Claudio Bini

Soil acidification by acid rain in forest ecosystems: A case study in northern Italy

Abstract The elemental composition of rainwater, throughfall, stemflow and soil solution of a forest ecosystem in northern Italy was investigated in order to assess the impact of industrial emissions of acidic oxides. For rainfall, pH average is approx. 5.2 and in three-quarters of the samples collected most of the acidity is associated with anthropogenic components. Indeed, the contribution of anthropic NH4+ and NO3− to the total ionic charge was estimated to average 30%: ammonia-N is a critical acidification input, especially during spring. Interception of rain by vegetation induces substantial modifications in water chemistry, and soil acidification occurs at the base of plants and decreases with distance from the plants. Elemental concentrations in soil solution decrease with depth. Furthermore, in the B horizon competition between ammonia and nutrients sometimes arises to effectively counteract the uptake of nutrients by plants. At present, acidification effects on vegetation and soils are negligible. Potential phytotoxic hazard, however, may arise with persisting anthropogenic emissions.

PHEs, Environment and Human Health

The atmosphere represents a complex system influenced by the chemical and physical processes that occur at the Earth surface. These processes include emissions, transport, lifetimes and fates of several anthropogenic and biogenic/ geogenic chemicals emitted from a wide variety of sources. Among these chemicals, some are considered air pollutants, i.e. any substance present in ambient air and likely to have harmful effects on human health and/or the environment as a whole. Metals, and in general elements, are natural components of the earth’s crust and constituents of all ecosystems. In the atmosphere, they are mainly related to particle phase but also they can be present in a liquid phase due to the dissolution of aerosol particles in the water drops. Whatever their origin, both natural and anthropogenic, most elements, and in particular heavy metals, are dangerous because they tend to bio-accumulate in the human body. This chapter describes a general overview on elements and their sources and potential effects on human health in atmosphere. Furthermore, considering the increase of the interest on biological fraction of PM, a briefly description of bioaerosols will be made. Recently, the number of evidence that describes how this fraction may play a key role in the effects of PM on biological systems with negative impacts on human health and ecosystem functioning are increased. Mathematical model applied to air pollution studies will be briefly described. Mathematical models (dispersion and transport model), that predict the concentration and the dispersion of primary and secondary pollutants in atmosphere, represent a fundamental tool in the atmospheric studies to develop health and/or environmental risk assessment and various control strategy actions. Moreover, some specific elements (Sb, Tl, V and Be) will be discussed investigating the effects on health, main sources application and reviewing the most recent studies. G. Rampazzo (*) • E. Innocente • E. Pecorari • S. Squizzato • G. Valotto Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, Informatica e Statistica, Universià Ca’ Foscari Venezia, Calle Larga S. Marta, Dorsoduro 2137, 30123 Venezia, Italy e-mail: rampazzo@unive.it C. Bini and J. Bech (eds.), PHEs, Environment and Human Health, DOI 10.1007/978-94-017-8965-3_1,

Potentially Harmful Elements and Human Health.

Potentially harmful elements, or more generally trace elements, are now considered to be among the most effective environmental contaminants, and their release into the environment is increasing since the last decades. Metals released by different sources, both natural and anthropic, can be dispersed in the environment and accumulated in plants and, ultimately, in human body, causing serious health problems as intoxication, neurological disturbances and also cancer. Widespread interest in trace elements has risen as major scientific topic only over the last 50 years, when it was realized that some elements were essential to human health (e.g. Fe, Cu, Zn), whereas some others were toxic (e.g. As, Hg, Pb), and likely responsible for serious human diseases, with frequent lethal consequences.

Land contamination by toxic elements in abandoned mine areas in Italy

PurposeThe present paper concerns the distribution and mobility of heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn and Fe) in the soils of some abandoned mine sites in Italy and their transfer to wild flora.Materials and methodsSoils and plants were sampled from mixed sulphide mine dumps in different parts of Italy, and the concentrations of heavy metals were determined.Results and discussionThe phytoremediation ability of Salix species (Salix eleagnos, Salix purpurea and Salix caprea), Taraxacum officinale and P​lantago major for heavy metals and, in particular, zinc was estimated. The results showed that soils affected by mining activities presented total Zn, Cu, Pb and Fe concentrations above the internationally recommended permissible limits. A highly significant correlation occurred between metal concentrations in soils.ConclusionsThe obtained results confirmed the environmental effects of mine waste; exploring wild flora ability to absorb metals, besides metal exploitation, proved a useful tool for planning possible remediation projects.

Risk Assessment of PHEs

Nowadays risk assessment is assuming more and more importance in the solution of problems connected with land sustainability and human health. Indeed, the risk assessment criteria are applied to identify and classify the various sites on the basis of the actual land characteristics, and the potential hazard to exposed population.

