Environmental and economic evaluation of natural capital appropriation through building construction: practical case study in the Italian context

This paper focuses on appropriation of natural capital through construction of buildings. The ecological footprint and the Costanza natural capital concepts are applied. The environmental consequences of human settlement are currently of great concern, and a need is felt to reduce the impact of building on the environment. The embodied energy of building materials and the "land area" required to sustain their production are considered to evaluate the demand on nature of this activity. The ecological footprints of 2 typical Italian buildings are compared. The paper also focuses on how to reduce the natural capital appropriation of building construction by means of environmentally inexpensive materials, renewable energy resources, and optimization of the use of bioproductive land by construction of multistoried buildings. Finally, to allocate an environmental load of buildings, an economic evaluation of natural capital appropriation through building construction is proposed.     

Combining Environmental Factors and Agriculturalists’ Observations of Environmental Changes in the Traditional Terrace System of the Amalfi Coast (Southern Italy)

Terraces are traditional engineered ecosystems that affect the hydro-geological equilibrium, slope stability, and local communities. The aims of this paper are (i) identifying environmental factors that affect terrace stability in the Amalfi Coast, (ii) defining agriculturalists’ observations on environmental changes within that system and (iii) exploring potentiality of these observations to better define conservation strategies. All available data on physical and ecological factors recognized to affect the terrace system were collected and analyzed. Interviews were conducted with agriculturalists to obtain long-term observations on environmental factors that interact with this system. Landslides are more frequent where rainfall is high and during winter. Fires have an uneven annual distribution, with higher frequency during summers. Agriculturalists detailed complex interactions among environmental factors, economic elements, and terraces. These observations represent a valuable resource for defining causes and effects of abandonment and for better addressing conservation strategies.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13280-013-0433-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Genetic structure in lagoons: the effects of habitat discontinuity and low dispersal ability on populations of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Atherina boyeri</Emphasis>

Atherina boyeri is a common inhabitant of the Mediterranean brackish and coastal waters. Several recent studies proposed the recognition of three distinct forms/species (one lagoon/freshwater and two marine) within an A. boyeri complex. In this study, we used 10 newly available microsatellite loci to better define the genetic structure of the lagoon form. A total of 428 fishes from 11 lagoons along the Italian and Albanian coasts and three Italian lakes were analyzed. A pronounced genetic spatial structure was confirmed for all considered geographic scales (near, medium and broad). A restricted gene flow was detected, suggesting reduced population connectivity. The comparison of present data and previous studies, based on mtDNA and RAPD markers, allowed a preliminary identification of the roles of recent factors (gene flow, habitat discontinuity and water currents) and past events (e.g., Pleistocene glaciations) in shaping the pattern of genetic differentiation.     

Fate and behavior of metal(loid) contaminants in an organic matter-rich shooting range soil: Implications for remediation

This study investigates the fate and behavior of lead (Pb), copper (Cu), antimony (Sb), and arsenic (As) in a shooting range soil. The soil samples were collected from the surface (0–15 cm) and the subsurface (15–40 cm and 40–55 cm) of a grassy and wood chip covered impact area behind a firing position. Optical microscopy images indicate significant amounts of corroded bullet fragments and organic wood chips in the surface soil. Analysis by X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) and scanning electron microscopy electron dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) showed that metallic Pb was transformed into lead oxides (litharge PbO and massicot PbO) and lead carbonates (hydrocerussite Pb₃(CO₃)₂(OH)₂, cerussite PbCO₃, and plumbonacrite Pb₅(CO₃)₃O(OH)₂). Rietveld quantification indicated the surface soil contained 14.1% metallic Pb, 17.9% hydrocerussite, 5.2% plumbonacrite, 5.9% litharge, and 3.9% massicot on a dry weight basis, or a total of 39.7% Pb, far in excess of lead concentrations typically found in US shooting range soils. Metallic Cu (bullet jacket material) appeared stable as no secondary minerals were detected in the surface soil. As and Sb concentrations were on the order of 1,057 mg/kg and 845 mg/kg respectively. The elevated soil pH coupled with high organic carbon content is thought to have caused downward migration of metals, especially for Pb, since 4,153 mg Pb/kg was observed at a depth of 55 cm. More than 60% of Pb was concentrated in the coarse soil (> 0.425 mm) fraction, suggesting soil clean-up possible by physical soil washing may be viable. The concentrations of Pb, As, and Sb in the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) extracts were 8,869 mg/L, 6.72 mg/L, and 6.42 mg/L respectively, were above the USEPA non-hazardous regulatory limit (As and Pb) of 5 mg/L. The elevated Sb and As concentrations draw concern because there is historically limited information concerning these metals at firing ranges and several values exceeded local soil cleanup criteria. As the high Pb concentrations appeared to be linked to the presence of organic-rich berm cover materials, the use of wood chips as berm cover to prevent soil erosion requires reconsideration as a shooting range management practice.     

