Impact of environmental pollution and weather changes on the incidence of ST-elevation myocardial infarction

Background: Environmental pollution and weather changes unfavorably impact on cardiovascular disease. However, limited research has focused on ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the most severe yet distinctive form of acute coronary syndrome. Methods and results: We appraised the impact of environmental and weather changes on the incidence of STEMI, analysing the bivariate and multivariable association between several environmental and atmospheric parameters and the daily incidence of STEMI in two large Italian urban areas. Specifically, we appraised: carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitric oxide (NOX), ozone, particulate matter smaller than 10 μm (PM10) and than 2.5 μm (PM2.5), temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity and rainfall. A total of 4285 days at risk were appraised, with 3473 cases of STEMI. Specifically, no STEMI occurred in 1920 (44.8%) days, whereas one or more occurred in the remaining 2365 (55.2%) days. Multilevel modelling identified several pollution and weather predictors of STEMI. In particular, concentrations of CO (p=0.024), NOX (p=0.039), ozone (p=0.003), PM10 (p=0.033) and PM2.5 (p=0.042) predicted STEMI as early as three days before the event, as well as subsequently, and NO predicted STEMI one day before (p = 0.010), as well as on the same day. A similar predictive role was evident for temperature and atmospheric pressure (all p < 0.05). Conclusions: The risk of STEMI is strongly associated with pollution and weather features. While causation cannot yet be proven, environmental and weather changes could be exploited to predict STEMI risk in the following days

A geo-chemo-mechanical study of a highly polluted marine system (Taranto, Italy) for the enhancement of the conceptual site model

The paper presents the results of the analysis of the geo-chemo-mechanical data gathered through an innovative multidisciplinary investigation campaign in the Mar Piccolo basin, a heavily polluted marine bay aside the town of Taranto (Southern Italy). The basin is part of an area declared at high environmental risk by the Italian government. The cutting-edge approach to the environmental characterization of the site was promoted by the Special Commissioner for urgent measures of reclamation, environmental improvements and redevelopment of Taranto and involved experts from several research fields, who cooperated to gather a new insight into the origin, distribution, mobility and fate of the contaminants within the basin. The investigation campaign was designed to implement advanced research methodologies and testing strategies. Differently from traditional investigation campaigns, aimed solely at the assessment of the contamination state within sediments lying in the top layers, the new campaign provided an interpretation of the geo-chemo-mechanical properties and state of the sediments forming the deposit at the seafloor. The integrated, multidisciplinary and holistic approach, that considered geotechnical engineering, electrical and electronical engineering, geological, sedimentological, mineralogical, hydraulic engineering, hydrological, chemical, geochemical, biological fields, supported a comprehensive understanding of the influence of the contamination on the hydro-mechanical properties of the sediments, which need to be accounted for in the selection and design of the risk mitigation measures. The findings of the research represent the input ingredients of the conceptual model of the site, premise to model the evolutionary contamination scenarios within the basin, of guidance for the environmental risk management. The study testifies the importance of the cooperative approach among researchers of different fields to fulfil the interpretation of complex polluted eco-systems

Spatial Distribution of Trace Elements in Sub-Surficial Marine Sediments: New Insights from Bay I of the Mar Piccolo of Taranto (Southern Italy)

Contaminated marine and coastal sediments represent the main source of secondary pollution for the aquatic environment and marine fauna, affecting, directly and indirectly, ecosystems and human health. The assessment of the distribution of chemical pollutants in marine sediments can therefore be considered a preliminary step for understanding the possible circulation of pollutants in the marine environment and planning any targeted and efficient reclamation activity. This study provides new insights on the environmental status of Bay I of Mar Piccolo basin (Southern Italy) by proposing an integrated investigation approach to define the distribution of trace metals and evaluate the thickness of the sediments potentially affected by pollution. To this aim, the concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Sn, and Zn are estimated for sediment samples collected from 19 cores, and specific environmental indices are calculated. Due to its remarkable environmental and economic relevance, the area of Taranto has been selected as a case study to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method in supporting the identification of hotspot areas for which priority remediation activities are needed

