Luca Zaggia

Heavy metal and grain-size distributions in estuarine shallow water sediments of the Cona Marsh (Venice Lagoon, Italy)

Anthropogenic heavy metals and grain size were determined in 15 surface sediment samples from the Cona Marsh, an estuarine area of the Venice Lagoon (Italy). The investigation is based on separate analyses of both metal concentrations obtained with two acid extractions and particle-size percentages by laser light scattering. The grain size was also measured in sample aliquots previously submitted to the organic matter removal to disperse mineral-organic aggregates, visualized by scanning electron microscopy. These aggregates apparently shift the particle-size spectrum toward larger diameters, and the intimate association between metals and sediment particles is more evident after their dispersion. The comparison of the two distributions showed a strong correlation between heavy metals and finer particles content in the sediment (d < 7.8 μm). The investigation finally illustrated a spatial zoning of the marsh into three sectors with different degrees of pollution, in relation to the water circulation determined by river discharge and tidal forcing.

Investigation of residence time and groundwater flux in Venice Lagoon: comparing radium isotope and hydrodynamical models

The four naturally-occurring isotopes of radium were coupled with a previously evaluated hydrodynamic model to determine the apparent age of surface waters and to quantify submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) into the Venice Lagoon, Italy. Mean apparent age of water in the Venice Lagoon was calculated using the ratio of 224Ra to 228Ra determined from 30 monitoring stations and a mean pore water end member. Average apparent age was calculated to be 6.0 d using Ra ratios. This calculated age was very similar to average residence time calculated for the same period using a hydrodynamic model (5.8 d). A mass balance of Ra was accomplished by quantifying each of the sources and sinks of Ra in the lagoon, with the unknown variable being attributed to SGD. Total SGD were calculated to be 4.1 +/- 1.5, 3.8 +/- 0.7, 3.0 +/- 1.3, and 3.5 +/- 1.0 x 10(10) L d(-1) for (223,224,226, 228)Ra, respectively, which are an order of magnitude larger than total mean fluvial discharge into the Venice Lagoon (3.1 x 10(9) L d(-1)). The SGD as a source of nutrients in the Venice Lagoon is also discussed and, though significant to the nutrient budget, is likely to be less important as the dominant control on SGD is recirculated seawater rather than freshwater.

Heavy metals in Hediste diversicolor (polychaeta: nereididae) and salt marsh sediments from the lagoon of Venice (Italy)

The nereid polychaete Hediste diversicolor was frequently used as biomonitor of heavy metals contamination in estuaries. In the present work, the bioaccumulation of five heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Pb) in tissues of H. diversicolor collected from six salt marshes in the lagoon of Venice is studied by analysing the relationships between concentrations of the operationally-defined reactive fraction of trace metals in sediments and total concentrations in tissues. The characterisation of sediment samples shows a clear distinction between sites near and far from the Industrial Zone; no analogous pattern is observed for tissue concentrations suggesting that metal bioaccumulation is controlled by complex interactions between metal bioavailability and physiological factors. Considering relationships between metals, strong inverse correlations are observed in polychaetes and sediments for Cu and Cr concentrations suggesting a possible interaction between these two metals. The role played by organic matter (OM) in the availability of metal is highlighted considering inverse relationships found between bioaccumulation factors for Cu, Cr, Cd and OM.

Estuarine circulation in the Taranto Seas

The Taranto basin is a shallow water marine system in the South of Italy characterized by the presence of a lagoon environment together with a semi-enclosed bay connected to the Ionian Sea. This marine system experienced over the last few decades strong biochemical pollution and environmental degradation, and it is considered a hotspot study site for economic, ecological and scientific reasons. The aim of this study was to examine, on an annual temporal scale and with high spatial resolution, the main hydrodynamical processes and transport scales of the system by means of a 3D finite element numerical model application, adopting the most realistic forcing available. The model allowed us to assess the role played by baroclinic terms in the basin circulation, describing its estuarine nature. In particular, the main features of water circulation, salinity and temperature distribution, water renewal time and bottom stress were investigated. Our results allowed us to equate this system dynamic to that of a weakly stratified estuary, identifying the main driving sources of this mechanism. The vertical stratification over the whole year was proved to be stable, leading to a dual circulation flowing out on the surface, mainly through Porta Napoli channel, and inflowing on the bottom mainly through Navigabile channel. This process was responsible also for the renewal time faster on the bottom of the Mar Piccolo basin than the surface. Due to the great importance of the Taranto basin for what concerns sediment pollution, also the effect of currents in terms of bottom stress was investigated, leading to the conclusion that only in the inlets area the values of bottom stress can be high enough to cause erosion.

Hydrological Regime and Renewal Capacity of the Micro-tidal Lesina Lagoon, Italy

A multidisciplinary approach that combines field measurements, artificial neural networks, water balance analyses and hydrodynamic modelling was developed to investigate the water budget and renewal capacity of semi-closed coastal systems. The method was applied to the Lesina Lagoon, a micro-tidal lagoon in the southern Adriatic Sea (Italy). Surface water flux between the lagoon and the sea was determined by neural network prediction and used as input in the analysis. Strong seasonal variations in the water budget equation were predicted. Fresh water inputs estimated by the water balance analysis were used as forcing by a calibrated finite element model to describe the water circulation and transport time scale of the lagoon’s surface waters. The model highlighted the spatial heterogeneity of the renewal behaviour of the system, with a strong east–west water renewal time gradient. Knowledge of spatial distribution of water renewal times is crucial for understanding the lagoon’s renewal capacity and explaining the high spatial variability of the biogeochemistry of the Lesina Lagoon.

