Le acque del Carso classico : Progetto Hydrokarst

Dopo quasi 200 anni dalle prime ricerche sul Timavo, prende il via il Progetto HYDROKARST nato dalle idee di ricercatori italiani e sloveni che da anni studiano insieme l\u2019idrogeologia carsica (www.hydrokarstproject.eu). Il progetto ha come obiettivo la gestione coordinata e la tutela dell\u2019acquifero transfrontaliero del Reka-Timavo attraverso l\u2019istituzionalizzazione di una rete di monitoraggio quantitativo e qualitativo delle acque ipogee e del territorio del Carso Classico. Il progetto si propone di garantire, attraverso delle partnership stabili, una gestione sostenibile della risorsa acqua rafforzando quella coesione territoriale transfrontaliera che deve portare alla redazione di protocolli congiunti per permettere di uniformare le metodologie di raccolta dati e la loro rappresentazione e codifica, primo passo per la definizione delle aree di salvaguardia delle sorgenti e dei pozzi captati a scopo idropotabile. Va ricordato che ad oggi, le acque del Reka-Timavo non sono legalmente tutelate, cosa che invece accade per quelle del fiume Isonzo-So\u10da. Il progetto \ue8 suddiviso in sette diversi Workpakages (WP). WP1: Progettazione e costruzione del quadro logico per la gestione del progetto. Monitoraggio coordinamento e rendicontazioni. WP2: Ideazione, preparazione e definizione dell\u2019idea progettuale. WP3: Raccolta ed elaborazione dei dati idrodinamici, idrochimici e biologici dell\u2019acquifero del Reka-Timavo. WP4: Vulnerabilit\ue0 degli acquiferi carsici e protocolli di individuazione delle aree di salvaguardia. Uso del suolo. Analisi della stabilit\ue0 della rete di distribuzione e delle necessit\ue0 di approvvigionamento idrico. WP5: Elaborazione della cartografia unificata del Carso Classico. WP6: Elaborazione di protocolli per la gestione condivisa delle risorse e delle riserve acquifere del Carso Classico. WP7: Piano di comunicazione. La fase di condivisione dati ha portato alla realizzazione di una base cartografica unificata e di una banca dati georeferenziata (GIS) di tutto il bacino del Carso Classico. Attraverso la raccolta dati prima, e l\u2019elaborazione poi, si \ue8 giunti alla definizione di un modello concettuale dell\u2019intero acquifero del Reka-Timavo. Buona parte di questi dati hanno successivamente permesso l\u2019elaborazione delle carte di vulnerabilit\ue0, a loro volta determinanti per la delimitazione delle aree di salvaguardia. Il monitoraggio della rete acquedottistica di distribuzione e la realizzazione di interventi per il risparmio idrico hanno permesso di promuovere progetti di minimizzazione delle perdite, ottimizzando tratti poco efficienti delle reti. Scopo ultimo del progetto era pertanto l\u2019elaborazione: \u2013 di accordi di cooperazione e di azioni per la promozione ed attuazione di sistemi per la riduzione delle emissioni inquinanti con particolare riferimento all\u2019acqua potabile; \u2013 di sistemi di intervento congiunti nelle situazioni di emergenza; \u2013 di strategie congiunte per prevenire e ridurre i rischi; \u2013 di