Search

Reservoir operation is a complicated problem to cope with regarding the complexities and the conflicts among the different stakeholders interest. The study presents the set of operating policies for a multi-purpose reservoir, case study of Hoa Binh reservoir, Viet Nam, focusing on two main objectives: Hydropower and Irrigation demand in the dry season, when the other main target, i.e. the flood control, is less crucial. In addition, another environmental objective under consideration for the dry season is the discharge needed to limit the salinity intrusion into the Red river delta surface water. This is a somehow novel objective to be taken into account when climate change scenarios, observed and projected sea level rise and saline intrusion are considered. The weight of this objective compared to the other ones can be set according to the policy adopted. The study is based on an evolutionary algorithm, namely Genetic Algorithm (GA) to find a Pareto optimal set under different scenarios. The results offer more flexible policies where the reservoir operator may see the trade-off between objectives to decide which is more suitable with the instant interest. Finally, it is shown that the GA model is promising to improve the performance of reservoir operation compared to strict regulations, which are now applied.

Benfratello's Contribution to the study of the water balance of an agricultural soil (Contributo allo studio del bilancio idrologico del terreno agrario) was firstly published in 1961. The paper provides a practical conceptual and lumped method to determine the irrigation deficit in agricultural districts, and it generalizes previous Thornthwaite (1948) and Thornthwaite and Mather (1955) water balances thanks to the application of the dimensionless approach introduced by De Varennes e Mendonça (1958). Since then, it has been used in many areas in Southern Italy. It is our opinion that, due to its simplicity and to the small number of required parameters, Benfratello's method could be regarded to as an effective tool to assess the effects of climatic, landuse and anthropogenic changes on the soil water balance and on the irrigation deficit.In previous contributions we presented (i) a GIS—based application of Benfratello's method to the case study of the semiarid Capitanata plane (4550 km2), one of the most important agricultural districts in Italy, and (ii) a theoretical development of the method that allows to simply estimate in closed form the uncertainity of the calculated irrigation deficit, once known the interannual variability of the required climatic variables (air temperature and precipitation). In this contribution we present the results obtained by applying the GIS—based Benfratello framework to estimate the irrigation deficit and its uncertainty of the Capitanata plane case study under different climate change scenarios.The scenarios were generated with the following procedure: (i) combination of different GCMs (CNRM-CM5, CMCC-CM and IPSL-CM5A-MR) with the IPCC RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios as well as with historical data, (ii) statistical downscaling of the obtained models to estimate future time series of air temperature and precipitation for the meteorological stations of interest in the considered case study and (iii) spatial interpolation with ordinary kriging. The obtained maps were then used as input data for the already developed GIS—based application of Benfratello's method.

The soil--water redistribution is an interesting and complex process that takes place after an abundant imbibition of the uppermost soil layers, as after rainfall or irrigation. It is a consequence of the concurrency of other processes, that are downward advection and diffusion, surface evaporation and root water uptake. It is therefore simultaneously characterised by downward and upward water flow and by water extraction, and, as a consequence, it plays a key role at partitioning the water fluxes through the soil, with feedbacks also on the mass fluxes and on the soil layering.Aiming at contributing to better understanding this process, we present a theoretical (qualitative) and a numerical assessment of some properties of the soil--water redistribution, based on the classical framework of the Richards equation.The qualitative analysis focuses on the evolution of the soil--water content of an imbibition front, as a consequence of the onest of a continuous surface evapotranspiration. The process is analogically depicted with the traditional description of the flood--wave propagation in free--surface flow. Particularly we show that, considering an instantaneous water--content wave within the uppermost soil, an observer would meet, from the bottom moving upward, the planes where:The (downward) Darcian velocity q is locally maximum in time, ∂q / ∂t = 0, where the water content θ is in imbibition; θ is locally maximum, ∂θ / ∂t = 0, where q is instantaneously maximum in space, ∂q / ∂x = 0, and θ is still in imbibition; θ is instantaneously maximum in space, ∂θ / ∂x = 0, where the downward flux is purely gravitational, i.e. q = K, being K(θ) the hydraulic conductivity; q = 0, i.e. the zero--flux plane, that separates the downward from the upward flux, where θ is instantaneously increasing in space, ∂θ / ∂x > 0; q is instantaneously minimum in time (i.e. the upward flux is maximum), where ∂θ / ∂x > 0. Morevover an observer who follows the peak of water content would see it reducing in space and time, being its total derivative dθ / dt < 0, until it vanishes.If the observer stops at fixed depth, these patterns would reflect in a cycle in the (θ,q) phase plane, where, starting from initially hydrostatic condition, one would observe the (local) maximum q, the (local) maximum θ, the onset of an advective flow q = K when the (spatial) peak of θ passes at that depth, the passage of the zero--flux plane, the minimum q and then the hydrostatic condition again.The evapotranspiration is however ruled by diurnal cycles and the soil--water dynamics vary depending on the development of the root apparati. We provide an insight on these aspects by means of the numerical simulation, performed with Hydrus1d. It shows that diurnal evapotranspiration cycles induce fluctuations in the depth of the zero--flux plane and that the root water uptake, which shares the evapotranspirative demand in the whole domain, reduces the uppermost upward flux, thus allowing the zero--flux plane reaching deeper depths.