CARBON STOCK EVALUATION FROM TOPSOIL OF FOREST STANDS IN NE ITALY

Gas emissions from anthropic activities, particularly CO2, are responsible for global warming. Soil is a major carbon sink on a planetary level, thereby contributing to mitigate greenhouse effect. In the present work, the objectives were: 1) to evaluate the topsoil carbon stock of different forest stands in NE Italy, and 2) to outline the relationships among humus forms, soil organic matter dynamics, and actual carbon stock under different vegetation coverage, with reference to climate change. Five forest stands and the related topsoils, were selected in the Dolomites area. The humus forms were examined in the field and samples were carried to the lab for further physical-chemical analyses. The carbon stock for each soil was calculated by means of pedotransfer functions. The less developed humus forms, as the Dysmull and the Hemimoder, presented the highest carbon storage capacity (168 t/y and 129 t/y), followed by Lithoamphimus (123 t/y) and Eu-amphimus (96 t/y), and by Oligomull (86 t/y). Organic horizons proved to recover 36% of the total carbon stocked along the soil profile, and this points to humus layers as a fundamental tool in carbon stock evaluation. Positive correlations between elevation, humus forms and soil carbon pools were found.

Development of a soil health index based on the ecological soil functions for organic carbon stabilization with application to alluvial soils of northeastern Italy

There is a need to assess soil health quantitatively to assist with sustainable soil management in agroecosystems. The objective of this research was to develop a farmlevel soil health index (SHI) to help identify the most sustainable management practices including C sequestration and agroecosystem resilience to climate change. For all indexing phases we used the Soil Management Assessment Framework. The SHI was created using a minimum data set (MDS) of physical, chemical and biochemical soil indicators chosen via expert opinion (EO-MDS) (24 indicators) and via the results of PCA (PCA-MDS) (16 indicators). Each observed value was converted into a score (0 to 1) by using site-specific non-linear scoring algorithms. Indicator scores were incorporated into a composite SHI which quantified the ecological performance of 5 soil functions: habitat and biodiversity, water movement and availability, filtering and buffering, nutrient cycling, physical stability and support, and long-term C stabilization. For both MDS evaluations, we assessed agroecosystems managed organically (OS) or conventionally (CS). Results from our study showed that OS had significantly higher ( P<0.05) SHI scores compared to the CS. SHI, with EO-MDS, was more efficient ( P=0.028) than the PCA-MDS (P=0.039) when determining the effect of soil management practices on soil health. Non-linear transformation was a useful technique and represented soil ecological functionality effectively. Five out of six soil functions had significantly greater ( P<0.05) ecosystem performance in OS compared to CS, except for water movement and availability. The benefit for OS lead to a greater soil health status, allowing the system to be more resilient to climate change, to efficiently provide nutrients to plants, and to sustain an active soil food web for

Mine Waste: Assessment of Environmental Contamination and Restoration

Abstract Ore exploitation constitutes an environmental concern, since both exhausted deposits and active mine sites leave on the land a huge amount of mine waste, with environmental damage and a potential threat to living organisms and human health. The increasing environmental consciousness of the general population has compelled public administrators to set down effective legislation. One of the most important issues is remediation of contaminated sites. Costs related to remediation, however, are very high. In areas affected by high contamination, such as mine waste, direct and indirect health hazards require urgent restoration, regardless of the remediation technology selected for the site, in order to eliminate or reduce the environmental hazard and contribute to the valorization of green areas otherwise not usable. Phytoremediation is an emerging technology that holds great potential in cleaning up contaminants that: (1) are near the surface, (2) cover large surface areas, and (3) pose little imminent risk to the environment. Moreover, it is cost-effective in comparison to current technologies, and environmentally friendly. The abandoned mine sites represent actual natural laboratories for experimenting with new opportunities for restoration. Plants growing on mine waste are genetically metal-tolerant, and therefore may be utilized in phytoremediation of contaminated sites. Furthermore, the institution of natural parks in these areas could enhance their educational and scientific value, contributing to general population recreation.

Geology and Geomorphology

The main geological and morphological features of Italy are outlined, with the aim to examine the role of parent rocks and landforms in soil genesis and evolution. In the western and central part of the Alpine region, crystalline rocks prevail over sedimentary ones (mainly limestone and dolostone), which are widespread in the eastern part. Leptosols, Cambisols, Podzols, Chernozems and Phaeozems form the main soilscapes in these mountain areas. Sedimentary detrital rocks are widespread in the pre-Alpine fringe, on gently undulating slopes; scarcely developed soils (mainly Cambisols) form at these sites. Alluvial soils form in the Po plain and in main river valleys, in strict correlation to corresponding landforms: Luvisols on terraces and the high plain, Cambisols and Fluvisols in the low plain, with Gleysols in depressed areas. Three main domains may be recognised in peninsular Italy: Northern Apennine with large sandstone outcrops, Central Apennine dominated by calcareous formations and Southern Apennine with prevailing clayey flysch formations. Cambisols, Leptosols and Regosols are the prevailing soils of these soilscapes. Luvisols (Terra rossa) from limestone and Umbrisols or Cambisols from granite rocks are the typical soils of Apulia and Calabria, respectively, while variable soilscapes form in Sicily and Sardinia, strictly related to different parent rock weathering. Peculiar soilscapes are related to particular lithotypes such as ophiolite and volcanic rocks, which outcrop disseminated in various parts of the peninsula, the former with general steep slopes and thin soils (Leptosols), and the latter with andic properties (Andosols).