interventi per il risparmio idrico, l\u2019efficienza nella gestione della rete idrica ed il miglioramento della qualit\ue0 dell\u2019acqua potabile. Skoraj dvesto let po prvih raziskavah reke Timave so italijanski in slovenski raziskovalci, ki \u17ee ve\u10d let skupaj preu\u10dujejo kra\u161ko hidrogeologijo, oblikovali Projekt HYDROKARST (www.hydrokarst-project.eu). Cilj projekta je koordinirano upravljanje in za\u161\u10dita \u10dezmejnega vodonosnika Reka-Timava z institucionalizacijo omre\u17eja za koli\u10dinsko in kakovostno spremljanje podzemnih voda na obmo\u10dju klasi\u10dnega Krasa. Namen projekta je, da se z vzpostavitvijo stalnega partnerstva zagotovi trajnostno upravljanje vodnega vira, \u10dezmejna teritorialna kohezija in priprava skupnih strokovnih podlag, ki bodo omogo\u10dale poenotenje metodologij zbiranja, prikazovanja in kodifikacije podatkov, kar je prvi korak v smeri definicije za\u161\u10ditenih obmo\u10dij izvirov in zajemali\u161\u10d pitne vode. Naj spomnimo, da vse do dana\u161njih dni vodonosnik Reka-Timava ni bil dele\u17een nikakr\u161ne pravne za\u161\u10dite \u2013 v nasprotju na primer s So\u10do (Isonzo). Projekt sestavlja sedem razli\u10dnih delovnih sklopov (WP): WP1: Oblikovanje \u201cstoritvenega sistema\u201d in priprava logi\u10dnega okvira za upravljanje projekta. Spremljanje projekta, koordiniranje in finan\u10dno poro\u10danje. WP2: Oblikovanje, priprava in dolo\u10ditev projektne ideje. WP3: Meritve in obdelava hidrodinami\u10dnih podatkov vodonosnika Reka-Timava. WP4: Ranljivost kra\u161kih vodonosnikov in protokoli za dolo\u10ditev vodovarstvenih obmo\u10dij. Raba tal. Analiza stabilnosti distribucijskegaomre\u17eja in potreb po vodni preskrbi. WP5: Priprava skupnih kartografskih prikazov mati\u10dnega Krasa. WP6: Priprava protokolov za skupno upravljanje virov in zalog mati\u10dnega Krasa. WP7: Komunikacijska kampanja o razvoju projekta in dose\u17eenih ciljih. Faza izmenjave podatkov je omogo\u10dila vzpostavitev enotnih kartografskih podlag in enotne georeferencirane podatkovne baze (GIS) za celotno obmo\u10dje mati\u10dnega Krasa. Z zbiranjem in obdelavo podatkov smo izdelali konceptualni model celotnega vodonosnika Reka-Timava. Ti podatki so nadalje omogo\u10dili izdelavo kart ranljivosti, ki so bistvenega pomena za dolo\u10ditev vodovarstvenih obmo\u10dij. Spremljanje distribucijskega vodovodnega omre\u17eja in izvajanje ukrepov za var\u10devanje z vodo je omogo\u10dilo implementacijo projektov za zmanj\u161anje izgub z izbolj\u161avami na neu\u10dinkovitih delih omre\u17eja. Kon\u10dni cilj projekta je torej: \u2013 sklenitev protokolov o sodelovanju in dolo\u10ditev ukrepov promocije in uresni\u10denja sistemov za zmanj\u161anje onesna\u17eevalnih emisij, predvsem tistih, ki se nana\u161ajo na pitno vodo; \u2013 razvoj sistemov skupnega poseganja v nujnih primerih; \u2013 oblikovanje skupnih strategij za prepre\u10devanje in zmanj\u161evanje tveganj; \u2013 promocija posegov za var\u10devanje z vodo, u\u10dinkovito upravljanje vodovodnega omre\u17eja in izbolj\u161anje kakovosti pitne vode