Syria is now witnessing the dramatic effects of a multiyear drought that has been afflicting the country since 2006. The drought has impacted several regions, but the north-eastern Al Jazira region, corresponding to the Middle Euphrates River basin and considered the Syrian “breadbasket”, has been hammered particularly severely.With this paper we aim at contributing to the knowledge on the consequences of multiyear meteorological drought on food security in the basin of the middle range of the Euphrates River in Syria.Annual precipitation data were collected from 11 ground meteorological stations for the period 1983–2020 covering an area of 96800km2. Data were provided by the Syrian Ministry of Agriculture. In addition, the series of two satellite-based indices, namely Vegetation Condition Index (VCI) and Vegetation Health Index (VHI) were collected to analyse the vegetation responses to the meteorological drivers. These indices were downloaded at a resolution of 4-km for the time range 1983-2020, from the Centre for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The crop production data, including yields of cotton, wheat, and maize, were collected at provincial level over the period of 1983–2020 from Syria Statistical Yearbook.Recent changes in meteorological drought features (e.g., frequency and intensity) throughout Syria for the years 1983–2020 were assessed by means of the Standard Precipitation Index (SPI), to characterize the meteorological draughtiness for the Al-Jazira region.SPI was computed on a 12-month timeline to account for the delayed effect of rainfall deficiency on crop output. Commonly, agricultural droughts are evaluated using drought indices at these long timeframes (e.g., 18 and 24 months) because these longer timescales reflect the accumulated influence of meteorological drought that might alter soil water content and stream flow. The correlation matrices of the series of SPI, averaged at different time scales to focus on the effect of multiyear drought events, with the series of VCI and VHI, will be presented.This work is preliminary to the GIS application of simplified Benfratello’s water balance method (Barontini et al., 2021) to assess the proneness to water scarcity and the irrigation deficit of different areas of the basin.ReferencesBarontini, S., Rapuzzi, C., Peli, M., and Ranzi, R.: A GIS based application of Benfratello's method to estimate the irrigation deficit in a semiarid climate, EGU General Assembly 2021, online, 19–30 Apr 2021, EGU21-12936, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-12936, 2021.