Assessment of the applicability of a “toolbox” designed for microbially assisted phytoremediation: the case study at Ingurtosu mining site (Italy)

The paper describes the fieldwork at the Italian test site of the abandoned mine of sphalerite and galena in Ingurtosu (Sardinia), with the aim to assess the applicability of a “toolbox” to establish the optimized techniques for remediation of soils contaminated by mining activities. A preliminary characterization—including (hydro)geochemistry, heavy metal concentration and their mobility in soil, bioprospecting for microbiology and botany—provided a data set for the development of a toolbox to deliver a microbially assisted phytoremediation process. Euphorbia pithyusa was selected as an endemic pioneer plant to be associated with a bacterial consortium, established with ten selected native strains, including metal-tolerant bacteria and producers of plant growth factors. The toolbox was firstly assessed in a greenhouse pot experiment. A positive effect of bacterial inoculum on E. pithyusa germination and total plant survival was observed. E. pithyusa showed to be a well-performing metallophyte species, and only inoculated soil retained a microbial activity with a high functional diversity, expanding metabolic affinity also towards root exudates. These results supported the decision to proceed with a field trial, investigating different treatments used singly or in combination: bioaugmentation with bacterial consortia, mycorrhizal fungi and a commercial mineral amendment. Microbial activity in soil, plant physiological parameters and heavy metal content in plants and in soil were monitored. Five months after the beginning, an early assessment of the toolbox under field conditions was carried out. Despite the cold season (October–March), results suggested the following: (1) the field setup as well as the experimental design proved to be effective; (2) plant survival was satisfactory; (3) soil quality was increased and bioaugmentation improved microbial activity, expanding the metabolic competences towards plant interaction (root exudates); and (4) multivariate analysis supported the data provided that the proposed toolbox can be established and the field trial can be carried forward.     

Assessment of nitrogen leaching from arable land in large river basins: Part I. Simulation experiments using a process-based model

A two-step procedure for analysing nitrogen leaching from arable land in large river basins is suggested: (1) application of a process-based dynamic model for a set of representative conditions in a large river basin to simulate water and nitrogen fluxes and (2) development of a fuzzy-rule based metamodel using the simulated nitrogen fluxes in Step 1 as a training set. After that the metamodel can be used for rapid assessment of water quality inside the considered ranges of parameters, describing natural conditions and management practices. This paper describes Step 1 of the procedure. Step 2 is described in an accompanying paper (Haberlandt et al., Ecological Modelling 150 (3) (2002) 277–294). The advantage of this approach is that it combines the ‘process-based foundation’ with the resulting simplicity of the metamodel. Simulation experiments for analysing nitrogen (N) leaching from arable land were performed using the Soil and Water Integrated Model (SWIM) for a set of representative conditions in the Saale basin (23 687 km²) in Central Europe. The Saale River is one of the main tributaries of the Elbe. In advance, hydrological validation of the model was done for the whole Saale basin and validation of nitrogen dynamics was fulfilled in two mesoscale sub-basins of the Elbe. For the simulation experiments the drainage basin area was sub-divided into five climate zones and nine representative soil classes were chosen. The basic rotation and fertilisation schemes were established using regional information obtained from literature. In addition, the effects of changing the basic rotation to more/less intensive ones and changing fertilisation rates by 50% increase/decrease were studied. The ranges of simulated nitrogen fluxes for the basic rotation and fertilisation schemes are comparable to available regional estimates and differences between sub-regions and soils are plausible. The relative importance of natural and anthropogenic factors affecting nitrogen leaching for the Saale River basin was as follows: (1) soil, (2) climate, (3) fertilisation rate and (4) crop rotation. The simulation experiments provide a basis for a fuzzy-rule based metamodel approach, which aims at rapid water quality assessment of large regions.     

