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We present a study on the mud volcanoes of Bolle della Malvizza located in the Irpinia sector of the southern Apennines (southern Italy). These structures are hosted in the Upper Cretaceous-Upper Miocene Fortore succession (Lagonegro-Molise Basin) and emit mud and bubbles of methane and CO2. Mud volcanoes are focused in a narrow area of ca. 5000 m2, consisting of eight main emission centres and several minor craters. We approached this research with a multidisciplinary study, including stratigraphic and structural surveys, geophysical and geochemical investigations and morphometric analyses. This study aims to investigate the origin of fluid migration and shed light on the pathways mainly controlled by faults.

The line of research on potentially toxic elements (PTEs) is of growing interest to the scientific community for protecting society against adverse health issues. The Campi Flegrei caldera in southern Italy is an active volcanic area where above two million people live, making it an ideal study area for investigating PTEs of natural and anthropogenic origin through the latest advances in geochemical data analysis. Therefore, a total of 394 topsoil samples (0 to 15 cm) were collected for determining the “pseudo-total” concentrations of elements in the 10 mg/kg) than Cr, Co, Ni, Tl, Sb, Se, Cd and Hg. The geochemical maps generated by the Empirical Bayesian Kriging interpolation technique indicate that the higher concentrations of Pb, Zn, Cd, Cr, Hg, Ni and Sb are related to the greater population density (>6500 persons per Km2) in the urban area, but the elevated levels of As, Tl, Co, Cu, Se and V are observed in the other parts. In the context of compositional data analysis, the correlation diagram and robust principal component analysis detected: (1) the Pb–Zn–Hg–Cd–Sb–Cr–Ni association that likely shows anthropogenic activities such as heavy traffic load and fossil fuel combustion in the urban area; (2) the Al–Fe–Mn–Ti–Tl–V–Co–As–U–Th association that mostly represents the contribution of pyroclastic deposits; and (3) the Na–K–B association that probably reveals the weathering degree.To choose the PTEs with potential health risks for the local inhabitants, the PTE quantities in soil are compared with the corresponding contamination thresholds established by the Italian legislation for residential land use. The Tl, Pb and Zn contents exceed the threshold in more than 15% of the collected samples, but Tl which derives from a natural source (e.g., leucite) is culled before evaluation. Then, children (0-6 years old) are considered for health risk assessment because: (1) Pb has significant adverse health effects in children; and (2) the more frequent hand-to-mouth behavior in children under 6 years old is linked to the higher chance of exposure. The probabilistic health risk modeling for the children

In 2015, an environmental monitoring plan (http://www.campaniatrasparente.it) was launched with the aim of assessing the conditions of all environmental compartments (air, water, top and bottom soils, vegetables, biological samples) of the Campania region. A total of 5,333 topsoil samples were collected and analysed to determine the concentration of 52 chemical elements by means of Aqua Regia followed by ICP-MS. The main aim of prospecting campaign was to establish the ranges of the natural geochemical background for a few potentially toxic elements (PTEs) to be used as reference to define the degree of contamination of anthropized areas.In the study area (about 13,600 km2) four volcanic areas are present and their pyroclastic products are spread across the regional territory due to a common (Plinian) explosive behaviour.Due to the natural enrichment in some PTEs of soil developed on pyroclastic products, to discriminate the anthropic signals from the natural ones using geochemical data it is not a simple task when dealing with Campania soils. Therefore, as a preparatory work, to precisely identify regional areas mantled by “volcanic” soils we trained five machine learning algorithms (MLAs) to recognize when soil geochemistry is linked with the presence of volcanic products. All MLAs were implemented on centered log-ratio transformed data to reduce the closure and scaling effect commonly affecting geochemical data. In total, 1277 volcanic soils (VS) and 353 non-volcanic soils (NVS), respectively, were selected for the training phase. Data related with VS were selected based on the proximity of the samples with the volcanic centres, excluding highly anthropized areas. Data related with NVS were selected by consulting available detailed geological maps of those areas located faraway from volcanic areas where pyroclastic covers are completely absent. During the training phase, a cross-validation procedure was applied for parameters optimization. In the test phase all the MLAs showed an accuracy greater than 98% and the Random Forest algorithm proved to be the most accurate for the prediction of the remaining 3903 unlabelled soils. Therefore, a total of 1739 samples were classified as NVS and 2164 as VS. A subsequent comparison of the results with the existing distribution models of volcanic products has shown that samples classified as VS mainly fall in areas characterized by a high thickness of the pyroclastic fall deposits normally related to i) eruptions occurred in the last 10 Ky; ii) Campanian Ignimbrite eruption (ca. 39 ky BP); iii) Codola eruption (ca. 25 ky BP).The MLAs results suggested that the most important chemical variables for the specific classification purpose were Ni, Cs, Ca, Co, Rb, Sc, Mn, U, Na. It is also evident that a first classification could be made by using few of these elements, as well. Our findings could be used as a valuable tool to better discriminate soil nature and geochemical characteristic aiming at a more effective assessment of natural background ranges for those elements sourced by both natural processes and human activities.

Bioavailability of some major and trace elements was evaluated in 1,993 topsoil samples collected across Campania region (Southern Italy). A main focus was made on Al, Ca, K, Mg, Cu, Tl since they are linked, for different reasons, to agriculture. Bioavailability was assessed by an extraction with ammonium nitrate and the data were compared with the pseudo-total concentration determined by Aqua Regia digestion. Geochemical maps of the pseudo-total and bioavailable concentrations were generated using a multifractal inverse distance weighted (MIDW) interpolation. In addition, the spatial distribution patterns of the percent bioavailability of elements, based on the ratio among bioavailable and the pseudo-total fractions, were also determined. The median value of the percent bioavailability showed the order Ca > K >> Mg. Tl >> Cu >> Al and it represents a positive finding in terms of both agricultural productivity and environmental quality. Further, a multiple linear regression was finally applied to data to unveil any dependence of the bioavailable fraction on the pseudo-total content of elements. The grain size distribution and organic matter content of samples were later included to evaluate their possible role in promoting the environmental availability of elements. The pseudo-total concentrations of Al, Ca, K, and Mg alone resulted to be poorly able to predict the variability of the bioavailable fraction. The addition of the grain size distribution and organic matter content to the models expanded the predictive capability of Ca, K, and Mg whereas a marginal improvement was showed by Al, Cu, and Tl. This study represents a methodological contribution to a better understanding of the processes underlying the spatial variability of chemical elements in soil. Considering the positive outcomes obtained, further researches were planned to include more variables (e.g. soil pH, redox potential, content in Iron and Manganese oxides, etc.) in the predictive models. Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno (IZSM); University of Napoli Federico II; Campania Trasparente - Attivita di monitoraggio integrato per la Regione Campania; Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, dell'Ambiente e delle Risorse (DiSTAR); Fondo per le Misure Anticiliche e la Salvaguardia dell'Occupazione - Azione B4 ?Mappatura del Territorio"; [Del.G.R. n. 497/2013] Published version The work has been supported by the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno (IZSM) by means of the Contract with the Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, dell'Ambiente e delle Risorse (DiSTAR), University of Napoli Federico II in the framework of the "Campania Trasparente - Attivita di monitoraggio integrato per la Regione Campania" Project funded in the framework of Del.G.R. n. 497/2013: Fondo per le Misure Anticiliche e la Salvaguardia dell'Occupazione - Azione B4 ?Mappatura del Territorio" approved with Executive Decree DG "Sviluppo Economico" n.585, September 14, 2015 (Research Unit Responsibles: Prof. B. De Vivo, Prof. Stefano Albanese).