Due to the changing climate, rapid development, and population growth, the current management of water resources is expected to be critically affected. The majority of reservoirs are multipurpose including water supply, flood control, hydropower production, etc., and often involve several competing interests. Most of the current reservoir management practices are ineffective, outdated, and highly subjective. Therefore, it is necessary to re-evaluate the current management rules for optimizing the objectives, reduction of water stress, and mitigation of climate change impacts.Lake Como is a regulated lake in Northern Italy and the third largest lake, receiving water from the upper Adda River and controlled downstream by the “Olginate” regulation dam. The regulation dam has been constructed to manage the release according to irrigation and hydropower demand. In addition, it regulates the water level in the Lake within a certain threshold (i.e., upper, and lower bounds), to prevent flooding in the town of Como and to allow navigation and for environmental reasons.This research mainly focuses on optimizing two conflicting objectives, the satisfaction of irrigation demand which is parametrized by α (the ratio between the actual release and the agricultural demand), and upstream flood regulation in the city of Como parametrized by β (the ratio between the actual active storage and the reference storage). Considering the characteristics of the reservoir and the targeted objectives, an optimal operating strategy has been developed by adopting a deterministic Revised Min-Max (RMM) approach. It focuses on the determination of the minimum water level required to satisfy the irrigation demand and the maximum water level to avoid flooding for a specified value of α and β. This approach is based on simulating the continuity equation for a set of 71 years of inflow and outflow time series, from 1946 (the operation of the Olginate dam began) to 2016. besides, the outflow time series was used to simulate the current management policy and historical efficiency of the system in terms of α and β.Out of the several feasible solutions (combinations of α and β), we are interested in efficient (Pareto optimal) solutions, where there are no other solutions that can improve either α and/or β. We evaluate three possible management strategies depending on the storage condition and the feasible solutions with different combinations of α and β through a trade-off analysis. The first tends to approach historical average levels (BAUL: Business As Usual Level); the second approaches the historical average releases (BAUR: Business As Usual Release); the third one allows to modulate of the releases with the parameter delta (0< δ

Benfratello's Contribution to the study of the water balance of an agricultural soil (Contributo allo studio del bilancio idrologico del terreno agrario) was firstly published in 1961. The paper provides a practical conceptual and lumped method, based on climatic forcings and on the field capacity, to determine the irrigation deficit in agricultural districts. It generalizes the previous Thornthwaite (1948) and Thornthwaite and Mather (1955) water balances thanks to the application of a dimensionless approach introduced by De Varennes e Mendonça (1958), and of a power—law desiccation function. Since then, it has been used in many semi—arid areas in Southern Italy. Due to its simplicity and to the small number of required parameters, Benfratello's method could be regarded to as an effective tool to assess the effects of climatic, landuse and anthropogenic changes on the soil water balance and on the irrigation deficit, both at the climatic scale and in real time. In previous EGU—GA contributions (Barontini et al., 2021, 2022) we presented a GIS—based implementation of Benfratello's method to assess the irrigation deficit in the Capitanata plain (4550 km2), and a theoretical development of the method to estimate in closed form the interannual variability of the calculated irrigation deficit, once known the variability of temperature and precipitation. In this contribution we present the results obtained by applying the GIS—based Benfratello framework to assess the irrigation deficit and its variability in the Capitanata plain under different climate change scenarios. The scenarios were generated with the following procedure: (i) evaluation of different GCMs (CNRM-CM5, CMCC-CM and IPSL-CM5A-MR) in comparison with the historical data, (ii) correction of systematic biases, (iii) application of the same biases to the corresponding IPCC RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios, (iv) statistical downscaling of the obtained models to estimate future time series for the meteorological stations of interest in the considered case study and (v) spatial interpolation with ordinary Kriging.

Benfratello's conceptual method, to estimate the irrigation deficit for agricultural districts in semiarid or arid climate, firstly came to light in 1961. The method generalizes previous Thornthwaite (1948) and Thornthwaite and Mather (1955) water balances to assess the irrigation deficit as the difference between the maximum evapotranspiration, exerted by the plant in full irrigation conditions and traditionally estimated with the Thornthwaite formula, and the actual evapotranspiration provided by the available soil water. Since its first appearance, it has been applied to the study of many areas in Southern Italy. Due to its simplicity and to the small number of required parameters, Benfratello's method might be regarded to as an effective tool to assess the effects of climatic, landuse and anthropogenic changes on the soil water balance and on the irrigation deficit.In the previous General Assembly we presented a GIS based application of Benfratello's method to the case study of the semiarid Capitanata plane (4550 km2, Southern Italy), which is one of the most important agricultural districts in Italy. With this contribution we present a further theoretical development of the method that allows to simply estimate in closed form the uncertainity of the calculated irrigation deficit, once known the uncertainty of the required climatic variables (temperature and precipitation). Our procedure is based on a local linearization of the core—function of Benfratello’s method, which presents the decrease of the available soil water, during the dry season, as a function of the potential soil water loss, given by the difference between the maximum evapotranspiration demand and the precipitation. The maximum evapotranspiration was in this case determined by means of the Hargraves formula, according to FAO procedure in case of limited availability of meteorological data. The estimate of the uncertainty can be easily performed in both the cases in which the field capacity is completely or only partially restored during the wet season. As a test case, the method was then applied to some sites in the Capitanata plane and extended to the whole plane through a GIS application, with fair results if compared with the required water volumes declared by the local irrigation consortium.