Temporal and spatial distribution of three supralittoral amphipod species on a sandy beach of central Italy

The distribution of three talitrid species—Talitrus saltator (Montagu, 1808), Orchestia gammarella (Pallas, 1766), Platorchestia platensis (Kroyer, 1845)—in the beach-dune system at the mouth of the Mignone River (central Italy) was analysed. It was related to the variations of the following abiotic factors: temperature, penetrability, pH, conductivity and moisture of the sediment. The beach-dune system is influenced by human impact and natural erosion. All species showed a maximum capture frequency in November, while the abundance decreased to a minimum in July. T. saltator was dominant on the beach, the other two along the riverbank. Juveniles were abundant along the riverbank; they were most abundant in November and almost disappeared in summer. T. saltator was more abundant near the waterline during the hottest months and occupied the inner beach in winter, with occasional presences on the dune. Regression analysis between the abiotic factors and species abundance showed a positive relationship with pH and temperature for T. saltator, while O. gammarella was negatively related to pH. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) showed that penetrability, moisture and temperature had the greatest influence on the species. T. saltator was almost entirely confined to the beach transects and strongly associated with penetrability, temperature and pH values. O. gammarella was mostly associated with the riverbank and P. platensis only found there and on a nearby pool. The two species were mainly influenced by moisture and variations in grain sizes of the sediment.     

Social and geographical inequalities in prenatal care in Italy

The purpose of this study was to find out possible differences in prenatal diagnosis (PD) by amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling and ultrasound examination before 16 weeks' gestation (early ultrasound examination, EUE), according to area of residence and level of education of the mothers. Data come from a multicentre study in Italy involving 43 maternity hospitals (Mercurio project) and were collected through structured interviews a few days after delivery. Study subjects were 1541 mothers of single non-malformed infants born between April 1992 and March 1994. Overall, the incidence of PD and EUE was 5.8 and 80 per cent, respectively. After adjustment for maternal age and other possible confounders, the odds ratios for PD were 2.19 (95 per cent confidence interval (CI)=1.26–3.81) when women residing in the northern regions were compared with those residing in the southern regions, and 2.06 (95 per cent CI=1.12–3.79) and 4.08 (95 per cent CI=1.97–8.42) when women with medium and high levels of education were compared with those with low level. For EUE, the odds ratios were 1.77 (95 per cent CI=1.32–2.36) and 2.88 (95 per cent CI=1.56–5.29) when comparing women with medium and high levels of education with those with low level. No relationship was found between area of residence and EUE. These geographical and social inequalities in prenatal care in Italy should be taken into account for the organization, delivery, and evaluation of pregnancy services in the coming years.     

Biomonitoring of persistent organochlorine pesticides, PCDD/PCDFs and dioxin-like PCBs in blood of children from South West Germany (Baden-Wuerttemberg) from 1993 to 2003

In the context of a monitoring program, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were quantified in the blood of 10 year old children at four different demographic regions in Baden-Wuerttemberg, a highly industrialised federal state in South West Germany. DDE, HCB, PCB 138, PCB 153 and PCB 180 were measured in 1996/1997, 1998/1999, 2000/2001 and 2002/2003 in individual samples of about 400 children per year. PCDD/PCDFs and some relevant coplanar PCBs were determined in pooled samples from children in seven cycles from 1993 to 2003. Blood concentrations of the investigated compounds decreased in that time period by a factor of 2-4 with the exception of most PCDFs. The concentrations of POPs in the blood of the children were distinctly lower than the concentrations reported for adults. Breast feeding was associated with about 30% higher median concentrations of DDE, HCB, PCBs and a 30% increase for mean PCDD/PCDF concentrations. Concerning demographic differences, significant lower concentrations of HCB, PCBs and PCDD/PCDFs could be seen in children from Mannheim compared to the region of Aulendorf. About 10-20% higher concentrations were found in boys compared to girls for HCB, indicator PCBs and PCDD/PCDFs. The pattern of non-ortho and mono-ortho PCBs in the blood of children was similar to the pattern reported for mother's milk, and PCB 126 and PCB 156 contributed about 70% to the toxicity of dioxin-like PCBs and about one-third to total TEQ including PCDD/PCDFs.