Campi Flegrei is an active volcanic field in south Italy where the potentially toxic elements (PTEs) are of growing concern because the intensive anthropogenic and volcanic activities might pose adverse human health effects. In this article, 394 topsoils (0-15 cm) are collected for instrumental analysis of the2 mm fraction. The geochemical maps indicate that higher concentrations of Pb, Zn, Cd, Cr, Hg, Ni and Sb are related to the urban area, but greater levels of As, Tl, Co, Cu, Se and V are observed in the other parts. A robust principal component analysis detected: (1) the Pb-Zn-Hg-Cd-Sb-Cr-Ni association that probably highlights anthropogenic activities such as heavy traffic load and fossil fuel combustion in the urbanized area; (2) the Al-Fe-Mn-Ti-Tl-V-Co-As-U-Th association that mostly reveals the contribution of pyroclastic deposits; and (3) the Na-K-B association that feasibly indicates the weathering degree. The probabilistic health risk modeling for the children under 6 years old shows negligible Pb and Zn non-carcinogenic risk and unexpected Pb carcinogenic risk for exposure through soil ingestion. However, for the inhalation pathway, the children aged1 year old have the highest chance (90%) of acceptable (i.e. between 1E-6 and 1E-4) Pb carcinogenic health risk. This should not be overlooked because Naples is under high environmental pressure and previous studies reported the increased Pb and Zn quantities in soil over a 26-year timespan. Overall, the results of geostatistical interpolation, compositional data analysis and probabilistic health risk modeling potentially uncover the link between soil geochemistry and human health.

Providing safe tap water has been a global concern. Water scarcity, the ever-increasing water demand, temporal variation of water consumption, aging urban water infrastructure and anthropogenic pressure on the water resources are the greatest challenges in effective water supply. In the present article, the waters exploited to be introduced in a water distribution system (i.e. input water) and tap waters are collected for determination of metal(loid)s, ions and physicochemical parameters. Seasonal variation is observed in the chemistry of the input waters. Further, the annual total dissolved solids (TDS) of the tap waters range from 200 to 1000 mg l-1 which stresses the importance of interconnections between urban water reservoirs for mixing different water types and adjusting water quality. It is complicated in populated cities like Naples with an old water distribution network, which also challenges setting up hydraulic and water quality models. The preliminary data visualization indicates the different chemical characteristics of some samples that are supposed to receive water from the same source. This might explain the difficulties in understanding the network layout in Naples. Thus, the compositional nature of chemical data was considered in hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) to seasonally study water transfer between urban water reservoirs and define the source of tap water in each city area. The proposed method can preliminarily divide the pipe network into unique clusters and provide an overview of the relationships between different components when representative models cannot be set up due to limited information about network characteristics. Hence, advanced water distribution simulation and management is encouraged. This journal is

The Commune of Santiago is an administrative unit belonging to Chile's capital city. It is the central hub for local transportation services and the centre of most national government functions. In 2017, a geochemical survey was carried out focusing on the topsoils of the commune. A total of 121 samples were homogeneously collected across an area of 22.4 sqkm to determine the spatial distribution of potentially toxic elements (PTE) and discover their primary and secondary sources. In the aim of the work, the assessment of human health risk for the local population was also included considering both the direct contact with soils and the breathing of airborne particles as relevant exposure pathways.The geochemical baseline maps of 15 PTEs were generated using the Multifractal IDW (MIDW) interpolation, and map intervals were determined using a Concentration-Area plot considering the fractal structure of the geochemical data.The contamination degree of the urban soil and its pattern was also calculated and mapped after developing a new index, named as Cumulative Contamination Degree (CCD), which integrate information about the severity of contamination and its spatial complexity.A robust multivariate statistical analysis based on Principal Components (RPCA) was carried out considering the compositional nature of the geochemical data. In addition, to highlight the presence and the geochemical patterns depending on different contamination sources, a Sequential Binary Partition (SBP) was used to generate contrasts among those elements considered as proxies of specific processes (Urban traffic, productive settlements, etc.).A probabilistic approach was chosen to assess the risk due to exposure to soils for the local population. It was based on Monte Carlo simulation to include uncertainty due to spatial variation of data and the relative mobility of people within the borders of the study area. The results obtained show that the innovation proposed to assess contamination and discriminate its sources, even when they are of secondary relevance, can generate positive feedback. Using a probabilistic approach in a non-site specific framework can even be considered a more reliable method to assess risks if we want to not underestimate the burden of uncertainty that substantially influences the results.

In 2015, the "Campania Trasparente" project (http://www.campaniatrasparente.it), a monitoring plan focused on assessing the environmental conditions of the territory of the Campania region, started thanks to the financial support of the regional government. The project's general management was in charge of the Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Southern Italy (IZSM).In the project framework, the collection and analysis of many environmental and biological samples (including soil and air and human blood specimen) were completed. The primary aim of the whole project was to explore the existence of a link between the presence of some illnesses in the local population and the status of the environment and generate a reliable database to assess local foodstuff healthiness.Six research units were active in the framework of the project. As for soil and air, the Environmental Geochemistry Working Group (EGWG) at the Department of Earth, Environment and Resources Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, was in charge of most of the research activities. Specifically, the EGWG completed the elaboration of the data on potentially toxic metals/metalloids (PTMs) and organic contaminants (PAHs, OCPs, Dioxins) in the regional soils and air.The monitoring of air contaminants lasted more than one year, and it was completed employing passive air samplers (PAS) and deposimeters spread across the whole region.Three volumes were published, including statistical elaborations and geochemical maps of all the contaminants analysed to provide both the regional government and local scientific and professional community with a reliable tool to approach local environmental problems starting from a sound base of knowledge.Geochemical distribution patterns of potentially toxic elements (PTEs), for example, were used to establish local geochemical background/baseline intervals for those metals (naturally enriched in regional soils) found to systematically overcome the national environmental guidelines (set by the Legislative Decree 152/2006).Data from the air, analysed in terms of concentration and time variation, were, instead, fundamental to discriminate the areas of the regional territory characterised by heavy contamination associated with the emission of organic compounds from anthropic sources.The integration of all the data generated within the "Campania Trasparente" framework, including the data proceeding from the Susceptible Population Exposure Study (SPES), focusing on human biomonitoring (based on blood), allowed the development of a regional-wide conceptual model to be used as a base to generate highly specialised risk assessments for regional population and local communities affected by specific environmental problems.

