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Dyes are emerging as hazardous pollutants, which are the primary challenges for environmentalists. Dye removal from effluents is urgently needed. Adsorption technology has been widely employed in this context as an effective method for removing colours from the aqueous phase, and adsorption with the use of low-cost adsorbents has been shown to be more successful on a larger scale than other methods. In this study, spent coffee grounds (SCGs) were used as the precursor for the preparation of a low-cost activated carbon through the chemical activation with NaOH. The SCG sample was impregnated with NaOH and carbonised at 300 °C for three hours. Its morphological and physical-chemical properties were assessed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy analyses. The performance of the treated SCG as an adsorbent material for methylene blue (MB) was evaluated by analysing the effect of the initial pH ionic strength on the adsorption capacity and by evaluating the kinetics and the mechanisms of the process (using adsorption isotherms). The effect of the initial concentration (500 and 250 mg L−1) of MB on the kinetics of the process and the impact of the initial pH (7.5 and 6) on the adsorption isotherm were evaluated. The obtained results show that the pseudo-second order model controls the process for both the investigated initial concentration and the adsorption capacity, which are 142.8 and 113.6 mg L−1, respectively. The results indicate that the pH value influences the adsorption isotherm model that regulates the process. Specifically, this process is regulated by the Temkin’s model with a pH of 7.5 and by the Langmuir’s model with a pH of 6. The thermodynamics of the process were also determined. The results show that SCG, treated and carbonised by soft alkaline activation, is a promising low-cost adsorbent material as its performance is comparable to that of conventional active carbon materials.

The oil and gas production is identified by consuming a large amount of water and generating massive produced water. The produced water is either reinjected into the underground layers or released into the rivers and oceans that can cause severe damage to the environment due to toxic elements such as salts, oil and grease, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. So produced water treatment and management can reduce the significant threats to the soil and water resources and solve the lack of water in different water-consuming sectors. During the last decades, adsorption methods, such as using expanded graphite and activated carbon materials, have attracted scientists’ attention because these adsorbents are cost-effective and practical. This study aimed to review expanded graphite’s synthesis, adsorption process, and efficient factors in removing heavy oil, heavy metals, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes, and organic acids from produced water and compare with other adsorbents, including activated carbon and residual biomass. Based on the results of extensive research works, expanded graphite’s high adsorption feature suggested that graphite can be a promising adsorbent in actual produced water treatment.

Water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) contribute to climate change and air pollution, as they are anthropogenic potential sources of direct and indirect emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Studies concerning the monitoring and accounting for GHG emissions from WRRFs are of increasing interest. In this study, the floating hood technique for gas collection was coupled with the off-gas method to monitor and apportion nitrous oxide (N2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from both aerated and non-aerated tanks in a municipal water resource recovery facility, in order to investigate its carbon footprint (CFP). To our knowledge, this is the first time that the chamber technique was applied to evaluate gas fluxes from the settler, where an emission factor (EF) of 4.71 ∗ 10−5 kgCO2,eq kgbCOD−1 was found. Interesting results were found in the disinfection unit, which was the major contributor to direct N2O emissions (with a specific emission factor of 0.008 kgCO2,eq kgbCOD−1), due to the chemical interaction between hydroxylamine and the disinfectant agent (hypochlorite). The specific emission factor of the biological aerated tank was 0.00112 kgCO2,eq kgbCOD−1. The average direct CO2 emission was equal to 0.068 kgCO2 kgbCOD−1 from the activated sludge tank and to 0.00017 kgCO2 kgbCOD−1 from the secondary clarifier. Therefore, taking into account the contribution of both direct N2O and CO2 emissions, values of 0.069 kgCO2,eq kgbCOD−1, 0.008 kgCO2,eq kgbCOD−1 and 0.00022 kgCO2,eq kgbCOD−1, were found for the net CFP of the aerated compartment, the disinfection unit and the clarifier, respectively. The plant energy Footprint (eFP) was also evaluated, confirming that the aeration system is the major contributor to energy consumption, as well as to indirect CO2 emission, with a specific eFP of 1.49 kWh kgbCOD−1.