Application of different drying techniques to fresh-cut salad waste to obtain food ingredients rich in antioxidants and with high solvent loading capacity

Wastes from iceberg salad fresh-cut processing were submitted to air-drying, freeze-drying, and supercritical-CO2-drying with or without ethanol as co-solvent. Drying was combined with grinding to obtain flours. Samples were analysed for macro- and micro-appearance, particle size, dietary fibre, polyphenol content, antioxidant activity, water vapour sorption, water and oil holding capacity. Air-drying produced a collapsed brown material allowing a flour rich in fibre (>260 g/kg) and polyphenols (3.05 mg GAE/gdw) with antioxidant activity (6.04 OD 123/min/gdw) to be obtained. Freeze-drying maintained vegetable structure and colour while partly retaining polyphenols (1.23 mg GAE/gdw). Supercritical-CO2-drying with ethanol as co-solvent, produced an expanded material able to entrap huge amounts of water and oil (43.2 and 35.2 g of water and oil for g of dry sample). Air-dried salad waste derivatives could be used as functional food ingredients, while supercritical-CO2-dried ones can be exploited as bulking agents and absorbers of oil spills or edible oils. \ua9 2017 Elsevier Lt

Classical Karst hydrodynamics: a shared aquifer within Italy and Slovenia

Abstract. The classical Karst transboundary aquifer is a limestone plateau of 750 km2 that extends from Brkini hills in Slovenia to Isonzo River in Italy. For 20 years, and especially in the last two years, the Mathematic and Geosciences Department of Trieste University has run a monitoring project in order to better understand the groundwater hydrodynamics and the relation between the fracture and conduit systems. A total of 14 water points, including caves, springs and piezometers are monitored and temperature, water level and EC data are recorded. Two sectors are highlighted: the southeastern sector mainly influenced by the sinking of the Reka River, and a northwestern sector connected to the influent character of the Isonzo River. Water table fluctuations are significant, with risings of > 100 m. During floods most of the circuits are under pressure, and only a comparative analysis of water levels, temperature and EC permits a precise evaluation of the water transit times in fractured and/or karstified volumes

Gypsum Dissolution Rate, New Data and Insights

Sinkholes linked to covered evaporite karst in urban environments still represent a challenge in hazard and risk assessment. The Quinis hamlet, located in Friuli Venezia Giulia region (NE Italy), is heavily affected by sinkhole phenomena (linked to an evaporitic bedrock), which deeply interested infrastructures and houses. In order to understand the evolution of the sinking phenomena, a field experiment started on the dissolution rate of the gypsum. In 17 existing piezometers, at different depths, 51 evaporitic rock samples were exposed to the naturally occurring variation of relative humidity, air flow and hydrodynamics. The rock samples were placed respectively in the aeration, in the fluctuation and in the phreatic section of the piezometric tubes. Data related to groundwater level fluctuations, temperature and electrical conductivity were collected. After four months, rock samples were removed, weighted and the volume loss evaluated. The obtained results indicate that rock sample reduction is not only dependent on the groundwater level fluctuations and on the number of days during which the samples are immersed in the groundwaters but also on the mineralization of the latter. Some of the rock samples have been almost completely dissolved, with dissolution rate values almost eight times bigger than expected if compared to the available literature data. The proposed approach had as aim to evaluate the quickness of the dissolution process, which is dependant on several causes (groundwater level fluctuations, type of rocks, chemical characteristics of the groundwaters, etc.) and represents a novel contribution to the overall knowledge of karst processes with noticeable impacts on human-built construction

Exploring the potentialities of photoinduced glycation to steer protein functionalities: The study case of freeze-dried egg white proteins/carbohydrates mixtures

The capacity of UV-C light to induce glycation and modify functional properties of systems containing freeze-dried egg white proteins and carbohydrates with increasing molecular weight (i.e., glucose, maltose, trehalose and maltodextrin) was studied. Color changes induced by light exposure were taken as typical indicators of glycation. Samples were then analyzed for selected physical (critical concentration, particle size and viscosity), chemical (ovalbumin content) and technofunctional properties (gelling temperature and foaming capacity). The presence of sugars during exposure to UV-C light promoted intense browning and decreased ovalbumin content by circa 30%. Concomitantly, up to a 3-fold increase in critical concentration of the aqueous suspensions of the irradiated protein-carbohydrate powders and changes in particle size were detected. These modifications were consistent with the development of non-enzymatic browning reactions upon UV-C light irradiation. Photoinduced glycation was associated to a decrease in viscosity, a tendency to form gel at temperature lower by up to 8\u25e6C and a better capacity of foam stabilization. The intensity of these changes seems to be affected by the nature of the carbohydrates reacting with proteins, with longer carbohydrates able to produce systems with higher foam stability capacity

Flood Hazard in the Classical Karst: The Case of Mucille Polje (NE Italy)