Campania Region, Southern Italy, in the last 10 years was facing potential environmental issues which needed to be addressed, with the proper scientific approach, to alleviate pressure from public opinion, based more on emotions than on scientific data. Such pressure indicated an increase of oncological incidence, not supported by scientific data on the presence of anomalous pollutants in different natural media (soil, water, air, agricultural products). To face environmental/health alarm, the Campania Regional Government in 2015 funded a large, multidisciplinary, environmental project known as Campania Trasparente, to Istituto Zooprofilattico del Mezzogiorno (IZSM), to get a deeper and scientific knowledge of the Campania territory carrying out geochemical investigations, to: 1) characterize the geochemical composition of agricultural soil, air and groundwater at regional and local scale; 2) define the level of bio-availability of the toxic elements; 3) try to demonstrate a direct relationship between the presence of contaminants in the environmental matrices, in agricultural products and finally in the human matrices (hair, urine, blood). Within this project we got data on the presence of the potentially toxic metals (PTMs) and hazardous persistent organic pollutants (POPs: OCPs, PCBs, PAHs, PAEs, PBDEs) in different media of the entire Region. The new large dataset complemented our research and monitoring activities, which before 2015, were focused mostly on PTMs in soils, both at regional and local scale. In Campania Trasparente project, samples (9,000) of top and bottom soils, air and bulk deposition (150 passive air samplers, over 7 seasons), waters (1,200), vegetation (2,500) and biological (4,200) media, were collected to characterize the status of PTMs and POPs. The results obtained showed that: a) most of these elements and compounds, in higher concentrations, occur predominantly in critical areas of Napoli Urban and Metropolitan Area (NMA) and in the Sarno river basin; b) the infamous area, in the Caserta and Napoli provincial territory, known as Terra dei Fuochi (Land of Fires), is only marginally interested by anomalous occurrence of PTMs and POPs in some spot areas, not justifying the emotional alarms calling for an increase of oncological cases due to diffuse illegal practice of wastes disposal in the area; c) the agricultural crops of the Terra dei Fuochi are not affected by anomalous PTM. Specifically, the ecological risk conditions for PAHs and some OCPs (Endosulfan) occur, mostly in NMA; PCBs are sourced mostly in urban areas, being dissipated in rural areas, whereas PAEs and PBDEs occur, in general, in concentrations similar to those in other Italian regions, with some higher hot spot values in NMA and south of Salerno town. The interactional complexity between metropolitan and the surrounding rural areas is also confirmed, as it is the role that urban areas play in the migration and transformation process of POPs. High urban-rural gradients for atmospheric PAHs, PCBs and OCPs are observed mostly in the NMA and the urban areas, identified as the main emission source of POPs. Only OCPs, originating from the nearby agricultural areas, experienced long-term soil re-emission, continuously influencing conterminous urban environment via atmospheric transport processes.

Il volume illustra i risultati del monitoraggio geochimico-ambientale finalizzato alla valutazione dell’inquinamento da Contaminanti Organici Persistenti (noti nella letteratura come POP - Persistent Organic Pollutants) e Elementi Potenzialmente Tossici (EPT) della matrice aria della Regione Campania. Tale lavoro è stato svolto nell’ambito del “Programma Campania Trasparente - Attività di Monitoraggio Integrato per la Regione Campania”. Progetto finanziato dalla Regione Campania, attraverso l’IZSM, nell’ambito del Del.G.R. n. 497/2013: Fondo per le Misure Anticicliche e la Salvaguardia dell’Occupazione - Azione B4 “Mappatura del Territorio” approvato con il Decreto Esecutivo DG “Sviluppo Economico” n. 585, 14/09/2015. Le mappe prodotte rivestono particolare importanza in quanto mostrano la distribuzione nell’aria delle concentrazioni dei vari composti ed elementi analizzati (IPA, PCB, OCP, PBDE e EPT). Negli ultimi anni, la Campania è stata oggetto di attenzione mediatica per il presunto degrado dei territori agricoli di un’area tristemente nota come “Terra dei Fuochi”. La mancanza di una copertura di dati geochimici ad alta densità spaziale attestanti la presenza effettiva di contaminanti nelle diverse matrici ambientali dell’area ha favorito l’insorgere e la diffusione di allarmi relativi ad emergenze ambientali non meglio definite in termini di estensione territoriale ed impatto sanitario. Le indagini effettuate, con il Progetto Campania Trasparente, sono servite ad implementare la conoscenza geochimica esaustiva dell’intero territorio regionale- che rende la Campania la Regione meglio monitorata in Italia dal punto di vista ambientale. L’auspicio è che il monitoraggio (e la relativa cartografia) prodotto in Campania venga preso a modello dalle altre Regioni italiane, in modo da coprire l’intero territorio nazionale.

In 2017, a geochemical survey was carried out across the Commune of Santiago, a local administrative unit located at the center of the namesake capital city of Chile, and the concentration of a number of major and trace elements (53 in total) was determined on 121 topsoil samples. Multifractal IDW (MIDW) interpolation method was applied to raw data to generate geochemical baseline maps of 15 potential toxic elements (PTEs); the concentration-area (C-A) plot was applied to MIDW grids to highlight the fractal distribution of geochemical data. Data of PTEs were elaborated to statistically determine local geochemical baselines and to assess the spatial variation of the degree of soil contamination by means of a new method taking into account both the severity of contamination and its complexity. Afterwards, to discriminate the sources of PTEs in soils, a robust Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to data expressed in isometric log-ratio (ilr) coordinates. Based on PCA results, a Sequential Binary Partition (SBP) was also defined and balances were determined to generate contrasts among those elements considered as proxies of specific contamination sources (Urban traffic, productive settlements, etc.). A risk assessment was finally completed to potentially relate contamination sources to their potential effect on public health in the long term. A probabilistic approach, based on Monte Carlo method, was deemed more appropriate to include uncertainty due to spatial variation of geochemical data across the study area. Results showed how the integrated use of multivariate statistics and compositional data analysis gave the authors the chance to both discriminate between main contamination processes characterizing the soil of Santiago and to observe the existence of secondary phenomena that are normally difficult to constrain. Furthermore, it was demonstrated how a probabilistic approach in risk assessment could offer a more reliable view of the complexity of the process considering uncertainty as an integral part of the results. Physical and Mathematic Science Faculty (Universidad de Chile); University of Chile [N/A1/2014]; FONDAP [15200001]; ICM [NC130065] Published version This work was supported by startup funds awarded to Linda Daniele and Claudia Cannatelli by the Physical and Mathematic Science Faculty (Universidad de Chile). Linda Daniele also acknowledges the partial use of funds from Program U-Apoya (N/A1/2014) of the University of Chile, FONDAP #15200001 (Centro de Excelencia en Geotermia de los Andes, CEGA) and ICM #NC130065 (Nucleo Milenio Trazadores de Metales, NMTM).