Phosphorus (P) is an essential nutrient required for plant growth and at the same time a costly pollutant, which can cause eutrophication of water bodies. Modern agriculture relies heavily on mineral fertilisers, which contain phosphorus derived from phosphate rock, because, without regular applications, crop yields would be limited. Since phosphate rock is a non-renewable resource, there are growing concerns regarding future phosphorus scarcity and the sustainability of modern agriculture. For many farmers, animal manure was once a means of maintaining soil fertility, but now it presents a major operational problem. This study evaluated the possibility of recycling phosphorus on a national and regional scale in Italy, using major sources of manure and wastewater. These results were successively compared with an estimate of the agricultural demand for phosphorus. Considering the quantity of phosphorus fertilizer that was applied to the soil–plant system, for the years 2001–2010, the annual phosphorus requirement of Italian crops was about 101,000 t of P. Therefore, the phosphorus source comprising animal manure and civil/industrial waste (117,500 t of P and 40,000 t of P, respectively) could potentially satisfy the average annual agronomic phosphorus demand. Regarding the geographical distribution of phosphorus supply and demand on a regional scale, areas with a large deficit of phosphorus included Calabria, Puglia and Marche. However, when only livestock waste was considered, Sicily, Umbria and Friuli could also be considered to be regions experiencing a phosphorus deficit.

Landfill is still the main technological facility used to treat and dispose municipal solid waste (MSW) worldwide. In developing countries, final dumping is applied without environmental monitoring and soil protection since solid waste is mostly sent to open dump sites while, in Europe, landfilling is considered as the last option since reverse logistic approaches or energy recovery are generally encouraged. However, many regions within the European Union continue to dispose of MSW to landfill, since modern facilities have not been introduced owing to unreliable regulations or financial sustainability. In this paper, final disposal activities and pre-treatment operations in an area in southern Italy are discussed, where final disposal is still the main option for treating MSW and the recycling rate is still low. Mechanical biological treatment (MBT) facilities are examined in order to evaluate the organic stabilization practices applied for MSW and the efficiencies in refuse derived fuel production, organic waste stabilization and mass reduction. Implementing MBT before landfilling the environmental impact and waste mass are reduced, up to 30%, since organic fractions are stabilized resulting an oxygen uptake rate less than 1600 mgO2 h−1 kg−1VS, and inorganic materials are exploited. Based on experimental data, this work examines MBT application in contexts where recycling and recovery activities have not been fully developed. The evidence of this study led to state that the introduction of MBT facilities is recommended for developing regions with high putrescible waste production in order to decrease environmental pollution and enhance human healthy.

Soil contamination is a worldwide problem, mainly caused by a wide range of organic compounds: e.g., alkanes, aromatics, and polynuclear aromatics. Using ozone to help remediate contaminated soils is gaining interest due to its capability in oxidizing recalcitrant contaminants in short application time., although studies using ozonation for soil remediation are so far limited to the laboratory scale. This review attempts to summarize and discuss the state of the art in the treatment of soils contaminated with recalcitrant organic contaminants by using ozone, emphasizing the influence of operating conditions, such as the content and age of soil organic matter, grain size, moisture content, pH, and ozone dose. Special attention is given to the combination of ozonation and biodegradation. The main advantages in using ozonation as a remediation technique are its high oxidation potential applicable to a wide range of organic pollutants and its oxygen release after chemical decomposition that allow aerobic biodegradation. The review results show that ozonated soils can be reused after ozonation treatment, therefore ozonation can be considered an excellent remediation technique, even if combined with biodegradation, allowing removal percentages of 90% and more.

Pharmaceuticals constitute one of the most important emerging classes of environmental pollutants. A three-phase solvent system of water, water containing 0.1% of formic acid and acetonitrile was successfully used to separate, by liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry (LC-MS), polarity-matched pharmaceuticals, that is, carbamazepine, clarithromycin, and erythromycin, as well as amoxicillin and metformin. Despite of polarity similarities, these pharmaceuticals were completely resolved in the analytical run time of 15 min. The optimized three-phase solvent system based-method was validated for the simultaneous analysis of six matched-polarity pharmaceuticals in wastewater samples. Good linearity (coefficient of determination more than 0.993) and precision (relative standard deviation less than 15.66%) were achieved. Recovery of analytes from the wastewater was between 0.70 and 1.18. Limits of detections ranged from 0.0001 to 0.5114 µg/L. No significant matrix effect, evaluated by post extraction addition, was observed in the electrospray ionization (ESI) source. Then, this methodology has been successfully applied to environmental study of pharmaceutical residues occurring in influent and effluent wastewater samples, from the main wastewater treatment plant in Potenza (Basilicata, Southern Italy).