Impact of temporary traffic bans on the risk of acute coronary syndromes in a large metropolitan area

BACKGROUND: Strong epidemiologic evidence has highlighted the role of pollution, on top of adverse climate features, as a novel cardiovascular risk factor. However, mechanistic proof that reducing pollution may be beneficial to prevent atherothrombotic events is limited. We aimed at appraising the impact of temporary traffic bans in a large metropolitan area on the risk of acute coronary syndromes. METHODS: Aggregate and anonymized data from 15 tertiary cardiac care centers were obtained detailing precoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) daily cases of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), including those treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Data on pollutants and climate were sought for the same days. Mixed level regression was used to compare the week before vs after the traffic ban (Fortnight analysis), the 3 days before vs. after (Weekly analysis) and the Sunday before vs. after (Sunday analysis). RESULTS: A total of 8 days of temporary traffic bans were included, occurring between 2017 and 2020, totaling 802 STEMI and 1196 NSTEMI in the Fortnight analysis, 382 STEMI and 585 in the Weekly analysis, and 148 STEMI and 210 NSTEMI in the Sunday analysis.Fortnight and Sunday analyses did not disclose a significant impact of traffic ban on STEMI or NSTEMI (all P>0.05). Conversely, Weekly analysis showed non-significant changes for STEMI, but a significant decrease in daily NSTEMI when comparing the 3 days before the traffic ban with the ban day (P=0.043), as well as the 3 days before vs. the 3 days after the ban (P=0.025). No statistically significant effect of traffic ban was found at Fortnight, Weekly or Sunday analyses for daily mean concentrations of benzene, carbon monoxide, nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter (PM) <2.5 μm or PM <10 μm (all P>0.05). However, minimum daily concentrations showed a significant reduction of ozone during the ban in comparison to the week preceding it (P=0.034), nitric oxide during the ban in comparison to the 3 days preceding it (P=0.046), and an increase in benzene during the ban in comparison to the Sunday before (P=0.039). CONCLUSIONS: Temporary traffic ban may favorably reduce coronary atherothrombotic events, and in particular NSTEMI, even if not globally and immediately impacting on environmental pollution. Further controlled studies are required to confirm and expand this hypothesis-generating results

“Morfologie idrodinamiche”

Catalogare i diversi tronchi dei corsi d’acqua, mediante l’identificazione e la validazione delle forme dei loro alvei, con particolare riferimento ai processi di instabilità fluviale e all’impatto delle opere: è questo l’argomento del presente lavoro. In particolare, si è giunti a costruire una prima versione di un “catalogo di morfologie idrodinamiche nel deflusso idrico sui versanti e nei corsi d’acqua”, composto innanzitutto da un elenco e un glossario delle tipologie morfologiche rinvenibili nella letteratura scientifica. Il catalogo può diventare un utile strumento per una migliore e più corretta pianificazione degli interventi nelle aree fluviali e perifluviali, in accordo con le naturali dinamiche dei corsi d’acqua e con le interferenze antropiche. L’elenco-glossario contiene infatti una definizione, una breve relazione descrittiva, e talvolta anche un breve commento a fini operativi, per ciascuna forma morfologica individuata. Per una più estesa e dettagliata caratterizzazione delle morfologie, esso è corredato di un cospicuo numero di ‘report’, che propongono un’approfondita descrizione fenomenologica delle morfologie considerate, nonché una selezione bibliografica, foto, schemi, e, in taluni casi, anche una proposta di criteri di intervento. Un livello informativo di maggiore dettaglio è fornito da schede operative, compilate per specifici casi-studio, che sono rivolte al riconoscimento numerico-quantitativo delle caratteristiche idrauliche e geomorfologiche dei tronchi indagati e tipizzati nel glossario. Alcune monografie tematiche forniscono, infine, un approfondito livello informativo, sia scientifico che tecnico, per un numero rilevante di morfologie. Le informazioni contenute nei vari documenti prodotti sono organizzate mediante un sistema informativo che gestisce un data-base, in continuo aggiornamento