I dati illustrati in questo volume sono il frutto del lavoro svolto nell’ambito del Programma Campania Trasparente e della decennale attività di ricerca nell’ambito del monitoraggio ambientale della Regione Campania del gruppo di ricerca del Prof. Benedetto De Vivo. In questo libro, sono sinteticamente illustrati, cercando di semplificare gli aspetti tecnici rendendoli di facile comprensione al pubblico non addetto ai lavori, i principali risultati sulla distribuzione delle concentrazioni dei Contaminanti Organici Persistenti (noti nella letteratura come POP - Persistent Organic Pollutants) e Elementi Potenzialmente Tossici (EPT). Per una consultazione esaustiva delle mappe prodotte, si rimanda alle 1679 pagine dei 3 Volumi De Vivo et al. (2021a, 2021b, 2021c). Tale lavoro è stato svolto nell’ambito del “Programma Campania Trasparente - Attività di Monitoraggio Integrato per la Regione Campania”. Progetto finanziato dalla Regione Campania, attraverso l’IZSM, nell’ambito del Del.G.R. n. 497/2013: Fondo per le Misure Anticicliche e la Salvaguardia dell’Occupazione - Azione B4 “Mappatura del Territorio” approvato con il Decreto Esecutivo DG “Sviluppo Economico” n. 585, 14/09/2015. Le mappe prodotte rivestono particolare importanza in quanto mostrano la distribuzione nell’aria e nei suoli delle concentrazioni dei vari composti ed elementi analizzati (IPA, PCB, OCP, PBDE e EPT). Negli ultimi anni, la Campania è stata oggetto di attenzione mediatica per il presunto degrado dei territori agricoli di un’area tristemente nota come “Terra dei Fuochi”. La mancanza di una copertura di dati geochimici ad alta densità spaziale attestanti la presenza effettiva di contaminanti nelle diverse matrici ambientali dell’area ha favorito l’insorgere e la diffusione di allarmi relativi ad emergenze ambientali non meglio definite in termini di estensione territoriale ed impatto sanitario. Le indagini effettuate, con il Progetto Campania Trasparente, sono servite ad implementare la conoscenza geochimica esaustiva dell’intero territorio regionale- che rende la Campania la Regione meglio monitorata in Italia dal punto di vista ambientale. L’auspicio è che il monitoraggio (e la relativa cartografia) prodotto in Campania venga preso a modello dalle altre Regioni italiane, in modo da coprire l’intero territorio nazionale.

Establishing the natural background levels of chemical elements is very often extremely complicated. This is even more true especially for the more anthropized areas, where the concentration of an element in the environmental matrices is conditioned not only by the natural (geogenic) context but also by anthropic activities. In this study, the natural background levels (NBLs) of several chemical elements in the stream sediments of the High Agri River basin have been calculated using a combination of multivariate statistical analysis (MSA) and machine learning techniques in the frame of compositional data analysis (CoDA). Specifically, data clustering and robust principal component analysis (rPCA) have allowed us to recognize and isolate three different data populations, belonging to three different geological domains. A first population of data is clearly related to calcareous lithologies, while the second one is associated to siliciclastic lithologies. A third one is of mixed origin, partly linked to the volcanoclastic nature of the sediments and due to the presence of co-precipitation phenomena. The three data populations have been later separated into three different databases and, whereas needed, the outliers have been eliminated. Based on the obtained results, the NBLs have been calculated using the US-EPA's (United States Environmental Protection Agency) ProUCL software. The results derived from this new approach have been later compared with those obtained using the spectral analysis (S-A) method to evaluate its advantages and versatility. This approach allowed calculating more reliable natural background values.

Il volume illustra, anche attraverso immagini, grafici e tabelle, i risultati del monitoraggio geochimico–ambientale finalizzato alla valutazione dell’inquinamento da Contaminanti Organici Persistenti (noti nella letteratura come POP – Persistent Organic Pollutants), nei suoli superficiali della Regione Campania. Tale lavoro è stato svolto nell’ambito del “Programma Campania Trasparente – Attività di Monitoraggio Integrato per la Regione Campania”. Progetto finanziato dalla Regione Campania, attraverso l’IZSM, nell’ambito del Del.G.R. n. 497/2013: Fondo per le Misure Anticicliche e la Salvaguardia dell’Occupazione – Azione B4 “Mappatura del Territorio” approvato con il Decreto Esecutivo DG “Sviluppo Economico” n. 585, 14/09/2015. Le mappe prodotte rivestono particolare importanza in quanto mostrano la distribuzione spaziale delle concentrazioni dei vari composti analizzati (IPA, PCB e OCP) e individuano le aree in cui la concentrazione di tali sostanze supera la soglia di riferimento imposta dal d.l. 152/2006 e dal d.m. 46/2019. Negli ultimi anni, la Campania è stata oggetto di attenzione mediatica per il presunto degrado dei territori agricoli di un’area tristemente nota come “Terra dei Fuochi”. La mancanza di una copertura di dati geochimici ad alta densità spaziale attestanti la presenza effettiva di contaminanti nelle diverse matrici ambientali dell’area ha favorito l’insorgere e la diffusione di allarmi relativi a emergenze ambientali non meglio definite in termini di estensione territoriale ed impatto sanitario. Le indagini effettuate sui suoli superficiali e profondi, con il Progetto Campania Trasparente, sono servite ad implementare la conoscenza geochimica esaustiva dell’intero territorio regionale, con una copertura di campioni ad alta densità, che rende la Campania la Regione meglio monitorata in Italia dal punto di vista ambientale. L’auspicio è che il monitoraggio (e la relativa cartografia) prodotto in Campania venga preso a modello dalle altre Regioni italiane, in modo da coprire l’intero territorio nazionale con una maglia di campioni di pari densità.

Il volume illustra, anche attraverso immagini, grafici e tabelle, i risultati del monitoraggio geochimico–ambientale finalizzato alla valutazione dell’inquinamento da elementi potenzialmente tossici dei suoli superficiali e profondi della Regione Campania nell’ambito del “Programma Campania Trasparente – Attività di Monitoraggio Integrato per la Regione Campania”. Progetto finanziato dalla Regione Campania, attraverso l’IZSM, nell’ambito del Del.G.R. n. 497/2013: Fondo per le Misure Anticicliche e la Salvaguardia dell’Occupazione – Azione B4 “Mappatura del Territorio” approvato con il Decreto Esecutivo DG “Sviluppo Economico” n. 585, 14/09/2015. Le mappe prodotte rivestono particolare importanza in quanto, oltre a mostrare la distribuzione spaziale delle concentrazioni dei vari elementi inorganici (metalli e metalloidi potenzialmente tossici – MPT), servono a definire la biodisponibilità dei MPT, e i valori background (tenori di fondo naturale) di riferimento in ottemperanza al d.l. 152/2006 e al d.m. 46/2019, laddove viene stabilito che i limiti di tolleranza possono essere elevati in funzione appunto delle concentrazioni naturali esistenti nei suoli. Negli ultimi anni, la Campania è stata oggetto di attenzione mediatica per il presunto degrado dei territori agricoli di un’area tristemente nota come “Terra dei Fuochi”. La mancanza di una copertura di dati geochimici ad alta densità spaziale attestanti la presenza effettiva di contaminanti nelle diverse matrici ambientali dell’area ha favorito l’insorgere e la diffusione di allarmi relativi a emergenze ambientali non meglio definite in termini di estensione territoriale ed impatto sanitario. Le indagini effettuate sui suoli superficiali e profondi, con il Progetto Campania Trasparente, sono servite ad implementare la conoscenza geochimica esaustiva dell’intero territorio regionale, con una copertura di campioni ad alta densità, che rende la Campania la Regione meglio monitorata in Italia dal punto di vista ambientale. L’auspicio è che il monitoraggio (e la relativa cartografia) prodotto in Campania venga preso a modello dalle altre Regioni italiane, in modo da coprire l’intero territorio nazionale con una maglia di campioni di pari.