In literature, an effective method enabling the classification, based on a single indicator, of habitats that need a priority protection intervention has not been identified yet. Moreover, the excessive number of landscape metrics, used to quantify integrity of habitats, can cause confusion, often providing redundant and inconsistent results. The aim of this work is to develop a method for evaluating the ecological vulnerability of the habitats in sites of high biodiversity conservation interest. In the first phase, we selected and analyzed, by using principal component analysis (PCA) and fuzzy logic, the landscape metrics, in order to obtain the map of the intrinsic ecological vulnerability index. In the second step, the result of this intrinsic vulnerability was connected, through another fuzzy model, to anthropogenic impacts, obtaining the integrated ecological vulnerability index. We developed specific spatial indicators (landscape metrics), which can examine the mutual position and morphology of the habitats present, along with indicators of human pressure, related to the type and intensity of use of the anthropic territory, with reference to the habitat itself as well as to the areas immediately adjacent. The developed fuzzy models are innovative, compared to the current ecological studies, and examine landscape metrics as well as the impact of human activities. The case study is the “Val Basento-Ferrandina Scalo” Site of Community Importance, Ferrandina-SCI (Basilicata Region, Southern Italy). The results allowed us to build a rank of the habitats based on their intrinsic and integrated ecological vulnerability. Moreover, the results show that, in the Ferrandina-SCI, the most important source of concern is not human activities, but rather the inherent risk of ecological fragility caused by geographical and landscape features of the different patches of habitats themselves. This model aims to be a tool for decision support in sustainable landscape management. It is easy to use and to apply on other regions, although it should always be accompanied by a sensitivity analysis to reduce the subjectivity.

The efficiency of aeration systems should be monitored to guarantee suitable biological processes. Among the available tools for evaluating the aeration efficiency, the off-gas method is one of the most useful. Increasing interest towards reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from biological processes has resulted in researchers using this method to quantify N2O and CO2 concentrations in the off-gas. Experimental measurements of direct GHG emissions from aerobic digesters (AeDs) are not available in literature yet. In this study, the floating hood technique was used for the first time to monitor AeDs. The floating hood technique was used to evaluate oxygen transfer rates in an activated sludge (AS) tank of a medium-sized municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Italy. Very low values of oxygen transfer efficiency were found, confirming that small-to-medium-sized plants are often scarcely monitored and wrongly managed. Average CO2 and N2O emissions from the AS tank were 0.14 kgCO2/kgbCOD a...

Mechanisms causing greenhouse gas (GHG) emission in wastewater treatment plants are of great interest among researchers, encouraging the development of new methods for wastewater management. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) emit three major greenhouse gases during the treatment processes: CO2, CH4, and N2O. Additional amounts of CO2 and CH4 are produced during energy consumption, which can be considered an indirect source of GHGs. Recently, several efforts have been undertaken to assess GHGs from WWTPs, with particular attention paid to the N2O assessment due to its high warming potential (300 times stronger than CO2). This study proposes an integrated model platform for WWTP simulation, including the evaluation of both direct and indirect emissions as plant performance parameters. The results of extensive research demonstrate the importance of mathematical modeling for the development of a decision support system (DSS). The project involves four research units (RUs) united in effort to minimize the environmental impact of wastewater treatment plants in terms of both energy consumption and discharged pollutants (solids, liquids, and gases).

Groundwater is an important source of water. Since the control and removal of pollution are expensive, it is essential to identify the possible sources of contamination and to correctly classify groundwater on the basis of its intrinsic and integrated vulnerability. In the last years, many fuzzy models have been developed. There is a lack, however, of studies concerning the application of fuzzy logic for the assessment of the susceptibility of groundwater quality to anthropogenic activities and comparing these methods with traditional methods. The fuzzy model described in this paper assesses the aquifer integrated environmental vulnerability connected to the presence of illegal dumpsites and allows us to hierarchically classify them within a hazard scale. The results allowed us to carry out a comparison of the proposed fuzzy method with a traditional method. The fuzzy method proved to be a useful and objective tool for environmental planning.

