200 research outputs found
Overview of the geochemical modeling on CO2 capture & storage in Italian feasibility studies
CO2 Capture & Storage in saline aquifers is presently one
of the most promising technologies for reducing
anthropogenic emissions of CO2. In these sites the short-longterm
consequences of CO2 storage into a deep reservoir can be
predicted by numerical modelling of geochemical processes.
Unfortunately a common problem working with off-shore
closed wells, where only the well-log information are
available, is to obtain physico-chemical data (e.g.
petrophysical and mineralogical) needed to reliable numerical
simulations. Available site-specific data generally include only
basic physical parameters such as temperature, pressure, and
salinity of the formation waters.
In this study we present a methodological procedure that
allows to estimate and integrate lacking information to
geochemical modelling of deep reservoirs such as: i) bulk and
modal mineralogical composition, ii) porosity and
permeability of the rock obtained from heat flow
measurements and temperature, iii) chemical composition of
formation waters (at reservoir conditions) prior of CO2
injection starting from sampling of analogue outcropping rock
formations.
The data sets in this way reconstructed constitute the base
of geochemical simulations applied on some deep-seated
Italian carbonatic and sandy saline aquifers potentially suitable
for geological CO2 storage.
Numerical simulations of reactive transport has been
performed by using the reactive transport code
TOUGHREACT via pressure corrections to the default
thermodynamic database to obtain a more realistic modelling.
Preliminary results of geochemical trapping (solubility and
mineral trapping) potentiality and cap-rock stability as
strategic need for some feasibility studies near to be started in
Italy are here presented and discussed
Mineralogy and geochemical trapping of CO2 in an Italian carbonatic deep saline aquifer: preliminary results
CO2 Capture & Storage (CCS) is presently one of the most promising technologies
for reducing anthropogenic emissions of CO2 . Among the several potential geologi-
cal CO2 storage sites, e.g. depleted oil and gas field, unexploitable coal beds, saline
aquifers, the latter are estimated to have the highest potential capacity (350-1000 Gt
CO2 ) and, being relatively common worldwide, a higher probability to be located
close to major CO2 anthropogenic sources. In these sites CO2 can safely be retained
at depth for long times, as follows: a) physical trapping into geologic structures; b) hy-
drodynamic trapping where CO2(aq) slowly migrates in an aquifer, c) solubility trap-
ping after the dissolution of CO2(aq) and d) mineral trapping as secondary carbon-
ates precipitate. Despite the potential advantages of CO2 geo-sequestration, risks of
CO2 leakage from the reservoir have to be carefully evaluated by both monitoring
techniques and numerical modeling used in âCO2 analoguesâ, although seepage from
saline aquifers is unlikely to be occurring. The fate of CO2 once injected into a saline
aquifer can be predicted by means of numerical modelling procedures of geochemical
processes, these theoretical calculations being one of the few approaches for inves-
tigating the short-long-term consequences of CO2 storage. This study is focused on
some Italian deep-seated (>800 m) saline aquifers by assessing solubility and min-
eral trapping potentiality as strategic need for some feasibility studies that are about
to be started in Italy. Preliminary results obtained by numerical simulations of a geo-
chemical modeling applied to an off-shore Italian carbonatic saline aquifer potential
suitable to geological CO2 storage are here presented and discussed. Deep well data,
still covered by industrial confidentiality, show that the saline aquifer, includes six
Late Triassic-Early Jurassic carbonatic formations at the depth of 2500-3700 m b.s.l.