Study on redox state and grain size of sediments in a mud flat of the Venice Lagoon

An extensive investigation based on the redox potential and grain size distributions was made on the sediment of a Venice Lagoon mud flat subjected to excessive growth of macroalgae. Redox potential and grain size measurements are proved useful “tracers” for, respectively, oxygen bearing and consuming processes in the water-sediment column and hydrodynamical behavior inside the mud flat. Depth measurements and a considerable number of sites with respect to the size of the area studied are needed to obtain an outline of the behavior of the water body in response to stress conditions caused by human activities. With respect to the top 15-cm-thick sediment layer where EH variations occur, the mud flat is subdivisible into sectors with different characteristics. Positive or near-zero EH values were recorded in zones characterized by sparse macroalgae growth and a high content of coarse sediments (diameter ⩾44 µm). On the contrary, very negative EH values were found in zones affected by overabundant macroalgae bloom and with a higher presence of fine-grained sediment (diameter ⩽44 µm). The clear relationships between algae presence in the mud flat and both the redox potential and grain size characteristics of the sediment emphasize the hydrodynamics as a “critical factor” determining the variations of the environmental conditions in the ecosystem.

Heavy metals behaviour during resuspension of the contaminated anoxic sludge of the venice canals

A field study on the water column in a canal of Venice was perfomed to investigate heavy metals behaviour during dredging interventions on the contaminated anoxic sludge. Concentrations in the dissolved and particulate phases were analysed following a specifically designed filtration scheme. The variations of physico‐chemical parameters, monitored during the sampling, allowed the comparison between the trend of the variables characterising sludge resuspension and pollutant concentrations in the water column. Dissolved nutrient species and hydrogen sulphide were also analysed. Due to the presence of a large amount of reducing species, the sludge resuspension induces rapid variations in the oxidation‐reduction conditions in the overlying water. In response to these changes, two distinct behaviours were observed for dissolved species. Some elements such as Zn, Cu, Pb and As are scavenged by resuspended amorphous sulphides, while others (Mn and Ni) undergo a mobilisation by dilution of pore‐water concentrations.

Extraction of anthropogenic heavy metals from reduced sediments: Indeterminations due to authigenic sulphides and clay minerals

Abstract A mineralogical and micro‐chemical study was performed by X‐ray diffraction and SEM/EDS techniques in a reduced sediment sample from the Venice Lagoon to investigate selectivity and significance of two widely used acid extractions (cold IN HCl and hot 8N HNO3) for the evaluation of anthropogenic metal concentrations. Hydrochloric acid determines an incomplete and variable solubilization of authigenic iron sulphides, yielding a partial extraction of the associated metals (Hg, Mn, Zn and less Ni and Cu). Nitric acid is effective in solubilizing all sulphides, however, it leads to an overestimate of the anthropogenic metal content since it partially dissolves the lattice of some clay‐minerals, particularly chlorites. When these acid extractions are used to asses metal pollution in aquatic ecosystems, the possible over or under‐estimate of the anthropogenic concentration must be taken into account, considering the mineralogical composition of the sediment.

Useful tracer parameters to investigate the environmental conditions in areas of the Venice Lagoon

Grain-size and redox potential distributions in sediments were used as tracers to investigate environmental conditions in a shallow water area of the Venice Lagoon subjected to summer anoxic events. Data are presented showing different environmental characteristics within the study area. The results illustrate the reliability of these tracers to acquire a preliminary knowledge of the aquatic ecosystem behavior. Even small differences in morphology and hydrodynamics are observable because of the marked influence they exert on sediment parameters.

Fast Shoreline Erosion Induced by Ship Wakes in a Coastal Lagoon: Field Evidence and Remote Sensing Analysis

An investigation based on in-situ surveys combined with remote sensing and GIS analysis revealed fast shoreline retreat on the side of a major waterway, the Malamocco Marghera Channel, in the Lagoon of Venice, Italy. Monthly and long-term regression rates caused by ship wakes in a reclaimed industrial area were considered. The short-term analysis, based on field surveys carried out between April 2014 and January 2015, revealed that the speed of shoreline regression was insignificantly dependent on the distance from the navigation channel, but was not constant through time. Periods of high water levels due to tidal forcing or storm surges, more common in the winter season, are characterized by faster regression rates. The retreat is a discontinuous process in time and space depending on the morpho-stratigraphy and the vegetation cover of the artificial deposits. A GIS analysis performed with the available imagery shows an average retreat of 3˗4 m/yr in the period between 1974 and 2015. Digitization of historical maps and bathymetric surveys made in April 2015 enabled the construction of two digital terrain models for both past and present situations. The two models have been used to calculate the total volume of sediment lost during the period 1968˗2015 (1.19×106 m3). The results show that in the presence of heavy ship traffic, ship-channel interactions can dominate the morphodynamics of a waterway and its margins. The analysis enables a better understanding of how shallow-water systems react to the human activities in the post-industrial period. An adequate evaluation of the temporal and spatial variation of shoreline position is also crucial for the development of future scenarios and for the sustainable management port traffic worldwide.