The post-management of landfills represents an important challenge for landfill gas treatment. Traditional systems (energy recovery, flares, etc.) present technical problems in treating flow with low methane (CH

Lab-scale experiments on three soil matrices featured by increasing granulometry (sea sand, silica sand and gravel) were carried out in order to evaluate the adsorption capability and the removal efficiency of a new graphene-based material. Soil samples, firstly contaminated with different quantities of used lubricant oil up to final concentrations of 12.5, 25.0, 50.0 g kg−1, were treated with an opportune amount of thermally expanded graphite (TEG) (i.e. 1/10, 1/20, 1/40 as TEG/pollutant ratio). Results show that the removal efficiency of TEG is directly correlated to the contamination level of the soil. The best removal efficiency (87.04%) was obtained during the treatment of gravel samples at the maximum contamination level by using the highest dosage of TEG. A good removal efficiency (80.83%) was also achieved using lower TEG/pollutant ratio. Moreover, TEG at ratio 1/10 showed worse removal efficiencies in treating sea (81.17%) and silica sand (63.52%) than gravel. In this study, also the thermal regeneration was investigated in order to evaluate a possible reuse of TEG with subsequent technical and economic advantages. TEG-technique proves to be technologically and economically competitive with other currently used technologies, revealing the best choice for the remediation of hydrocarbon-contaminated soils.

The increasing interest towards climate change, water and energy saving, and soil protection has led the research community to consider non-conventional water as a sustainable source for irrigation of energy crops. Vegetation filter systems are considered a reliable technique for sustainable biomass cultivation, enabling the use of reclaimed wastewater as water and nutrients sources during irrigation periods. In this study, a geographic information system (GIS)-based spatial model was developed to identify areas potentially suitable for creating vegetation filter systems with poplars to size the plants of energy production. An economic assessment allowed us to identify the cost-effectiveness areas for biomass production that can be fertigated by reclaimed wastewater. Considering the Basilicata region as the test region, a surface area of 258,512 ha was investigated, identifying 73,331 ha of SRF soils sited downstream of 45 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). However, considering only areas that have positive net present value and are economically attractive, results indicate 1606 ha of SRF falling within the areas of influence of 39 WWTPs. The results show that the sector of dedicated crops, adjacent and linked with WWTPs, expresses a total capacity of 50.56 MW for thermal, 8.25 MW for electricity, and 31 MW for cogeneration (25.07 MWt and 5.94 MWe) plants.

Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes, more commonly named BTEX, represent one of the most ubiquitous and hazardous groups of atmospheric pollutants. The goal of our research was the trace quantification of BTEX in water by using a new simple, low-cost, and accurate method, based on headspace (HS) extraction and gas chromatography (GC) coupled to barrier ionization discharge detector (BID). This water application dealt with simple matrices without protein, fat, or humic material that adsorb target analytes, thus the external standard calibration was suitable to quantify each compound. The validation steps included the study of linearity, detection and quantification limits, and accuracy. LODs and LOQs varied from 0.159 to 1.845 μg/L and from 0.202 to 2.452 μg/L, respectively. The recovery was between 0.74 ± 0.13 and 1.15 ± 0.09; relative standard deviations (% RDSs) were less than 12.81% (n = 5) and 14.84% (n = 10). Also, GC performance was evaluated in term of efficiency, peak tailing and resolution. Preliminary results from practical applications to analyses of real samples are presented. The results indicate that static HS coupled to GC–BID is a successful method for BTEX analysis in water samples at the μg/L levels, provided that hydrocarbons interference occur at similar concentration levels. GC-BID may become a routine reference method alongside the official analytical techniques for quality control purposes of contaminated waters. Moreover, the new method is amenable to automation by using commercial HS units.

