The contributions of an airport and related road network to Pseudevernia furfuracea bioaccumulation of trace elements and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Abstract The use of a high-density lichen transplant network together with quantitative wind relationships (WQRs) made it possible to evaluate the influence of an airport and surrounding road network on the spatial variation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and trace elements at both the local and whole study area scale. WQRs clearly showed that the parking/idling/taxiing area (PIT), but not the landing/take-off zones (LTZs), as well as the north/north-east part of the road network were contributors at the whole study area scale to the spatial variation of elements like Ni, Mo and V, i.e. those associated with ultrafine particles due to their involvement in anti-wear materials, and of total PAHs. In the case of an airport, such a result can have strong management implications. Traffic also affected the concentration of the prevailing volatile organic compounds. In contrast, LTZs and high traffic density values were correlated with peaks of Zn, Mo, Cu, Co, Mn, Ni, V, Al and Sb when associated with coarse particulate matter generated by deterioration of the landing gear, fuselage, wings, runway asphalt and brakes. The remarkable percentage of high-speed winds strongly affected both the spatial distribution of anthropogenic emissions and their atmospheric dilution, resulting in a rather low level of contamination. Our results suggest that biomonitoring can be much improved when matched with WQRs and that, in the event of high wind speeds, PAHs associated with the gas phase and fine/ultrafine particles are effective contamination tracers mainly at the whole study area scale whereas trace elements reveal contamination patterns at both scales

Mineralogical and Geochemical Characterization of Asbestiform Todorokite, Birnessite, and Ranciéite, and Their host Mn-Rich Deposits from Serra D'Aiello (Southern Italy)

Manganese ores, especially the oxyhydroxides in their different forms, are the dominant Mn-bearing minerals that occur in marine and terrestrial environments, where they are typically found as poorly crystalline and intermixed phases. Mn oxyhydroxides have a huge range of industrial applications and are able to exert a strong control on the mobility of trace metals. This paper reports the results of a detailed study on the Mn oxyhydroxides occurring in the manganiferous deposit outcropping in the Messinian sediments from Serra D'Aiello (Southern Italy). Nine Mn samples were characterized in detail using X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetry (TG), transmission electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive spectrometry (TEM/EDS), and X-ray fluorescence (XRF). The results indicated that the Mn deposit included the oxyhydroxide mineral species birnessite, todorokite, and rancièite. The size, morphology, and chemical composition of Mn oxyhydroxide samples were investigated in order to define their impact on the environment and human health. Todorokite displayed asbestiform shapes and could disperse fibers of breathable size in the air. Furthermore, since in-depth characterization of minerals within Mn deposits may be the first step toward understanding the genetic processes of manganese deposits, hypotheses about the genesis of the Mn oxyhydroxide deposits were discussed

Geochemical, Geological and Groundwater Quality Characterization of a Complex Geological Framework: The Case Study of the Coreca Area (Calabria, South Italy)

Hydrogeochemical characterization and statistical methods were used to investigate the groundwater quality and the origin of constituents (anthropic or natural) in groundwater of the Coreca area (Calabria, South Italy). Coreca is characterized by an articulated geological setting where the three main geological complexes that distinguish the Northern Calabria Peloritan Orogen (CPO) outcrop. This complex asset affects the quality of groundwater mainly exploited for irrigation use. In particular, the presence of ultramafic rocks (e.g., serpentinite and metabasite) promotes the release of harmful elements such as Cr and Ni. In the studied area, two groups of waters were identified: Ca-HCO3 waters strongly controlled by the interaction with Ca-rich phases (e.g., limestone), and Mg-HCO3 waters related to the interaction of meteoric water with the metamorphic units. Statistical elaboration allowed to detect, in the Mg-HCO3 group, a good correlation between Cr and Ni (not observed in Ca waters) and a negative correlation between Cr, Ca and Al, in agreement with direct interaction with ultramafic rocks characterized by low concentrations of CaO and Al2O3. The concentration of major and trace elements has been compared with the Italian law limit values and the drinking water guidelines provided by the World Health Organization (WHO). Only three samples showed Mn and Ni concentration higher than the Italian law threshold. Furthermore, the assessment of groundwater quality was carried out using salinity and metal indexes. The groundwater quality assessment for irrigation allowed to classify the resource as “excellent to good” and “good to permissible”; nevertheless, a salinity problem and a magnesium hazard were found. Lastly, a metal index (MI) calculation revealed values <1 for almost all samples, pointing to good overall quality. Only a few samples showed a value extremely higher than 1, attributable to prolonged interaction with ultramafic rocks and/or localized anthropogenic pollution. From a general point of view, groundwater showed a generally good quality except for limited areas (and limited to the set of constituents analyzed) and a mild exceedance of the maximum salinity thresholds that must be monitored over time. Through a multidisciplinary approach, it was possible to ascertain the main anomalies attributable to the interaction with the hosting rocks and not (with few exceptions) to anthropic processes