Hydrological sciences can contribute to society in numerous impactful ways: thus, it is crucial that we make an effort to enhance the opportunities for collaboration between academia and society, such as industry and territorial authorities. With the support of the Italian Hydrological Society (‘Società Idrologica Italiana'), in 2021, the Italian Young Hydrologic Society (YHS-Italy) organized a series of webinars to reduce the gap between academic researchers and practitioners, belonging to both private and public sectors.The webinar ‘Beyond Academic Research Talks’ (BAR Talks) hosted a total of 24 guests during five online public meetings discussing three overarching topics: i) the professional careers of Italian researchers, ii) the research in the private sector, particularly at consulting and manufacturing firms of any size, iii) the hydrological and hydrogeological research in the public sector.The goal was to document heterogeneous experiences and promote a discussion on potential practical applications of academic research. The meetings also served as an opportunity to understand similarities and differences between the role of a hydrological researcher across different institutions. All webinars have been organized online with live sessions, where the audience could interact with the speakers and ask questions. Each meeting was also recorded and made available on YouTube for asynchronous attendances (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjDrMpQvRQrp3lxtZTr7Trg).The initiative has been positively welcomed, particularly by young researchers, and many new interesting topics have been raised. The BAR Talks presented a comprehensive selection of professional paths available to researchers interested in working outside academia, and looking for a more immediate impact on society. The guests talked about the challenges of doing hydrological innovation and research outside academia, and highlighted some of the skills that become particularly handy in the private sector (e.g., open-source software, programming languages, digital water, project management, soft skills). Finally, one issue that came out strongly from the BAR Talks series was the need, especially for the private sector, to close the gap between academic research and its real-world applications in order to improve the positive impact that academic research can have on society. Indeed, real-world applications often encounter constraining challenges that are sometimes missing from academic research. Overall, we observed that there is a widespread desire for a closer collaboration between hydrological academic researchers and practitioners, which may take the form of joint research projects aimed at producing impactful knowledge.

Lake Garda microclimate allowed the settlement and flourishing of a peculiar cultivation, that of the limonaie (lemon houses), which during its splendour exported citrus all over Central and Northern Europe. We highlight how, in order to preserve this unique cultural heritage, there is an urgent need of a census accounting for both the current condition of the ancient productive sites and for all the agroecosystemic relationships between the limonaie, which contributed to shape their landscape. A particular attention is devoted to the traditional water harvesting and irrigation structures

Benfratello's Contribution to the study of the water balance of an agricultural soil (Contributo allo studio del bilancio idrologico del terreno agrario) was firstly published sixty years ago, in 1961. The paper provides a practical conceptual and lumped method to determine the irrigation deficit in agricultural disctricts. Since then, it has been used in many areas in Southern Italy.According to the method, percolation and capillary rise from the groundwater table are absent, and surface runoff happens only when the soil capability of storing water is exceeded. The method is therefore suitable for semiarid (and eventually arid) climates. Dry and wet seasons are defined on a climatic basis, as the season during which potential evapotranspiration is greater than precipitations (and the stored soil--water decreases), and that during which precipitations exceed potential evapotranspiration (and the stored soil--water inccreases).With these hypotheses, Benfratello proposed to adopt a power--relationship (with power m greater or equal to 0) to assess the ratio between the actual and the potential soil--water loss, as a function of the ratio between the stored soil--water and the maximum available storage. The solution provides, in a simple closed form, the actual soil--water loss as a function of the potential loss (which is a climatic characteristic), and generalizes previous approaches, viz Thorthwaite (1948) and Thornthwaite and Mather (1955) ones, for which m = 0 and m = 1, respectively.In this contribution we present a GIS based application of Benfratello's method to assess the soil water balance and the irrigation deficit of the semiarid Capitanata plane (4550 km2, Southern Italy), one of the most important agricultural districts in Italy. A comparison between the method and previous results for the same region will be provided as well. Due to its simplicity and to the small number of needed parameters, Benfratello's method might be regarded to as an effective tool to assess the effects of climatic, landuse and anthropogenic change scenarios on the soil water balance and on the irrigation deficit.