Wood pellet heating systems are considered as an essential component of European plans to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The goal of this analysis was to estimate and compare the environmental impacts and the costs of the production of packed wood pellets. Two pellet production systems, using roundwood logs (case 1) and mainly sawdust (case 2), have been analysed in 2015 in Basilicata region (Southern Italy). A life cycle assessment (LCA) analysis was applied to calculate the environmental impact indicators of each system, whilst a life cycle cost (LCC) analysis was implemented to evaluate the pellets’ cost production. Hence, the functional unit chosen was 1 t of produced pellets. The system boundaries considered for the purpose of the current investigation were from the tree felling to the pellet packaging. In particular, the following activities were considered: motor-manual felling and delimbing with a chainsaw, timber yarding with a tractor along the forest track, loading and transportation of the logs to the collection point, transportation of timber to the factories for a distance of 35 km, pellet production and pellet packaging in low-density polyethylene bags with a total weight of 15 kg bag−1. The production of 1 t of pellets emitted about 83 kg of CO2eq in case 1 and 38 kg in case 2. In addition, 2.7 kg of SO2eq and 0.005 kg of PO3 4-eq were produced in case 1 and 1.4 kg of SO2eq and 0.002 kg of PO3 4-eq in case 2. Mineral extraction was equal to 0.9 MJ surplus energy in both cases. Case 1 led to higher environmental impacts (about 50% more), essentially for the operation of pelletisation, and in particular for the higher consumption of electricity that characterised it, whereas the production costs were 172 and 113 € t−1 in case 1 and case 2, respectively. In both study cases, consumption costs (costs for raw material, electricity consumption, fuel usage) were the most important cost items. Our studies highlight how, in both cases, the operations carried out in the forest produced the minor part of the environmental impact but, at the same time, were the most expensive operations. Further, our studies show how mixing lumbering by-products (sawdust) and forest management products (lumbers) can be an efficient solution to reduce both manufacturing costs and environmental impacts to produce wood pellets.

In this study, a pilot aerobic digester was developed and operated to monitor N2O and CO2 emissions using the off-gas technique. A 30-days monitoring campaign was carried out to evaluate the impact of aerobic digestion (AeD) in Greenhouse Gas (GHG) estimation. After the achievement of the equilibrium conditions for a conventional AeD, a monitoring campaign was performed assuming 20 days as sludge retention time. The N2O gas flux was found equal to 71.7 mgN2O m−2min−1 against 16914 mgCO2 m−2min−1 calculated for CO2, demonstrating that strong aerobic oxidation processes occur inside the digester. In terms of equivalent CO2, N2O covers the 55% of the total CO2,eq emissions and CO2 the 45%. The experimental campaigns were coupled with the development of a mathematical model for AeD, named Aerobic Digestion Model No. 1 (AeDM1). The Morris Method allowed us to carry out a sensitivity analysis on the main kinetic parameters, resulting that the maximum specific growth rate of heterotrophs is the more sensitive parameter. After the model calibration, the experimental results on the pilot digester were used to validate the model, inserting the data collected during the experimental tests as model inputs.

The complete assessment of landslide susceptibility needs uniformly distributed detailed information on the territory. This information, which is related to the temporal occurrence of landslide phenomena and their causes, is often fragmented and heterogeneous. The present study evaluates the landslide susceptibility map of the Natural Archaeological Park of Matera (Southern Italy) (Sassi and area Rupestrian Churches sites). The assessment of the degree of "spatial hazard" or "susceptibility" was carried out by the spatial prediction regardless of the return time of the events. The evaluation model for the susceptibility presented in this paper is very focused on the use of innovative techniques of artificial intelligence such as Neural Network, Fuzzy Logic and Neuro-fuzzy Network. The method described in this paper is a novel technique based on a neuro-fuzzy system. It is able to train data like neural network and it is able to shape and control uncertain and complex systems like a fuzzy system. This methodology allows us to derive susceptibility maps of the study area. These data are obtained from thematic maps representing the parameters responsible for the instability of the slopes. The parameters used in the analysis are: plan curvature, elevation (DEM), angle and aspect of the slope, lithology, fracture density, kinematic hazard index of planar and wedge sliding and toppling. Moreover, this method is characterized by the network training which uses a training matrix, consisting of input and output training data, which determine the landslide susceptibility. The neuro-fuzzy method was integrated to a sensitivity analysis in order to overcome the uncertainty linked to the used membership functions. The method was compared to the landslide inventory map and was validated by applying three methods: a ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristic) analysis, a confusion matrix and a SCAI method. The developed neuro-fuzzy method showed a good performance in the determination of the landslide susceptibility map.