These formations, belonging to Tuscan Nappe, consist of porous limestones (mainly
calcite) and marly limestones sealed, on the top, by an effective and thick cap-rock
(around 2500 m) of clay flysch belonging to the Liguride Units. The evaluation of the
potential geochemical impact of CO2 storage and the quantification of water-gas-rock
reactions (solubility and mineral trapping) of injection reservoir have been performed
by the PRHEEQC (V2.11) Software Package via corrections to the code default ther-
modynamic database to obtain a more realistic modelling. The main modifications to
the Software Package are, as follows: i) addition of new solid phases, ii) variation
of the CO2 supercritical fugacity and solubility under reservoir conditions, iii) addi-
tion of kinetic rate equations of several minerals and iv) calculation of reaction sur-
face area. Available site-specific data include only basic physical parameters such as
temperature, pressure, and salinity of the formation waters. Rocks sampling of each
considered formation in the contiguous in-shore zones was carried out. Mineralogy
was determined by X-Ray diffraction analysis and Scanning Electronic Microscopy
on thin sections. As chemical composition of the aquifer pore water is unknown, this
has been inferred by batch modeling assuming thermodynamic equilibrium between
minerals and a NaCl equivalent brine at reservoir conditions (up to 135 ÌC and 251
atm). Kinetic modelling was carried out for isothermal conditions (135 ÌC), under a
CO2 injection constant pressure of 251 atm, between: a) bulk mineralogy of the six
formations constituting the aquifer, and b) pre-CO2 injection water. The kinetic evolu-
tion of the CO2 -rich brines interacting with the host-rock minerals performed over 100
years after injection suggests that solubility trapping is prevailing in this early stage
of CO2 injection. Further and detailed multidisciplinary studies on rock properties,
geochemical and micro seismic monitoring and 3D reservoir simulation are necessary
to better characterize the potential storage site and asses the CO2 storage capacity
Soil-gas survey of liquefaction and collapsed caves during the Emilia seismic sequence
Immediately after the 20th May 2012 Mw 5.9 main shock Emilia earthquake and during the seismic sequence of May-June, 2012, geochemical field investigations were carried out into the epicentral area. This paper provides preliminary soils measurements of CO2 and CH4 performed on widespread liquefactions and ground fractures, occurred after the main shock. Soil gas concentrations and flux measurements on some collapsed caves, already studied in 2008, were repeated again during the seismic sequence of 2012. Observations related to gap forming between buildings and sidewalk, damage of roads, tilting of electricity poles, sand eruption from a well and settlement of ground are also presented
Hospital discharges-based search of acute flaccid paralysis cases 2007-2016 in Italy and comparison with the National Surveillance System for monitoring the risk of polio reintroduction
Background: Acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance has been adopted globally as a key strategy for monitoring the progress of the polio eradication initiative. Hereby, to evaluate the completeness of the ascertainment of AFP cases in Italy, a hospital-discharges based search was carried out. Methods: AFP cases occurring between 2007 and 2016 among children under 15 years of age were searched in the Italian Hospital Discharge Records (HDR) database using specific ICD-9-CM diagnostic codes. AFP cases identified between 2015 and 2016 were then compared with those notified to the National Surveillance System (NSS). Results: Over a 10-year period, 4163 hospital discharges with diagnosis of AFP were reported in Italy. Among these, 956 (23.0%) were acute infective polyneuritis, 1803 (43.3%) myopathy, and 1408 (33.8%) encephalitis, myelitis and encephalomyelitis. During the study period, a decreasing trend was observed for all diagnoses and overall the annual incidence rate (IR) declined from 5.5 to 4.5 per 100,000 children. Comparing NSS with HDR data in 2015-2016, we found a remarkable underreporting, being AFP cases from NSS only 14% of those recorded in HDR. In particular, the acute infective polyneuritis cases reported to NSS accounted for 42.6% of those detected in HDR, while only 0.9% of myopathy cases and 13.1% of encephalitis/myelitis/encephalomyelitis cases have been notified to NSS. The highest AFP IRs per 100,000 children calculated on HDR data were identified in Liguria (17.4), Sicily (5.7), and Veneto (5.1) Regions; regarding the AFP notified to the NSS, 11 out of 21 Regions failed to reach the number of expected cases (based on 1/100,000 rate), and the highest discrepancies were observed in the Northern Regions. Overall, the national AFP rate was equal to 0.6, therefore did not reach the target value. Conclusions: AFP surveillance data are the final measure of a country's progress towards polio eradication. The historical data obtained by the HDR have been useful to assess the completeness of the notification data and to identify the Regions with a low AFP ascertainment rate in order to improve the national surveillance system
Hospital discharges-based search of acute flaccid paralysis cases 2007-2016 in Italy and comparison with the National Surveillance System for monitoring the risk of polio reintroduction