This work presents the first results obtained in the context of the PROFILES project. The main objective of PROFILES concerns the identification of a possible correlation between water content dynamics and the distribution of metal pollutants in the surface layer of urban soils.The research activity combined experimental, analytical and numerical approaches. Field activity was conducted in Bagnolo Mella, (Brescia, Northern Italy) where a ferroalloy industry operated for more than forty years (1974-2015). Four sites within the study area, at different radial distances and up/downwind with respect to the plant, have been considered. At these sites, the distribution of As, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn concentrations in the surface soil was inferred by means of a portable X-Ray Fluorescence device. A tension infiltrometer allowed to estimate the local value of hydraulic conductivity at saturation, Ks. Physico-chemical properties evaluated on soil samples via laboratory analysis were found to be rather homogeneous. However, metal concentrations were remarkably different at the four sites, larger values being detected up-wind and closer to the production plant, within the top layer (≈ 20 cm) of the soil column. In particular, sequential chemical extraction processes and X-ray Absorption Near Edge Spectroscopy showed that Mn exceeded considerably typical background levels and was present in a hybrid form of magnetite (Fe, Mn)3O4, resistant to acid dissolution. Considering that it is difficult to form Mn-substituted magnetite in surface layers at low temperatures, its presence indicates this pollutant as a by-product of ferroalloy production transported by water along the soil column. Numerical simulations with the HYDRUS 1D software have been performed to model water dynamics along the uppermost 6 meters of soil at the investigated sites, over a time range of 4 years (2013–2016). A homogeneous domain, with a constant Ks value measured in the field for the top layer, has been compared against a heterogeneous case, in which the distribution of lithological categories has been determined via indicator kriging, based on available stratigraphic data. Surface recharge and evapotranspiration have been estimated from meteorological data (temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, global solar radiation and wind speed) available on an hourly basis. Numerical results allowed to characterize the time evolution of the zero-flux-plane (ZFP) depth, defined as the plane separating zones with upward and downward water flux in a thoroughly wetted soil, when evaporation and drainage are simultaneously occurring. Key findings are: (i) for the whole simulated period, the ZFP oscillates between the ground surface and a maximum depth of about 20 cm, consistent with the vertical range where peak concentrations of heavy metals were found; (ii) simulations in the homogeneous and heterogeneous cases provided analogous results, highlighting the importance of the characterization of the top surface layer. Acknowledgments: The project PROFILES was awarded the 2019 edition of the Florisa Melone Award, promoted by the Italian Hydrological Society (SII). The authors thank the SII for the support. Part of the research was carried out within the ISEIA project of the University of Brescia (grant UNBSCLE 9015).

Neurodevelopmental disorders are constantly increasing on a global scale. Some elements like heavy metals are known to be neurotoxic. In this cross-sectional study we assessed the neurobehavioral effect of the exposure to trace elements including lead, mercury, cadmium, manganese, arsenic and selenium and their interactions among 299 schoolchildren residing in the heavily polluted Taranto area in Italy. Whole blood, urine and hair were collected for metal analyses, while the Child Behavior Checklist and the Social Responsiveness Scale, administered to the main teacher and the mothers were considered to identify behavioral problems in children. Blood lead mainly influenced social problems, aggressive behavior, externalizing and total problems. Urinary arsenic showed an impact on anxiety and depression, somatic problems, attention problems and rule breaking behavior. A significant interaction between lead and arsenic was observed, with a synergistic effect of the two metals increasing the risk of attention problems, aggressive behavior, externalizing problems and total problems. Overall, we were able to test that higher blood lead, urinary arsenic concentrations and their interaction increase the risk of neurobehavioral problems. This is in line with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s priority list of hazardous substances where arsenic and lead are ranked as first and second respectively.

