Effect of solid waste landfill organic pollutants on groundwater in three areas of Sicily (Italy) characterized by different vulnerability

The aim of this study was to obtain information on the presence and levels of hazardous organic pollutants in groundwater located close to solid waste landfills. Eighty-two environmental contaminants, including 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 20 volatile organic compounds (VOCs), 29 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), 7 dioxins (polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, PCDDs) and 10 furans (polychlorinated dibenzofurans, PCDFs) were monitored in areas characterised by different geological environments surrounding three municipal solid waste landfills (Palermo, Siculiana and Ragusa) in Sicily (Italy) in three sampling campaigns. The total concentrations of the 16 PAHs were always below the legal threshold. Overall, the Fl/Fl + Py diagnostic ratio revealed that PAHs had a petrogenic origin. VOC levels, except for two notable exceptions near Palermo landfill, were always below the legal limit. As concerns PCB levels, several samples were found positive with levels exceeding the legal limits. It is worth noting that the % PCB distribution differs from that of commercial compositions. In parallel, some samples of groundwater containing PCDDs and PCDFs exceeding the legal threshold were also found. Among the 17 congeners monitored, the most abundant were the highest molecular weight ones.

     

Shadows and lights of GSCM (Green Supply Chain Management): determinants and effects of these practices based on a multi-national study

Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) is an increasingly widely-diffused practice among companies that are seeking to improve their environmental performance. The motivation for the introduction of GSCM may be ethical (e.g., reflecting the values of managers) and/or commercial (e.g., gaining a possible competitive advantage by signalling environmental concern). Drawing upon a database of over 4000 manufacturing facilities in seven OECD countries this paper assesses the determinants and motivations for the implementation of GSCM. We find that GSCM is strongly complementary with other advanced management practices, and that it contributes to improved environmental performance. The effects on commercial performance are more ambiguous.     

River pollution from non-point sources: a new simplified method of assessment

Assessment of the pollution of water bodies from non-point sources is a complex data- and time-consuming task. The potential non-point pollution index (PNPI), is a new tool designed to assess the global pressure exerted on rivers and other surface water bodies by different land uses. The main feature of PNPI is the wide availability of its input data. Very detailed input maps, often lacking over many areas, are not needed for PNPI calculation. As a consequence of the input data used, the modelling of physical reality and of processes is heavily simplified. The authors counterbalanced such a simplification using an 'expert system' approach. The system bypasses the accurate representation of the physical reality to assess globally the pollution potential of different land uses according to the judgement of scientists. The scientific community proposes many models for depicting the dynamics of pollutants coming from diffuse sources. Most of them can be grouped into two broad categories: statistical models and physically based models. PNPI belongs to neither of the above-mentioned groups. PNPI is a GIS-based, watershed-scale tool designed to inform decision makers and public opinion about the potential environmental impacts of different land management scenarios. PNPI applies the multicriteria technique to pollutant dynamics and water quality. The pressure exerted on water bodies by diffuse pollution coming from land units is expressed as a function of three indicators: land use, run-off and distance from the river network. They are calculated from land use data, geological maps and a digital elevation model (DEM). The weights given to different land uses and to the three indicators were set according to experts' evaluations and allow calculation of the value of the PNPI for each node of a grid representing the watershed; the higher the PNPI of the cell, the greater the potential impact on the river network. The output of the calculation is presented in the form of maps that highlight areas that are more likely to produce pollution. Last, possibilities, strategies and results of the validation of the PNPI are described. In the authors' view, the explicit link between land use and potential pollution on which PNPI is based, together with its high communication potential, make it particularly interesting for a participatory and integrated approach to land management and environmental protection.     

Antimony speciation in terrestrial plants. Comparative studies on extraction methods

A suitable method for the extraction of antimony species from plant materials prior to IC-HG-AFS analysis is presented. The extraction efficiency with different extraction systems using various aqueous and aqueous/solvent mixtures was initially evaluated by analysing the Virginia Tobacco Leaves Certified Reference Material. The concentration of antimony extracted was compared with the total antimony content in the plant material measured by HG-AFS after focused microwave-acidic digestion using HNO3 and H2O2. The proposed extraction procedures were applied to antimony speciation in several plants from a natural terrestrial environment impacted by mining activities. End-over-end agitation (4 h) followed by sonication (1 h) extraction using 0.1 mol l(-1) citric acid was found to provide the best extraction efficiency while also giving reliable speciation information. Both inorganic and methylantimony species were found in the extractable portion of some terrestrial plants.     

A mild photochemical approach to the degradation of phenols from olive oil mill wastewater

Photooxidation of cathecol (1) is carried out in aqueous solution at lambda > 300 nm using different sensitizers: rose bengal (RB), 9,10-dicyanoanthracene (DCA), 2,4,6-triphenylpyrylium tetrafluoroborate (Pyryl). The highest degradation is observed in the UV/RB-sensitized reaction (66% after 15 h of irradiation), mineralization and formation of dimers are the final events. This procedure has been extended to tyrosol (2), caffeic acid (3), vanillic acid (4), 4-hydroxycinnamic acid (5) and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (6) as well as to a mixture of all phenols. A reduced toxicity of the UV/RB-irradiated solutions of cathecol and tyrosol towards alga Ankistrodesmus braunii is also verified.     

Plutonium contamination from accidental release or simply fallout: study of soils at Palomares (Spain)

The activity concentration of plutonium in an environmental sample does not usually constitute sufficient information to determine if it is due only to fallout. Alpha and gamma spectrometry are used here conjointly in the study of environmental soil samples to distinguish between samples showing plutonium contamination due to fallout exclusively, and samples contaminated with plutonium from another source. The method was applied to soil samples collected in Palomares (Spain), where an accidental release of aerosols contaminated with plutonium occurred. The two contributions (fallout and accidentally released plutonium) were separated by means of the activity ratios between various radionuclides present in the samples analyzed. The fallout level was estimated from the 239 + 240Pu/137Cs activity ratio. For samples showing contamination due to the accident, the 238Pu/239 + 240Pu and 239Pu/240Pu activity ratios were also calculated to determine the grade of plutonium of this contamination.     

Citizens’ perception of the resilience of Australian cities

How well does the general public understand the concept of urban resilience? We address this question via an online survey of 500+ citizens living in three large Australian cities (Sydney, Melbourne and Perth). The majority of respondents claim not to know what urban resilience means. Of the remaining respondents, understanding ranges from poor to sophisticated. To circumvent this stated lack of understanding, we cast the concept of urban resilience into a more familiar framework consisting of risk and ability to cope with threats. This allows us to assess perceptions about what may challenge the resilience of Australian cities. Two concerns clearly emerge: (1) violence and social unrest and (2) environmental threats. Analysing a number of constructs from the social psychology literature reveals that these two concerns hold different cognitive signatures, whose understanding may facilitate discussion and communication within a public engagement process.