata
district, Italy: A summary of recent studies. AIMS Geosci., 8(4), 525-551.
Rimondi V., Costagliola P., Lattanzi P., Morelli G., Cara G., Cencetti C., Fagotti C., Fredduzzi A., Marchetti G., Sconocchia
A. & Torricelli S. (2019) - A 200 km-long mercury contamination of the Paglia and Tiber floodplain: Monitoring
results and implications for environmental management. Environ. Pollut., 255, 113191
Mapping a complex hydrocarbon contamination using geoelectric and electromagnetic methods
No full textGreen Energy and Green Culture. Managing the Italian Situation
No full textEuropean policy for renewable energy and waste reduction is a priority.At country-level there is the necessity to support and implement the diffusion of a green culture: sustainability requires economic, environmental and also social care. Institutions are the infrastructures able to manage eco culture and to preserve a stable environmental condition for a well-being vision.
The aim of this work is to offer an overview of the level of renewable energy in Italy. This country has several natural sources which are not fully utilized yet and this lack shows a managerial gap and some limits in the diffusion of a sustainable culture
La città si reinventa: strumenti, politiche e soluzioni per un futuro sostenibile
No full textIl saggio affronta la sostenibilità della ripresa dell'economia italiana partendo dalla riqualificazione in sicurezza dei territori e delle aree urbane. Sottolineando quanto il recente processo di urbanizzazione sia sfuggito sempre più nel corso degli ultimi decenni ad ogni sistema di controllo politico e sociale, ampliando il divario dell’ineguale distribuzione territoriale della popolazione e delle attività economiche, il saggio sottolinea che è evidente quanto l’urbanizzazione, in verità, non sia più quanto è stata per secoli, ovvero uno dei principali motori di sviluppo e di riduzione della povertà. La domanda di ricerca è cosa abbia inceppato la capacità motrice del processo di urbanizzazione che ha “funzionato” per tanti secoli dalla rivoluzione industriale in poi. Vengono fornite alcune chiavi di lettura del fenomeno “città”, delle sue luci ed ombre, utili a contribuire al dibattito sui numerosi problemi di policy economico-sociale che questo tema solleva
Climate Change and Sports: A Multidimensional Relationship. Challenges, Adaptation, and Sustainability
No full textClimate change is a global crisis that affects virtually all aspects of life. In recent years, it has become increasingly evident that the world of sports is not immune to its impacts. The consequences of climate change for sports are not yet clear, and the effects of the environment on sports are still poorly investigated. Rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and changing playing conditions are posing challenges for athletes, spectators, and organizers alike. Sport influences both culture and society, as well as the economy of individual countries through demonstrations and events (Olympics). This paper investigates into the multifaceted relationship between climate change and sports. It explores the various challenges and disruptions that climate change presents to the sports industry and how athletes, organizations, and fans are being forced to adapt. It goes into the intersection of climate change and sports, highlighting how it affects various aspects of the sporting world, from event scheduling and infrastructure design to athletes' health and performance. Moreover, it emphasizes the need for sustainable practices and adaptation strategies within the sports industry to mitigate the effects of climate change and promote climate-resilient sporting events
Suspended load and mercury pollution: towards a simple method to measure Hg flux from the Monte Amiata Mining District (Southern Tuscany, Italy)
No full textMining activities produce huge amounts of waste material heavily polluted by toxic elements. Over
time, these wastes can pollute fluvial ecosystems due to runoff. Moreover, mining can significantly alter
river morphology by modifying sediments supply, erosion, transport, and (re-) deposition. The interplay
between geomorphic processes (e.g., flooding events) and anthropic activities plays an important role in the
contaminants redistribution across the environment, even at long range. Mercury (Hg) is listed as a critical
contaminant due to its high toxicity, mobility, and persistence in the environment. Its use is progressively
banned, and Hg mining is limited to a few countries. However, legacy mine wastes are still releasing Hg into