The predisposition, severity, and progression of many diseases differ between males and females. Sex-related differences in susceptibility to neurotoxicant exposures may provide insight into the cause of the observed discrepancy. Early adolescence, a period of substantial structural and functional brain changes, may present a critical window of vulnerability to environmental exposures. This study aimed to examine sex-specific associations between co-exposure to multiple metals and visuospatial memory in early adolescence. Manganese (Mn), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), and copper (Cu) were measured in blood, urine, hair, nails, and saliva of 188 participants (88 girls; 10–14 years of age). Visuospatial memory skills were assessed using a computerized maze task, the virtual radial arm maze (VRAM). Using generalized weighted quantile sum regression, we investigated sex-specific associations between the combined effect of exposure to the metal mixture and visuospatial working memory and determined the contribution of each component to the outcome. The results suggest that sex moderates the association between the metal mixture and visuospatial learning for all outcomes measured. In girls, exposure was associated with slower visuospatial learning and driven by Mn and Cu. In boys, exposure was associated with faster visuospatial learning, and driven by Cr. These results suggest that (a) the effect of metal co-exposure on learning differs in magnitude, and in the direction between sexes, and (b) early adolescence may be a sensitive developmental period for metal exposure.

The lemon houses of Lake Garda provide Ecosystem Services, due to their history and their deep rooting in the landscape. Unfortunately, Urban Planning hasn’t ever taken into account these possible benefits. In fact, it has always allowed their reuse as residences and it has sustained the conservation of the buildings only. The lack of interest in reintroducing lemon growing or other agricultural activities has produced a noticeable impoverishment of the local landscape. To overcome these limits, Urban Planning should be oriented to implement practices, which take root in and bring out the variety of local landscapes. In order to reach this result, Urban Planning may help to bring some lemon houses, especially the abandoned or the most vulnerable ones, back to their original agricultural vocation, reintroducing autopoietic agricultural techniques, which are in balance with the environment. An interdisciplinary approach may be adopted in a profitable way, to strengthen the efficiency of the Urban Planning. Aiming at this interdisciplinary approach the paper reports our first investigations concerning the contribution of different disciplines, which will help Urban Planning to consider, in case of the reuse of Lake Garda lemon houses, immaterial benefits and to reintroduce activities linked to their original vocation.

Elevated exposure to manganese (Mn) in environmental dusts and airborne particulates, particular from ferromanganese alloy steel production and metal working, is associated with a number of negative health outcomes, including Parkinsonism and other nervous system diseases. Manganese contamination and exposure from industrial sources is difficult to identify or quantify, as manganese is naturally abundant in the environment, and means to distinctly identify or fingerprint Mn arising from different industrial and environmental sources are limited. Here, the chemical and mineralogical properties of Mn in dusts from an active steel production facility in Taranto, Italy, were compared with those of indoor and outdoor deposited dust samples and surface soils collected in a series of schools in the nearby town. X-ray absorption spectroscopy revealed distinct chemical forms of Mn in industrial sources from those in typical background soils. Manganese ore from the facility contained abundant Mn(III, IV) oxides, while Mn-substituted magnetites were the most abundant mineral phase in dusts found in areas of the plant where metal was produced or combustion occurred. All school dusts were primarily composed of Mn-substituted magnetites, while most of the soils contained abundant manganese(IV) oxides. Source apportionment of Mn in regional dust and soil samples was estimated using linear combination fitting with representative industrial source materials. Manganese in dusts from the Taranto area community adjacent to the plant was derived primarily from industrially-sourced dusts produced during high temperature coke or steel production rather than re-suspended local soils or ore source material. Soils contained smaller proportion of industrially-derived Mn and are distinct from dusts, indicating that soil is a minor contributor of dust Mn in this area. Key messages Manganese speciation gives useful information in investigating Mn toxicology to humans in urban areas. Manganese-substituted magnetites may represent the target compound useful to distinguish toxic and non-toxic Mn-containing elements.