Agricultural soil (Ap-horizon, 0–20 cm) samples were collected from 33 European countries as part of the GEMAS (GEochemical Mapping of Agricultural and grazing land Soil) soil-mapping project. The Mg data derived from total concentrations (XRF) and two acid digestion methods, aqua regia (AR) and Mobile Metal Ion (MMI®), were used to provide an overview of its spatial distribution in soil at the continental-scale. Magnesium is one of the most abundant elements in the Earth's crust and essential nutrient for plants and animals and its presence in soil is, therefore, important for soil quality evaluation. In this study, the geochemical behaviour of Mg in European agricultural soil was investigated in relation to a variety of soil parent materials, climatic zones, and landscapes. The chemical composition of soil reflects mostly the primary mineralogy of the source bedrock, and the superimposed effects of pre- and post-depositional chemical weathering, controlled by element mobility and formation of secondary phases such as clays. Low Mg concentrations in agricultural soil occur in regions with quartz-rich glacial sediments (Poland, Baltic States, N. Germany), and in soil developed on quartz-rich sandstone parent materials (e.g., central Sweden). High Mg concentrations occur in soil developed over mafic lithologies such as ophiolite belts and in carbonate-rich regions, including karst areas. The maximum extent of the last glaciation is well defined by a Mg concentration break, which is marked by low Mg concentrations in Fennoscandia and north-central Europe, and high Mg concentrations in Mediterranean region. Lithology of parent materials seems to play a key role in the Mg nutritional status of agricultural soil at the European scale. Influence from agricultural practice and use of fertilisers appears to be subordinate. Comparison of the continental-scale spatial distribution of Mg in agricultural soil by using the results from three analytical methods (XRF, AR and MMI®) provides complementary information about Mg mobility and its residence time in soil. Thus, allowing evaluation of soil weathering grade and impact of land use exploitation.

Radon is an ubiquitous radioactive gas proceeding from the decay of some radionuclides, mostly abundant in igneous rock and volcanic soils; it is the main source of natural radiation to which human beings are exposed during their life. Campania, a region located on the south-western sector of the Italian peninsula, has a territory mostly characterized by the presence of volcanic lithotypes and sediments. An empirical method was applied to determine the concentration of Rn-222 in soils of Campania region by using radiometric and compositional data recorded in two extensive different environmental prospecting campaigns completed in 2003 and 2015, respectively.Radiometric surveys were carried out with a nominal density of 1 station per 5 sqkm with a GRS-500 portable scintillometer produced by Scintrex Ltd (Ontario, Canada); topsoil samples were collected at 3535 sites regularly spread across the whole regional area with a nominal density of 1 sample per sqkm. Samples destinated to chemical analyses were analysed by ICP-MS after an aqua regia digestion at the ACME Analytical Laboratories Ltd (now Bureau Veritas) in Vancouver, Canada. Specifically, the concentrations of U, Th and K in topsoil samples and the activity (gamma radiation) generated by the decay of U-238, Th-232 and K-40 (expressed as Bq) at each measurement station were used as proxies in order to determine the variation of Rn-222 flux from the ground and to estimate the distribution pattern of geogenic radon potential (GPR) across the region.The use of a sequence of specific equations led to estimate the terrestrial gamma dose rate (nSv/h) at 1 m above the ground surface starting from both datasets and, therefore, allowed the generation of the Rn-222 flux and GPR maps for the whole regional territory.Both Radon flux and GPR raster maps were produced by mean of some specific geospatial elaborations and the estimated values were compared among them and validated trough the completion of some field measurements.

We are going to propose a new method for aquifer vulnerability assessment, named Susceptibility Index-Contamination Degree (SICODE). Starting from the assumption that soil chemistry impacts on infiltration water quality, geochemical tool such as the soil contamination degree index (CD) was combined with hydrogeological parameters in order to enhance previous well-known index (DRASTIC, Susceptibility Index). The study has been carried out at the Campania Plain (CP) aquifer, which mostly supplies the drinking water distribution system of Napoli (Southern Italy). The survey area extends from Mt. Vesuvius to the metropolitan area of Napoli and it can be considered an interesting field laboratory in order to test hydro-geochemical methods and models since both diffuse anthropogenic pollution and natural contamination sources (e.g. interaction processes between groundwater and rock) coexist. Three models have been compared. Our results have showed that DRASTIC is not the best model to be applied to urbanized environments since it does not account for the anthropogenic influence. Susceptibility Index (SI), which incorporates land use parameter, has showed a more detailed map of vulnerability degree and it better answers the local variability of human pressure. However, the proposed SICODE method completely meets the geochemical fingerprint of soil. Sensitivity analysis has revealed a high variability of the parameters due to the local heterogeneity of the analyzed system conditions. A comparison between the groundwater nitrates distribution and the predicted vulnerability has showed that. SICODE gave more accurate predictions than the other ones. This study has provided the evidence that combining hydrogeological and geochemical tools may enhance aquifer vulnerability assessment.

This work discusses the results of a geochemical survey conducted in the Salerno urban area to determine the sources patterns of major, minor, trace and ultra-trace elements in soils. In particular, the study focused on elements that are potentially toxic and listed in the environmental Italian legislation (D.L. 152/06), in order to effectively monitoring an important aspect of environment health. A total of 151 topsoil samples were collected, air-dried and sieved (

Concern about health effect of Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) has led to an increasing global attention about their concentration levels in the environment. Soil geochemistry has been widely used as a tool for environment monitoring. This study investigates topsoil geochemistry of Campania region (Southern Italy) and (i) allows a reliable overview of the PTEs (As, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Sn, Tl, V and Zn) concentration in soils, (ii) enable the investigation of the main factors governing PTEs geochemical variation on a regional scale. Over 7300 topsoil samples were collected from the survey area, which occupies an area of about 13.600 km2. Samples were analyzed for pseudo-total content of 53 elements (major and trace elements) by ICP-MS after aqua regia digestion. Data analysis was performed taking into account both raw data and their compositional nature as a tool for the PTEs environmental evaluation and origin investigation. As, Be, Cu, Pb, Sn, Tl, V and Zn in soils of Campania region show higher median concentration levels than Italian and European ones. In addition, all PTEs exceed the residential/ recreational intervention limit (CSCA) set by Italian legislation. The variation structure of compositional data had been visualized using compositional (clr) biplots and displaying the individual sample observations according to their parent rock. Clr-biplot analysis allowed us to recognize geochemical processes controlling most of soil chemical signatures. Multivariate analysis has been performed and three principal components were determined. PC1 is controlled by enrichment of elements deriving from dominant parent rocks of the area (siliciclastics and volcanoclastics). On the other hand, PC1 reveals the presence of an elemental association dominated by Na, K, U, Th, Zr, Ti, Tl and Be (clr variables), which are pathfinder element of soils developed from volcanic parent material. The second (PC2) component well discriminates the geochemical mobility of the elements in soils. The third (PC3) component reveal the presence of an anthropogenic association (Hg, Sb, Pb, Sn, Au, Ag) which depict a marginal contribution in soil geochemistry of the study area. The generation of clr-biplot helped us in a deeper interpretation of single element spatial distribution patterns. As, Be, Sn, Tl and V spatial distribution shows dominance in soil developed from volcanic products of the main volcanic complexes. Our study showed that element such as Be, Sn and Tl naturally exceed the contamination thresholds in almost the entire territory, due to a quite elevated background concentration values. Hence, Campania region con not be considered entirely contaminated (at this scale) by such elements. Co, Cd, Cr and Ni are more abundant where siliciclastic parent rocks occur.

