Paolo Iodice

Atmospheric pollution from point and diffuse sources in a National Interest Priority Site located in Italy

The purpose of this paper is the assessment of the environmental air pollution in a very densely inhabited area in the southern Italy, which is characterised by serious general contamination. Because the air pollution may have an impact on human health, this area was identified in 1998 as a National Interest Priority Site and comprises a large part of agricultural lands belonging to over 60 municipalities between Naples and Caserta provinces. This study characterises the air pollution affecting this area by estimating the total annual emissions of the major pollutants (CO, NOX, VOC, PM and heavy metals) and showing their municipal spatial disaggregation. In this study a bottom-up methodology was employed, then focusing at regional level instead of national and comprising local and specific parameters. The pollutants emitted from several sources in the area under investigation were obtained by direct measurements of the principal industrial point sources, whereas the emissions from diffuse sources were calculated on the basis of local activity indicators and specific emission factors concerning the relevant activities in this area. The results obtained in this research have identified local critical factors.

An Integrated Approach for the Environmental Characterization of a Wide Potentially Contaminated Area in Southern Italy

This paper deals with the environmental characterization of a large and densely populated area, with a poor reputation for contamination, considering the contribution of environmental features (air, soil, soil hydraulic and groundwater) and the potential effects on human health. The use of Geographic Information System (GIS) has made possible a georeferenced inventory and, by overlaying environmental information, an operational synthesis of comprehensive environmental conditions. The cumulative effects on environmental features were evaluated, taking into account superposition effects, by means of the Spatial MultiCriteria Decision Analysis (S-MCDA). The application of the S-MCDA for converging the combination of heterogeneous factors, related to soil, land and water, deeply studied by heterogeneous groups of experts, constitutes the novelty of the paper. The results confirmed an overall higher potential of exposure to contaminants in the environment and higher mortality rates in the study area for some tumours, but hospital admissions for tumours were generally similar to the regional trend. Besides, mortality data may be strictly dependent on the poor socioeconomic conditions, quality of therapy and a lack of welfare in the area relative to the rest of Italy. Finally, as regards the possible relationship between presence of contaminants in the environment and health conditions of the population no definite conclusions can be drawn, although the present study encourages the use of the new proposed methods, that increase the possibilities for studying the combined effect of more environmental factors.

Analysis of a New Measurement System of the Chain Strength for Electrically Assisted Bicycles

This paper presents an activity concerning a theoretical/experimental analysis of a new measurement system of the chain strength functional for the control of the electrically assisted bicycles. Such systems are characterized by a driving torque due to the contribution of an electric motor and of the rider. The electrical assistance is commonly regulated taking into account informations such as chain ring rotation, bicycle speed and/or the torque given by the rider. As a consequence, suitable measurements have to be made on board in order to handle the assistance performances and to improve drivability.Copyright

Performance Evaluation and Environmental Analysis of an Electrically Assisted Bicycle Under Real Driving Conditions

This paper describes the on-road test program that was used for a performance study and environmental analysis of an electrically assisted bicycle in the urban area of Naples. For this purpose, the vehicle was tested on different test tracks, cycling over 2000 km, and then making a general assessment about the driving behavior under real conditions.Based on the findings obtained during the different test samples, an appraisal of the electric traction offered by this bicycle on the driving comfort was evaluated for different conditions: electrical assistance at start, on a flat road and when riding uphill. The power requirements in different typical riding situations were also calculated: these results were estimated by experimental kinematic parameters that describe the driving dynamics collected during the real-life applications. An environmental analysis was made and also put against the environmental impact of a thermal moped.Copyright

Industrial and Urban Sources in Campania, Italy: The Air Pollution Emission Inventory

Atmospheric emission inventories are a primary and essential cognitive element for the air quality management and are becoming more and more necessary to set up remediation programs in areas characterized by pollution problems. In order to estimate for the Region Campania (Italy) the total emissions of the main air pollutants (CO, VOC, NOx and PM10), in this study a bottom-up methodology was employed, focusing at regional level instead of national and then including local and specific parameters. The amounts of pollutants emitted from various sources in this region were obtained through direct and continuous measures for the principal industrial systems, while for diffused sources the emissions were estimated on the basis of opportune activity indicators and fixed emission factors concerning specific emissive activities. Emissions from road transport sector, that in Europe are almost always an important fraction of the total emissions and are also the most difficult to calculate depending on many variables, were estimated with a procedure that implements the COPERT methodology. Analysis of research results has identified local critical factors in Region Campania.