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) emit CO2 and N2O, which may lead to climate change and global warming. Over the last few years, awareness of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from WWTPs has increased. Moreover, the development of valid, reliable, and high-throughput analytical methods for simultaneous gas analysis is an essential requirement for environmental applications. In the present study, an analytical method based on a gas chromatograph (GC) equipped with a barrier ionization discharge (BID) detector was developed for the first time. This new method simultaneously analyses CO2 and N2O and has a precision, measured in terms of relative standard of variation RSD%, equal to or less than 6.6% and 5.1%, respectively. The method's detection limits are 5.3ppmv for CO2 and 62.0ppbv for N2O. The method's selectivity, linearity, accuracy, repeatability, intermediate precision, limit of detection and limit of quantification were good at trace concentration levels. After validation, the method was applied to a real case of N2O and CO2 emissions from a WWTP, confirming its suitability as a standard procedure for simultaneous GHG analysis in environmental samples containing CO2 levels less than 12,000mg/L.

International audience; Water vapour measurements from a ground-based Raman lidar and an airborne differential absorption lidar, complemented by high resolution numerical simulations from two mesoscale models (Arome-WMED and MESO-NH), are considered to investigate transition events from Mistral/Tramontane to southerly marine flow taking place over the Gulf of Lion in Southern France in the time frame September-October 2012, during the Hydrological Cycle in the Mediterranean Experiment (HyMeX) Special Observation Period 1 (SOP1). Low-level wind reversals associated with these transitions are found to have a strong impact on water vapour transport, leading to a large variability of the water vapour vertical and horizontal distribution. The high spatial and temporal resolution of the lidar data allow to monitor the time evolution of the three-dimensional water vapour field during these transitions from predominantly northerly Mistral/Tramontane flow to a predominantly southerly flow, allowing to identify the quite sharp separation between these flows, which is also quite well captured by the mesoscale models.

In this study an experimental study on a biological methane oxidation column presented with the aim to calibrate a mathematical model developed in an earlier study. The column was designed to reproduce at lab-scale a real biofilter trying to consider the more probable landfill boundary conditions. Although the methane oxidation efficiency in the column was lower than the expected (around 35%), an appropriate model implementation showed an acceptable agreement between the outcomes data of the model simulation and the experimental data (with Theil's Inequality Coefficient value of 0.08). A calibrated model allows a better management of the biofilter performance in terms of methane oxidation.

The aim of this work is the evaluation of the efficiency of such a biofilter, through the application of a mathematical model which describes the biological oxidation process. This mathematical model is able to predict the efficiency of the system under varying operating conditions. Literature data have been used in order to build the model. The factors that mostly affect the process and which actually regulate the entire process have been highlighted in this work. Specifically, it was found that temperature, flow and methane concentration are the most important parameters that influence the system. The results obtained from the mathematical model showed also that the biofilter system is simple to implement and manage and allows the achievement of high efficiency of methane oxidation. In the optimal conditions for temperature (between 20-30°C), residence time (between 0.7-0.8 h) and methane molar fraction (between 20-25%) the efficiency of methane oxidation could be around 50%.

The present study addresses the theme of recycling potential of old open dumpsites by using landfill mining. Attention is focused on the possible reuse of the residual finer fraction (4 mm), which constitutes more than 60% of the total mined material, sampled in the old open dumpsite of Lavello (Southern Italy). We propose a protocol of analysis of the landfill material that links chemical analyses and environmental bioassays. This protocol is used to evaluate the compatibility of the residual matrix for the disposal in temporary storages and the formation of "bio-soils" to be used in geo-environmental applications, such as the construction of barrier layers of landfills, or in environmental remediation activities. Attention is mainly focused on the presence of heavy metals and on the possible interaction with test organisms. Chemical analyses of the residual matrix and leaching tests showed that the concentration of heavy metals is always below the legislation limits. Biological acute tests (with Lepidum sativum, Vicia faba and Lactuca sativa) do not emphasize adverse effects to the growth of the plant species, except the bioassay with V. faba, which showed a dose-response effect. The new developed chronic bioassay test with Spartium junceum showed a good adaptation to stress conditions induced by the presence of the mined landfill material. In conclusion, the conducted experimental activities demonstrated the suitability of the material to be used for different purposes.