An empirical method was applied to estimate the 222Rn fluxes distribution across the Campania region (Italy) by using both gamma-rays and U, Th, K concentrations in soils. As a first step, K, Th and U soil concentrations and 4 K, 238U and 232Th activity have been converted into their own specific activity to calculate the Terrestrial Gamma Dose Rate (TGDR). This latter has been then used to determine the 222Rn fluxes across the region. Regardless of the radiometric or geochemical origin, 222Rn fluxes reached, as expected, their maximum values in correspondence with the volcanic centres of Campania (Mt. Somma-Vesuvius, Phlegrean Fields, Mt. Roccamonfina). However, comparing the results obtained from the two different datasets, it was also possible to infer the existence of contributions to surficial 222Rn fluxes proceeding from both some underlying geological bodies and active seismogenic sources. In line with some national regulations, the 222Rn flux esteemed from gamma radiations was also used to assess the possible regional distribution of risk deriving from the indoor environmental exposure to 222Rn; results were compared with standardized incidence rates (SIRs) of lung cancer for an area on the south-western sector of Mt. Somma-Vesuvius showing a potential spatial relationship among flux data and SIRs.

This study assesses the distribution of Au, Ag, Pt, and Pd in the topsoils from the Campania Region (Southern Italy). The 13,600 km2 study area was divided using a 16 km2 grid in the suburban and agricultural areas, and a 4 km2 grid in urban areas and 2120 topsoil samples were analyzed by ICP-MS after an aqua regia digestion. The maximum concentrations of Pt and Pd were 278.1 and 431.9 ppb, respectively, however, >50% of samples analyzed during this study had concentrations of Pt and Pd below the instrumental detection limit. Gold and Ag concentrations ranged from 0.2 to 1278.6 ppb, and 2 to 8132 ppb, respectively. The geochemical data was first elaborated into dot maps to assess the relationship between the real concentrations across the region. Point data were subsequently classified using their statistical percentile thresholds (25th, 50th, 75th, 95th and 98th). A C–A fractal model was then applied to the data to assess their spatial distribution and determine thresholds representing changes in concentrations highlighting background/baseline and anomalous components. Major results indicate that: (1) application of C–A fractal model on multifractal gridded data allows the discrimination of geochemical anomalies from background concentrations; (2) Au, Ag, Pt, and Pd in Campania topsoils clearly reflect both natural and anthropogenic influences on their occurrence and distribution; (3) a clear relationship exists between the abrasion of automobile catalytic converters, the occurrence of PM10 aerosol particles, and elevated concentrations of Pt and Pd in soil; (4) the concentration of Ag and Au in the soils of the study area reflect differences in the origin of their source material in the volcanic products of northern (Roccamonfina) and central Campania (Campi Flegrei, Vesuvius); and (5) clear enrichment in Au and Ag are located corresponding to the main urban areas.

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are synthetic chemicals commonly used in agricultural activities to kill pests and are persistent organic pollutants (POPs). They can be detected in different environmental media, but soil is considered an important reservoir due to its retention capacity. Many different types of OCPs exist, which can have different origins and pathways in the environment. It is therefore important to study their distribution and behaviour in the environment, starting to build a picture of the potential human health risk in different contexts. This study aimed at investigating the regional distribution, possible sources and contamination levels of 24 OCP compounds in urban and rural soils from central and southern Italy. One hundred and forty-eight topsoil samples (0-20cm top layer) from 78 urban and 70 rural areas in 11 administrative regions were collected and analysed by gas chromatography-electron capture detector (GC-ECD). Total OCP residues in soils ranged from nd (no detected) to 1043ng/g with a mean of 29.91ng/g and from nd to 1914ng/g with a mean of 60.16ng/g in urban and rural area, respectively. Endosulfan was the prevailing OCP in urban areas, followed by DDTs, Drins, Methoxychlor, HCHs, Chlordane-related compounds and HCB. In rural areas, the order of concentrations was Drins>DDTs>Methoxychlor>Endosulfans>HCHs>Chlordanes>HCB. Diagnostic ratios and robust multivariate analyses revealed that DDT in soils could be related to historical application, whilst (illegal) use of technical DDT or dicofol may still occur in some urban areas. HCH residues could be related to both historical use and recent application, whilst there was evidence that modest (yet significant) application of commercial technical HCH may still be happening in urban areas. Drins and Chlordane compounds appeared to be mostly related to historical application, whilst Endosulfan presented a complex mix of results, indicating mainly historical origin in rural areas as well as potential recent applications on urban areas. Contamination levels were quantified by Soil Quality Index (SoQI), identifying high levels in rural areas of Campania and Apulia, possibly due to the intensive nature of some agricultural practices in those regions (e.g., vineyards and olive plantations). The results from this study (which is in progress in the remaining regions of Italy) will provide an invaluable baseline for OCP distribution in Italy and a powerful argument for follow-up studies in contaminated areas. It is also hoped that similar studies will eventually constitute enough evidence to push towards an institutional response for more adequate regulation as well as a full ratification of the Stockholm Convention.

Different features of geochemical information were studied by comparing spatial distribution of concentration values and compositional data values. Geochemical data are compositional and should be treated as such to avoid spurious correlations and misleading interpretations. However, geochemists are also interested to discuss in terms of elemental concentrations. In this work the spatial distribution of Fe, Mn, Ti, Co, Cr, Ni and V based on 3535 topsoil samples collected in Campania region (Southern Italy) and analysed by ICP-MS after aqua regia digestion, is studied. Unielement maps and CoDA based maps, namely of ilr-transformed data and of two subcompositions of 3 components have been produced and interpreted. Results show that the ilr maps often show different geochemical patterns from those provided by the maps based on raw concentrations, namely for V, Fe and Co. This is not surprising as each studied ilr is a (log)ratio of an element against the others and account for the compositional variability. Nevertheless, the geochemical patterns of both raw and ilr based maps relate mostly with the geolithological features of the region: (1) (Ti, Ni, Cr)log-ratio variables are the best pathfinder in differentiating between volcanic (relative enrichment in Ti) and non-volcanic (relative enrichment in Ni and Cr) areas. (2) Soil alteration phenomena could locally enhance log-ratios of Ti due its high geochemical stability. (3) The spatial analysis of ilr-Fe and ilr Mn variables amplifies their relative degree of enrichment in correspondence of silici-clastic formations suggesting that Mn-Fe oxides of clay minerals mainly dominate the geochemical composition of the soils of the survey area. (4) Local enrichments of Cr and Ni at the main rivers' mouths and in the metropolitan areas of Naples and Salerno, possibly of anthropogenic origin, are highlighted in the 3-part subcomposition analysis. The developed exploration methodology of uni-element geochemical data under a compositional perspective leads to deeper insight and the gain is a more accurate interpretation of processes controlling soils geochemical variability.