Background Acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance has been adopted globally as a key strategy for monitoring the progress of the polio eradication initiative. Hereby, to evaluate the completeness of the ascertainment of AFP cases in Italy, a hospital-discharges based search was carried out. Methods AFP cases occurring between 2007 and 2016 among children under 15 years of age were searched in the Italian Hospital Discharge Records (HDR) database using specific ICD-9-CM diagnostic codes. AFP cases identified between 2015 and 2016 were then compared with those notified to the National Surveillance System (NSS). Results Over a 10-year period, 4163 hospital discharges with diagnosis of AFP were reported in Italy. Among these, 956 (23.0%) were acute infective polyneuritis, 1803 (43.3%) myopathy, and 1408 (33.8%) encephalitis, myelitis and encephalomyelitis. During the study period, a decreasing trend was observed for all diagnoses and overall the annual incidence rate (IR) declined from 5.5 to 4.5 per 100,000 children. Comparing NSS with HDR data in 2015-2016, we found a remarkable underreporting, being AFP cases from NSS only 14% of those recorded in HDR. In particular, the acute infective polyneuritis cases reported to NSS accounted for 42.6% of those detected in HDR, while only 0.9% of myopathy cases and 13.1% of encephalitis/myelitis/encephalomyelitis cases have been notified to NSS. The highest AFP IRs per 100,000 children calculated on HDR data were identified in Liguria (17.4), Sicily (5.7), and Veneto (5.1) Regions; regarding the AFP notified to the NSS, 11 out of 21 Regions failed to reach the number of expected cases (based on 1/100,000 rate), and the highest discrepancies were observed in the Northern Regions. Overall, the national AFP rate was equal to 0.6, therefore did not reach the target value. Conclusions AFP surveillance data are the final measure of a country's progress towards polio eradication. The historical data obtained by the HDR have been useful to assess the completeness of the notification data and to identify the Regions with a low AFP ascertainment rate in order to improve the national surveillance system
Infants hospitalized for Bordetella pertussis infection commonly have respiratory viral coinfections
La campagna sismica del progetto âAlto Adriaticoâ. Rapporto delle attivitĂ 2010-2011
Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e VulcanologiaPublished1-401.1. TTC - Monitoraggio sismico del territorio nazionaleN/A or not JCRope
Hospital discharges-based search of acute flaccid paralysis cases 2007-2016 in Italy and comparison with the National Surveillance System for monitoring the risk of polio reintroduction
Background: Acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance has been adopted globally as a key strategy for monitoring the progress of the polio eradication initiative. Hereby, to evaluate the completeness of the ascertainment of AFP cases in Italy, a hospital-discharges based search was carried out. Methods: AFP cases occurring between 2007 and 2016 among children under 15 years of age were searched in the Italian Hospital Discharge Records (HDR) database using specific ICD-9-CM diagnostic codes. AFP cases identified between 2015 and 2016 were then compared with those notified to the National Surveillance System (NSS). Results: Over a 10-year period, 4163 hospital discharges with diagnosis of AFP were reported in Italy. Among these, 956 (23.0%) were acute infective polyneuritis, 1803 (43.3%) myopathy, and 1408 (33.8%) encephalitis, myelitis and encephalomyelitis. During the study period, a decreasing trend was observed for all diagnoses and overall the annual incidence rate (IR) declined from 5.5 to 4.5 per 100,000 children. Comparing NSS with HDR data in 2015-2016, we found a remarkable underreporting, being AFP cases from NSS only 14% of those recorded in HDR. In particular, the acute infective polyneuritis cases reported to NSS accounted for 42.6% of those detected in HDR, while only 0.9% of myopathy cases and 13.1% of encephalitis/myelitis/encephalomyelitis cases have been notified to NSS. The highest AFP IRs per 100,000 children calculated on HDR data were identified in Liguria (17.4), Sicily (5.7), and Veneto (5.1) Regions; regarding the AFP notified to the NSS, 11 out of 21 Regions failed to reach the number of expected cases (based on 1/100,000 rate), and the highest discrepancies were observed in the Northern Regions. Overall, the national AFP rate was equal to 0.6, therefore did not reach the target value. Conclusions: AFP surveillance data are the final measure of a country's progress towards polio eradication. The historical data obtained by the HDR have been useful to assess the completeness of the notification data and to identify the Regions with a low AFP ascertainment rate in order to improve the national surveillance system
Attitudes towards compulsory vaccination in Italy: Results from the NAVIDAD multicentre study
ABSTRACT: Background: Vaccine hesitancy is a considerable issue in European countries and leads to low coverage rates. After a long debate, Italy has made vaccination mandatory for admission to its schools. Methods: In the NAVIDAD study (a cross-sectional multicentre study), a 63-item questionnaire was administered to 1820 pregnant women from 15 Italian cities. The questionnaire assessed the interviewee's opinion on mandatory vaccines, as well as their socioeconomic status, sources of information about vaccines, confidence in the Italian National Healthcare Service (NHS), and intention to vaccinate their newborn. Results: Information sources play a key role in determining the opinion on restoration of mandatory vaccines; in particular, women who obtained information from anti-vaccination movements are less likely to accept the vaccines (OR: 0.35, 95% CI: 0.21\u20130.58, p < 0.001). Women who had confidence in healthcare professional information agreed more on mandatory vaccination than did the other women (OR: 2.66, 95% CI: 1.62\u20134.36, p < 0.001); those who perceived that healthcare professionals have economic interest in child immunization and who declared that healthcare providers inform only on vaccinations benefits not on risks were less likely to agree on compulsory vaccination (OR: 0.66, CI 95%: 0.46\u20130.96, p = 0.03; OR: 0.66, CI 95%: 0.46\u20130.95, p = 0.03, respectively). Conclusion: Information sources and confidence towards health professionals are the main determinants of acceptance of mandatory vaccine restoration. To increase the acceptability of the restoration and reduce vaccine hesitancy, these aspects need to be strengthened
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