In recent years, the replacement of natural raw materials with new alternative materials, which acquire an economic, energetic and environmental value, has gained increasing importance. The considerable consumption of water has favoured the increase in the number of drinking water treatment plants and, consequently, the production of drinking water sludge. This paper proposes a protocol of analyses capable of evaluating chemical characteristics of drinking water sludge from surface water treatment plants. Thereby we are able to assess their possible beneficial use for geo-environmental applications, such as the construction of barrier layers for landfill and for the formation of "bio-soils", when mixed with the stabilized organic fraction of municipal solid waste. This paper reports the results of a study aimed at evaluating the quality and environmental aspects of reconstructed soils ("bio-soil"), which are used in much greater quantities than the usual standard, for "massive" applications in environmental actions such as the final cover of landfills. The granulometric, chemical and physical analyses of the sludge and the leaching test on the stabilized organic fraction showed the suitability of the proposed materials for reuse. The study proved that the reuse of drinking water sludge for the construction of barrier layers and the formation of "bio-soils" reduces the consumption of natural materials, the demand for landfill volumes, and offers numerous technological advantages.

Pollution and management of the environment are serious problems which concern the entire planet; the main responsibility should be attributed to human activities that contribute significantly to damage the environment, leading to an imbalance of natural ecosystems. In recent years, numerous studies focused on the three environmental compartments: soil, water and air. The pollution of groundwater is a widespread problem. The causes of pollution are often linked to human activities, including waste disposal.

Sanitary landfills of municipal solid waste (MSW) might be used to reduce the storage volume required at plants giving year-round treatment of olive oil mill effluent (OME). A landfill in the methanogenic stage could act as an anaerobic filter and reduce the pollutional load of the OME while also acting as a temporary storage tank. In the present work, a lysimeter in pilot scale was used to simulate a cell of a sanitary landfill. It was filled with MSW screened by a 80 mm mesh sieve mixed to municipal sludge. Results show that when OME was spread on the top of the lysimeter at a loading rate not exceeding 0.4 kgCOD/d/m3 of reactor steady methanogenic activity was maintained in the layers of refuse and a 70% removal of COD was obtained in the OME leachate collected. Higher loading rates reduced methanogenic activity and COD removal efficiency. Nevertheless, the OME collected from the bottom of the landfill was more easily treated by anaerobic digestion than was the raw OME.

The present article is aimed at illustrating a methodology for a rapid and effective assessment of pollution hazard connected with the presence of uncontrolled landfills. In particular, by means of a fuzzy approach, the criterion adopted allowed a comparison of the results obtained from a cross analysis of some intrinsic characteristics of the single landfills and the territory where they are located. Their identification shows the most relevant environmental problem. Therefore, we have classified each site within a hazard scale enabling us to understand which one requires to be checked more urgently, to do instrumental surveys and, if needed, to do restoration and reclamation. Moreover, the sensitivity analysis we carried out allowed us to identify which is the best membership function belonging and which is the best defuzzification method. That is, in particular, the trapezoidal function and the centroid method. The proposed fuzzy approach, supported by the sensitivity analysis, has revealed to be an important tool for supporting decisions, in order to optimise technical and economic resources.

In November 2012 the University of BASILicata Raman Lidar system (BASIL) was approved to enter the International Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC). This network includes more than 70 high-quality, remote-sensing research stations for observing and understanding the physical and chemical state of the upper troposphere and stratosphere and for assessing the impact of stratosphere changes on the underlying troposphere and on global climate. As part of this network, more than thirty groundbased Lidars deployed worldwide are routinely operated to monitor atmospheric ozone, temperature, aerosols, water vapour, and polar stratospheric clouds. In the frame of NDACC, BASIL performs measurements on a routine basis each Thursday, typically from local noon to midnight, covering a large portion of the daily cycle. Measurements from BASIL are included in the NDACC database both in terms of water vapour mixing ratio and temperature. This paper illustrates some measurement examples from BASIL, with a specific focus on water vapour measurements, with the goal to try and characterize the system performances.

The aquatic environmental protection from degradation due to human activities must be based on a monitoring program that allows for water quality assessment as a function of basin pollution sources and river self-cleaning capacity. The objectives of the research are: firstly, to set up a basin scale water quality monitoring program, secondly, obtain a baseline water quality evaluation and thirdly, identify and analyse the relations between water quality and pollution discharges from the basin. The design of the technical monitoring program on a local scale requires the determining of the location of sampling stations, sampling procedure for water, control parameters and the selection of temporal frequencies. A preliminary campaign was carried out to validate the water sampling methodology by exploring the transversal and vertical changes of dissolved oxygen concentration in the river cross section. A dissolved oxygen profile along the river put the emphasis on the minimum oxygen values, representative of organic load pollution peaks, and on the river's capacity for recovering. A monthly monitoring program has been going on since April 1997, focusing on water quality assessment.