Identifying differences of vanadium concentrations in soils is essential to individuate pollution sources and potential risks to humans and the environment. Marked differences in the geochemical composition of the rocks, which form the parent materials of soils, and variations in the intensity of soil-forming processes can result in wide ranges of concentrations of vanadium in soils, even in those unaffected by contamination. Conversely, the anthropogenic input can give rise to contamination in urban soil. The main aim of this study was to analyse the concentrations of vanadium in a southern Italy area, in both rural and urban soils, in order to determine different geochemical sources. In the study area, 149 topsoil samples were collected (0.10 m) and analysed for vanadium and other elements by ICP-MS. Statistical and geostatistical methods were used to identify the main factors influencing the different sources of vanadium in urban and peri-urban soils and to map the concentrations of vanadium. The concentrations of V were higher in the rural soils where were related to the ophiolite-bearing units outcroppings, which influenced importantly the distribution of vanadium, rather than in the urban soil, where were lowly affected by anthropogenic pollution due, predominantly, to circulating vehicle fuels. In urban area the mean concentration of vanadium amounted below the critical threshold value imposed by Italian Decree 152/2006.

Geochemical Mapping of Agricultural Soils (GEMAS) is a cooperation project between the Geochemistry Expert Group of EuroGeoSurveys (EGS) and Eurometaux. The GEMAS project aim was to produce soil geochemical data at the continental-scale consistent with the EU regulation REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals). All GEMAS project samples were analysed by variety of methods, including ICP-AES and ICP-MS following an aqua regia extraction, XRF and an MMI leach. The Italian Atlas contains colour surface maps displaying interpolated data and graduated dots, maps for regional variability of factor scores of elemental associations, and 15 baseline maps of selected elements following the Italian statutory intervention criteria. The maps in the Italian Geochemical Atlas show that the spatial distribution of chemical elements in the agricultural and grazing land soil is governed mostly by geogenic factors, even though the concentration levels of many of the investigated elements are well above the intervention limits set by the Italian environmental law (D.L. 152/2006). Regional-scale maps show that the element distribution patterns reflect the geochemistry of the major lithological units and structural lineaments, even using a very low sampling density grid of 1 sample site/2500 km2. Areas are easily detectable on the produced maps.

This article offers statistical analyses of trace elements (TEs) in soils and plants through a Pearson correlation matrix. The main objectives were the assessment of soil TEs sources and the evaluation of native plant response to physical and chemical characteristics of a TEs contaminated soil. Data were collected from Bagnoli brownfield site (Southern Italy). Interpretation of the data, can be found in “Identification of native-metal tolerant plant species in-situ: environmental implications and functional traits” [1]. The correlations in the matrix are based on over 76 samples and 31 site-specific environmental variables. Keywords: Data matrix, Plant uptake, Trace elements, Contaminated soil, Brownfield

The concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soils from Caserta provincial territory, southern Italy, were systematically investigated along with their correlations with soil properties and health risk. The concentrations of ∑16PAHs ranged from 10.0 to 4191 ng/g, with a median (1 st quartile, Q1; 3rd quartile, Q3) of 28.5 (17.5–65.0) ng/g; Four-ring PAHs were the most abundant and contributed an average of ∼50.2% of the ∑16PAHs. Significant differences in the spatial distributions of PAHs in soil were observed, with higher levels of PAH contamination found in Caserta city and the surrounding areas. According to the positive matrix factorization (PMF) model, three sources were identified: chemical production and metal smelting, vehicle emissions, and coal/biomass combustion. Soil total organic carbon was significantly correlated with the concentration of total PAHs and the concentrations of PAHs with three-, four-, and five-rings. In contrast, only the concentration of ∑4DBPs (dibenzo(a,e)pyrene, dibenzo(a,h)pyrene, dibenzo(a,i)pyrene, dibenzo(a,l)pyrene) was well correlated with population density. The soil mass inventory of ∑16PAHs was estimated to be 6.87 metric tons (geometric mean). The ecological risks posed by PAHs in the study are negligible; however, health risks of exposure to soil-borne PAHs were identified based on a probabilistic risk model.

Native plant species were screened for their remediation potential for the removal of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) contaminated soil of Bagnoli brownfield site (Southern Italy). Soils at this site contain all of the PAHs congeners at concentration levels well above the contamination threshold limits established by Italian environmental legislation for residential/recreational land use, which represent the remediation target. The concentration of 13 High Molecular Weight Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in soil rhizosphere, plants roots and plants leaves was assessed in order to evaluate native plants suitability for a gentle remediation of the study area. Analysis of soil microorganisms are provides important knowledge about bioremediation approach. Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria are the main phyla of bacteria observed in polluted soil. Functional metagenomics showed changes in dioxygenases, laccase, protocatechuate, and benzoate-degrading enzyme genes. Indolacetic acid production, siderophores release, exopolysaccharides production and ammonia production are the key for the selection of the rhizosphere bacterial population. Our data demonstrated that the natural plant-bacteria partnership is the best strategy for the remediation of a PAHs-contaminated soil.

We present Sr-87/Sr-86 isotope ratios for similar to 1200 selected soil samples, collected by the GEMAS consortium from grazing (Gr) and agricultural (Ap) soils in Europe with the aim to better understand the strontium isotope distribution in the bioavailable fraction of the top-soil and its potential for provenancing applications. Spatial analysis shows that there is a clear distinction between coastal (100 km) samples in their variance and that this variance is mirrored in the sodium concentration, suggesting an important but highly variable contribution from seaspray. We present two Sr-87/Sr-86 maps at 25 km x 25 km scale: one based solely on the measured data using a classical kriging approach and one based on a Random Forest model using complementary GEMAS data to predict the strontium isotope composition at the remaining 3000+ GEMAS sampling locations, including appropriate uncertainty assessment. Using a forensic Bayesian likelihood ratio approach, a tool was developed in R to create provenancing likelihood ratio maps. The maps delineate areas of high and low likelihood and allow investigators to direct their resources to areas of interest. For actual forensic case work either the measured or the modelled data can be used as reference data for the overall distribution of Sr-87/Sr-86 values in Europe. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All tights reserved.

This study comprehensively interprets the contamination status of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in the soils from Benevento provincial territory, southern Italy, and its implications for environmental health by means of a systematic grid sampling method and geostatistics. The total concentrations of OCPs in the soils ranged from 0.058 to 16.9 ng/g, with a geometric mean (GM) of 0.72 ng/g and an arithmetic mean (AM) of 1.71 ng/g. The levels of OCPs were dominated by p,p′-DDE, p,p′-DDD, HCB, contributing together to 73.5% of the total OCPs. The higher levels of HCB, DDTs, and HCHs found in southwestern, central and east Benevento provincial territory, all occurring adjacent to landfill sites. The residues of OCPs in soil are largely ascribed to their historical use. The OCP inventories in soils of Benevento provincial territory ranged from 0.13 to 4.84 metric tons, with GM = 0.42 metric tons and AM = 0.44 metric tons. The soil is likely to be a sink for DDTs under the influence of regional air transport from pollution hotspots and has the potential to release other chemicals with a high vapor pressure, e.g., HCB, HCHs, and α-Endosulfan. And the mean level of the air-soil exchange flux of HCB, HCHs, and DDTs is estimated to be −1.59, −0.72, and 0.10 ng/m2/day respectively. The potential ecological and human health risks caused by OCPs in the soils are deemed essentially negligible in Benevento provincial territory.