Caratterizzazione idrogeochimica, isotopica e geologica delle aree termali della Calabria Settentrionale

Dottorato di Ricerca in Scienze della Terra, XXVII Ciclo, a.a. 2008-2011Università della Calabri

Spatial Variation in the Accumulation of Elements in Thalli of the Lichen Pseudevernia furfuracea (L.) Zopf Transplanted Around a Biomass Power Plant in Italy

Thalli of the lichen Pseudevernia furfuracea were transplanted for 3 months at 32 sites located in and around an industrial area of S Italy whose main anthropogenic sources of atmospheric trace elements are a biomass power plant and vehicular emissions. Meteorological stations were deployed at four sites for finer detection of local wind patterns. The station near the biomass power plant showed a significant S-SE wind component not detectable by measurements made at the regional scale or by the other local meteorological stations. Sb, Sn, and Mo showed a very high degree of covariance and a statistically significant correlation with traffic rate. No element concentrations in the exposed thalli were correlated with distance from the biomass power plant, although Ti and Co concentrations showed a significant correlation with the "Potential Number of Times the Winds coming from the biomass power plant Reach each exposure Site" (PNTWRS). This value is calculated dividing the time (minutes) during the experimental trimester that the wind blows from the power plant into each of the four geographical sides by the time (minutes) the winds passing through the power plant take to reach the exposure sites in each of the four geographical sides.) during the period of thalli transplantation. Moreover, there were significant differences among clusters of sites with different levels of enrichment of Ti, Co, Al, V, and Cu and a "local control" group. These results, together with the high covariance of the Al-Ti and V-Co pairs, indicate an association between the biomass power plant and spatial variation of Ti, Co, Al, and V levels in the transplanted lichens. The nature of the fuels used in the biomass power plant explains the spatial variation of As, Cr, Cu, and Zn concentrations

Elemental Fractionation in Sabellariidae (Polychaeta) Biocement and Comparison with Seawater Pattern: A New Environmental Proxy in a High-Biodiversity Ecosystem?

The polychaete worm Sabellaria alveolata builds shallow-water aggregates of tubes by agglutinating sands using a secreted glue. Sabellarid bioconstructions represent fragile and dynamic habitats that host numerous associated organisms, playing a key ecological role. A two-year study on bioconstructions from three Sicilian sites (Simeto, Portopalo, and Falconara) investigated the balance between reef status and environmental parameters through a geochemical comparison of biocement tube portions and the surrounding waters. Water pollution by heavy metals, which is monitored in marine waters, is a result of river, domestic, and industrial discharges. The major constituents from the biocements of the three sites showed concentrations comparable to those in the seawater, while trace elements (Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, and As) showed concentrations significantly higher than the mean seawater composition. These similar trends confirm a close dependence between the presence of trace elements (metals) in the seawater and the subsequent bioaccumulation in the biocement produced by the worm. The results also showed that Ca and Mg are fractionated by biocement independent of their water concentrations, in contrast to the trace elements. Further studies addressing the biomineralization processes and the relative fractionation of trace elements in Sabellaria biocement will allow it to be validated as a valuable proxy for short- and long-term environmental studies