Emissive behaviour of two-wheeler vehicle category. Methodologies and results.

The main objective of the study was to conduct measurements on powered two-wheelers to improve knowledge about emissive behaviour of this vehicle category on various types of test cycles. The study presents a method to analyse, during different driving cycles on motorcycles, the influence of speed profile on the emission factors, through the basic parameters of elementary kinematic sequences. These sequences were obtained through suitable fragmentation of complex urban driving cycles. The method was applied to evaluate the regulated exhaust emissions (CO, HC, NOX) and to characterize the emissive behaviour of two Euro3 motorcycles (a 250 and a 1000 cm3), tested on a dynamometer bench.

Emission Inventory for the Road Transport Sector in the Urban Area of Naples: Methodology and Results

The most recent European directives and Italian legislative decrees that have regulated the environmental matter are oriented to planning and determination of the more opportune strategies for health safeguard and for ecosystem protection. It appears obvious, therefore, that the national and regional programming must use appropriate cognitive instruments to estimate the air quality state and the origins of air pollutions in order to support prevention and reorganization decisions.

A numerical approach to assess air pollution by ship engines in manoeuvring mode and fuel switch conditions

Due to increasing worldwide trade, transportations of goods through seaports have been gradually growing in the past years; harbours are main centres of economic activities, with unavoidable consequences on the air quality degradation and human health of many urbanized ports. This study provides a methodology to assess the impact of pollutant emission from marine engines on ambient air quality of the coastal areas. The environmental pollution from sea traffic was evaluated by assessing the production and atmospheric dispersion of exhaust emissions produced by ship engines in manoeuvring mode and in fuel switch conditions from heavy-sulphur residual fuel oil to low-sulphur distillate fuel oil. Specifically, this study analyses the emissive behaviour of merchant ships, equipped with large size diesel engines and transiting in the port of Naples, which is located very close to the densely populated urban centre. The spatial distribution of the air pollutant concentrations was calculated with a specific dispersion modelling approach, delivering significant data about the environmental impact of merchant ship emissions on the coastal urban area. The NOX, PM and SOX pollutant concentrations estimated with this methodology were also compared with pollution levels measured in an experimental monitoring campaign performed in the port of Naples. Estimated concentration levels were lower than measured values because the latter were affected by other anthropogenic emissive sources adjacent to port area, above all exhaust emissions from the road transport sector. Both the calculated and measured concentration levels over coastal area were below the European Limit Values.

Comparative Exergetic Analysis of Solar Integration and Regeneration in Steam Power Plants

AbstractNowadays, many health, environmental, and economic concerns are associated with fossil fuel use, and therefore the improvement of new and advanced technologies and the use of renewable fuel...

Experimental investigation on the chassis dynamometer for the evaluation of exhaust emissions experimental evaluation of exhaust emissions

Mopeds and motorcycles are broadly used and represent a large share of motorized vehicles, above all in urban environment of Asia and Europe. As a result the relative contribution of the emissions of powered two-wheelers to the total air pollution increased considerably in the last years. This paper is aimed at the analysis of the emissions of the new sold motorcycles, contributing widely to extend knowledge of two-wheeler emission behavior, with reference to cold and hot conditions. For this purpose, an experimental investigation was performed: CO, HC and NOX emissions were evaluated in the exhaust of one motorcycle with a displacement of 250 cm3, tested on a dynamometer bench both on a type approval test cycle and on real-world test cycles. This vehicle belongs to the Euro-3 legislative category. The statistical processing results of the experimental data are compared with current emission models for calculating emissions from road traffic in Europe.