This study aims to investigate the selenium (Se) distribution in the soils of the vast cultivated areas of Aksu Prefecture in mid-Western Xinjiang of Northwest China. The study of the origin and enrichment mechanism of Se in the soils of alluvial fans of these areas (also known as oasis areas) are of great importance for the conservation and development of Se-rich resources. Geological genetic analyses and elemental abundance comparisons confirmed that the Se-rich basement rocks (i.e., the Xiyu Group) are the primary source material of Se in the oasis farmlands. The study, carried out on samples taken along two transects that cross each other, showed that, from the peripheral to the core farmland of the investigated area, the Se concentration increases significantly, accompanied by a decrease in pH and increases in organic matter and clay particles. The peripheral farming land in Aksu showed low median Se concentration of 0.19 mg/kg that represent the regional soil background, high alkalinity (pH = 8.1–9.4), high silica content (SiO2 = 47.8–72.0 wt%) and low organic matter content (OrgC = 0.17–0.76 wt%). The core farming land, representing the intensely cultivated farmland, showed a median Se content of 0.56 mg/kg, and is characterized by low alkalinity (pH = 7.3–8.5) and silica content (SiO2 = 33.5–52.5 wt%), and is rich in organic matter (OrgC = 0.87–9.8 wt%). Based on the vertical soil section investigation, we found that the soil mineralogical and geochemical variations from the deep to the shallow soil layers is similar to that from the peripheral to the core farming land. Thanks to soil acidification and accumulation of organic matters and clay particles, the oasis-type farming activities transfer Se from the Se-enriched parts of the peripheral farming land and the deep soil layers to the upper soil layers of the core farming land. This Se-enrichment mechanism made the core farming land and its topsoil the most Se-rich part of the investigated area.

The geographical distribution of concentration values for harmful elements was determined in the Campania region, Italy. The study area consists of the drainage basin of the River Calore, a tributary of the river Volturno, the largest Southern Italian river. The results provide reliable analytical data allowing a quantitative assessment of the trace element pollution threat to the ecosystem and human health. Altogether 562 stream sediment samples were collected at a sampling density of 1 site per 5 km(2). All samples were air-dried, sieved to < 100 mesh fraction and analyzed for 37 elements after an aqua regia extraction by a combination of ICP-AES and ICP-MS. In addition to elemental analysis, gamma-ray spectrometry data were collected (a total of 562 measurements) using a hand-held Scintrex GRS-500 spectrometer. Statistical analyses were performed to show the single-element distribution and the distribution of elemental association factor scores resulting from R-mode factor analyses. Maps showing element distributions were made using GeoDAS and ArcGIS software. Our study showed that, despite evidence from concentrations of many elements for enrichment over natural background values, the spatial distribution of major and trace elements in Calore River basin is determined mostly by geogenic factors. The southwestern area of the basin highlighted an enrichment of many elements potentially harmful for human health and other living organisms (Al, Fe, K, Na, As, Cd, La, Pb, Th, Tl, U); however, these anomalies are due to the presence of pyroclastic and alkaline volcanic lithologies. Even where sedimentary lithologies occur, many harmful elements (Co, Cr, Mn, Ni) showed high concentration levels due to natural origins. Conversely, a strong heavy metal contamination (Pb, Zn, Cu, Sb, Ag, Au, Hg), due to an anthropogenic contribution, is highlighted in many areas characterized by the presence of road junctions, urban settlements and industrial areas. The enrichment factor of these elements is 3-4 times higher than the background values. The southwestern area of the basin is characterized by a moderate/high degree of contamination, just where the two busiest roads of the area run and the highest concentration of industries occurs.

The parent materials slowly release the elements over time as part of the natural weathering process. As molecules of an element move between their various forms, they come to a dynamic equilibrium that shifts according to certain soil conditions, including: pH, texture, aeration of the soil, and the presence of other ions. In this study, 149 samples of topsoil (0-10 cm) were collected in the municipalities of Cosenza and Rende (Calabria, southern Italy) and analyzed for 36 elements by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). In addition, 18 rock samples were collected on outcrops of whole area and analyzed by ICP-ES and ICP-MS. Elemental concentrations in soil are primarily controlled by the geochemical composition of bedrock, with some notable exceptions ascribing to anthropogenic factors.

Uranium, thorium and potassium are distinguished in different compartments of the environmental media according to the inputs, the fate and the distribution patterns that occur in the ecosystems. Thus, an understanding of the sources patterns and behaviours of these elements in soils, their rock-soil relationships and potential toxicity or deficiency problems associated with them is nowadays a relevant concern for environmental protection and human health. A robust compositional computation analysis coupled with frequency spatial-method (Fractal model) is applied on 3 selected elements (U, Th and K), based on a large dataset of 7134 topsoil samples over the whole Campania region, and investigated elements concentrations were analysed (after aqua regia extraction) by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). In this survey, U concentrations ranged from 0.05 to 43.2 mg kg−1 with a mean value of 3.35 mg kg−1, Th concentrations ranged from 0.3 to 64.30 mg kg−1 with a mean values of 11.95 mg kg−1 and K concentrations ranged from 0.03 to 5.97% with a mean value of 0.68%. The mean values for U and Th are slightly above the mean crustal abundances, while K is slightly below them. Fractal mapping of Centred-log transformed (clr) data of investigated elements show that the U, Th and K geochemical anomalies can be ascribed to geology-related volcanic sources. Indeed, the highest values in soils were assessed in the surveyed alkaline magmatic areas in the central-western part of the region characterized by volcanic rocks, whereas lowest values are found in areas characterized by silico-clastic and carbonate deposits, occurring mostly in the southern and eastern part of the region. Evidence from this study showed that compositional data transformations such as clr transformation could help to avoid artefacts, prior to statistical computations.

In this study, the state of inorganic, organic and microbiological contamination of the seaport of Naples (Southern Italy), one of the main ports in the Mediterranean Sea, was investigated. We analyzed 55 surficial marine sediment samples for Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs), Hydrocarbons (HCs) and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). In addition microbiological parameters, such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella, sulfite-reducing Clostridia (SRC) and Streptococcus faecalis were determined in 26 sampled points. The data were statistically analyzed to 1) evaluate contamination degree based on background concentration values, 2) reconstruct the contaminants spatial distribution, 3) identify geochemical pattern and potential sources, 4) assess toxic effects for aquatic biota. Our results supported an anthropogenic enrichment for certain PTEs (Hg > Cd > Zn > Pb > Cu > Cr) responsible for contamination of the marine area together with PAHs and HCs. Indeed, the Principal component analyses (PCA) biplot highlighted distinct groups of contaminants and controlling processes. Sediment grain size and, to a greater extent, TOC content can be recognized as a controlling factor in both organic compounds and elements occurrence in the port of Naples and are related to pollution of shipyard activities and the disused industrial area. Conversely, elements such as Al, As, Fe and V are mainly due to natural inputs and are characterized by no/low contamination. Based on the analysis of the toxic equivalent quantity and sediment quality guideline quotient, the contamination of Cu, Hg, Pb, Zn and PAHs in sediments pose a frequently observed effect and may represent a biological risks to marine organisms. The cumulative mean toxic effect, used to assess the hazard degree, indicated a higher probability of toxicity connected to sediment chemistry in the areas where shipyard activities (in the central sector of the port) and disused industrial area (eastern sector) occur. More attention should be paid on industrial, ship repair activities and maritime traffic related discharges for the port environmental protection.