the environment, particularly to fluvial ecosystems. The Monte Amiata Mining District (MAMD, Southern
Tuscany) was the 3rd largest Hg producer worldwide. The Paglia River (PR) drains the SE sector of the MAMD
and its catchment covers an area of 1320 km2. The widespread Hg pollution of this river basin and its low
resilience to contamination was demonstrated in previous studies. Disastrous flooding events remobilized and
redistributed massive amounts of polluted sediments across the catchment (Colica et al., 2019). The Hg flux
discharged by PR to the Tiber River, and ultimately to the Mediterranean Sea, was estimated around 11kg/y
(Rimondi et al., 2019; Fornasaro et al., 2022a; Fornasaro et al., 2022b). However, this estimate is based on
spot samplings throughout the year. In this study, the relationship between Hg transported by particulate (Hgp)
and total suspended solids (TSS) for PR was investigated to set up a method for the calculation of Hg fluxes
from TSS monitoring. Water samples were collected during low and high river discharge. Samples were taken
along the PR, upstream and downstream of the Elvella creek confluence (ECC), a tributary that is not polluted
by Hg, in order to evaluate its effects on the Hg budget. The samples were filtered and the TSS collected on
the filters were analyzed for Hg. TSS ranged between 1.3 and 621.4 mg/L, whereas Hg varied between 0.8
and 321.8 ng/L. The highest Hg and TSS values were measured during the recession phase of flooding events,
whereas the lowest ones were found during low flow conditions. A linear relationship was found between Hg
and TSS. Hg was higher in the upstream samples than in those collected downstream the ECC, confirming
that Hg source is the heavily polluted PR basin. The relationship between the two parameters could be applied
to the indirect, continuous measurement of Hg fluxes discharged by PR with an automated TSS/turbidity
sensor. Such monitoring would allow assessing the variability of Hg pollution across the PR basin in real time
especially in case of flooding, that are expected to become more frequent due to climate change, leading to an
increase of Hg delivery to the Tiber River and ultimately to the Mediterranean Sea.
Colica A., Benvenuti M., Chiarantini L., Costagliola P., Lattanzi P., Rimondi V. & Rinaldi M. (2019) - From point source
to diffuse source of contaminants: The example of mercury dispersion in the Paglia River (Central Italy). Catena, 172,
488-500.
Fornasaro S., Morelli G., Costagliola P., Rimondi V., Lattanzi P. & Fagotti C. (2022a) - Total Mercury Mass Load from
the Paglia–Tiber River System: The Contribution to Mediterranean Sea Hg Budget. Toxics, 10(7), 395.
Fornasaro S., Morelli G., Rimondi V., Fagotti C., Friani R., Lattanzi P. & Costagliola P. (2022b) - The extensive mercury
contamination in soil and legacy sediments of the Paglia River basin (Tuscany, Italy): interplay between Hg-mining
waste discharge along rivers, 1960s economic boom, and ongoing climate change. J. Soils Sediments, 22(2), 656-671.
Rimondi V., Costagliola P., Lattanzi P., Morelli G., Cara G., Cencetti C., Fagotti C., Fredduzzi A., Marchetti G., Sconocchia
A. & Torricelli S. (2019) - A 200 km-long mercury contamination of the Paglia and Tiber floodplain: Monitoring
results and implications for environmental management. Environ. Pollut., 255, 113191
AAA/TAC Acoustical Arts and Artifacts/Technology Aesthetics Communication. An International Review.
No full textResponsible investments reduce market risks
No full textResponsible investments are considered one of the driving factors of revenues growth enhancing risk-adjusted returns. This paper investigates the effects of responsible investments on the volatility of European stock returns. First, we exploit an expectation–maximization (E–M) algorithm to cluster the companies into two groups according to the Environmental score (E), used as a proxy for responsible investments. Second, we build one global minimum variance (GMV) portfolio within each group and estimate its volatility using ARCH-type models. Finally, we forecast well-known risk measures such as the value-at-risk (VaR) and the expected tail loss (ETL) to assess market risks for investing green. Responsible portfolios composed of stocks with high E score outperform their Low E counterparts and are shown to be safer choices to mitigate risks, especially during periods of market distress. The results are remarkable for many sectors
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