In the north-western area of the Classical Karst (NE Italy), the Mucille depression, after abundant precipitations, is subject to frequent floodings, which become problematic since 2001 as they more frequently affect housing and recreational areas, leading the population to believe that the swallow holes draining the area stopped functioning. The climate changes as well as the increased frequency of intense rainfall events led to evaluate the draining capacity of the swallow holes in order to provide fundamentals for the mitigation measures. The depression is fed by a spring area and drained by two swallow holes one of which is permanently active, while the other functions only during floods. About 24 h after the onset of heavy rains, the whole depressed area is flooded. About 8 days later, the water level begins to decrease, coming back to its initial height in about fifteen days. During floods, while springs and swallow holes discharges measurements are impossible, the extension of the flooded areas has been mapped. The obtained flooded surface together with high resolution DTM coverage allows to calculate the volume of surface water. Consequently, the hydrologic balance can be estimated during the whole event. This study provides meaningful evidences for the design of measures to mitigate the risk. It estimates the discharge of the swallow holes, confirming their efficiency. Nonetheless, it also emphasizes the need to improve their draining capacity, especially considering the unsuspected high outflow of the springs at the onset of the flood

Flood hazard assessment in a polje: the case of Mucille (Classical Karst Region, NE Italy).

The Mucille karst depression is one of the few examples of polje on the Italian side of the Classical Karst Region, a shared area between Italy and Slovenia. The polje is subject to frequent flooding, becoming more problematic since 2000, as swallow holes more frequently have affected housing and recreational areas, leading the population to believe that their ability in draining the area had stopped functioning. Climate changes play an important role as there has been an intensification in extreme events (30-day cumulative precipitation of more than 350 mm) within the considered time-period 1919–2020. The necessity to provide answers to the inhabitants required in-depth studies such as hydrogeological investigations, discharge measurements and Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) acquisitions. Over the 3 years of monitoring (2017–2020), two flood events reached the Selz settlement. In total, four events have been analysed to build a hydrogeological model of the area in order to properly estimate its recharge and regression curve, and to define the functionalities of the swallow holes. The defined model allowed a better knowledge and a greater awareness in proposing the proper mitigation measures able to increase the drainage capacity of the area avoiding always more frequent future floodings

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Understanding the impact of moderate-intensity pulsed electric fields (MIPEF) on structural and functional characteristics of pea, rice and gluten concentrates

Aim: The effect of moderate-intensity pulsed electric fields (MIPEF) was evaluated on vegetable protein concentrates from pea, rice, and gluten. Methods: Five percent (w/w) suspensions of protein concentrates (pH 5 and 6) were exposed to up to 60,000 MIPEF pulses at 1.65\ua0kV/cm. Both structural modifications (absorbance at 280\ua0nm, free sulfhydryl groups, FT-IR-spectra) and functional properties (solubility, water and oil holding capacity, foamability) were analyzed. Results: MIPEF was able to modify protein structure by inducing unfolding, intramolecular rearrangement, and formation of aggregates. However, these effects were strongly dependent on protein nature and pH. In the case of rice and pea samples, structural changes were associated with negligible modifications in functional properties. By contrast, noticeable changes in these properties were observed for gluten samples, especially after exposure to 20,000 pulses. In particular, at pH 6, an increase in water and oil holding capacity of gluten was detected, while at pH 5, its solubility almost doubled. Conclusion: These results suggest the potential of MIPEF to steer structure of proteins and enhance their technological functionality

Rheological investigation and simulation of a debris-flow event in the Fella watershed

Abstract. To set an approach for the future territorial planning, the Geological Survey of Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, through the researchers of Trieste University, started a program of debris-flow risk analysis using Flo-2D software as tool to delimit the hazardous areas. In the present paper, as a case study, a debris flow, called Fella sx, occurring in a torrent catchment was analyzed. The choice was due to the abundance of information about past events, inundated areas, rain fall, geology and to its representativeness. An initial back-analysis investigation identified a couple of representative rheological parameters. Riverbed samples were collected, sieve analyses were performed and rheological tests were carried out on the fraction finer than 0.063 mm using a rotationally controlled stress rehometer equipped with the serrated parallel plate geometry. The shear dependent behaviour was examined at different concentrations ranging from 33 to 48%, by weight. Viscosity data treatment was performed to determine the most suitable rheological model to provide the best approximation of the debris-flow behaviour. The rheological parameters, derived from experimental data, were used and compared with those obtained through the back-analysis and with the real inundated area. Data obtained through rheological analysis are useful in constructing scenarios of future events where no data for back-analysis are available