The WormEx I Experiment was launched on 9 March 2016 to investigate the effects of biopores and earthworms holes on soil-water constitutive laws.Particularly, changes in the soil hydraulic conductivity, in the soil sorptivity and in the macroscopic capillary length were evaluated in different soil conditions, by means of infiltrometric tests performed in a shallow anthropogenic soil of the Central Italian Alps (Cividate Camuno, Italy).About 50 field infiltration tests were performed by means of a tension infiltrometer (TI) and by means of a small single ring infiltrometer, in view of applying the simplified BEST method (Beerkan Estimation of Soil Transfer parameters).The worms presence was accounted for by counting worms' castings in 1 m2 experimental plots, and it was considered a proxy of the biogenic activity.Various meteorological conditions and various conditions of the presence of worms' castings were sampled during a period of three years.Obtained results highlight how soil hydrological properties change depending on the biopores presence.As a result, the hydraulic conductivity greatly increased in presence of soil biopores, both in ponding and in near-saturation conditions.Conductivity at saturation increased on average by 45% (TI method), between great and small presence of earthworms' holes.Considering soil conditions that stimulate the biological activity (e.g. the previous days precipitation and the great water content at the beginning of the infiltration tests), the conductivity at saturation increased more, i.e. by 85% (TI) and by 105% (BEST) on average.The increase is even more relevant passing from adverse conditions (low castings number and small initial soil-water content) to optimal conditions (high castings number and great initial soil-water content).In these cases average increments are more than 200% (TI).Also the hydraulic conductivity of the nearly saturated soil, with pressure potential ranging between -5 cm and 0 cm, meaningfully increased in case of biopores presence.The greatest (relative) increase of the soil hydraulic conductivity was observed in most of the cases at a pressure potential of -2 cm.Sorptivity meaningfully increased from low to high wormholes number (45% at saturation) and from optimal to adverse conditions (114% at saturation).As for the hydraulic conductivity, this increase was even greater nearby ponding conditions.Field-tests results changed greatly depending on time and space: great standard deviations were observed for both hydraulic conductivity and sorptivity at all the values of pressure potential.The macroscopic capillary length λc, which provides concise information about the soil attitude to diffusion, determined by numerically evaluating the subtended area to the experimental hydraulic-conductivity curve, also evidenced the presence of earthworms' burrows, ranging from 16.9 mm to 11.6 mm in optimal and adverse conditions respectively.

For the last forty-five years (from 1974 to present) ferroalloy production in Bagnolo Mella, Northern Italy, has generated particulate emissions enriched in potentially toxic metals and metalloids including arsenic (As), lead (Pb) and manganese (Mn). Of these, Mn is unique in that it has a significant background concentration and is seldom studied as a contaminant but is potentially a significant toxin derived from dusts regionally. Here we examine the distribution, redistribution, speciation and bioavailability of the Mn-contaminated top soils affected by atmospheric emissions adjacent to the ferroalloy plant. Four sites, variably located in the study area in terms of both distance and direction from the plant, were considered as representative of increasing levels of industrial influence. Soil profiles showed that metal concentrations (measured by X-ray fluorescence) varied considerably by location, i.e. higher in the sites closer to the plant and also at the surface level, although distributed throughout the top 15 cm, suggesting appreciable redistribution possibly due to soil mixing or infiltration. Most metal concentrations were correlated, except Mn which was independent and more variable across the sites than the other elements. Sequential chemical extractions indicated that Pb was primarily associated with Mn oxides, while As was most significantly associated with iron oxides. When Mn concentration significantly exceeded background levels, it was present in phases that were resistant to acid dissolution, very different from typical uncontaminated soils. X-ray Absorption Near Edge Spectroscopy (XANES) analyses suggested this recalcitrant Mn phase is likely a Mn-bearing spinel such as magnetite, that can be particularly toxic if ingested or inhaled. These first results highlight the legacy of ferroalloy production on surrounding soils, as well as the importance of Mn speciation for soil apportionment evaluation and human exposure estimation.

The paper presents a case study of a landslide event, accidentally triggered by an unexpected and extraordinary infiltration in an otherwise stable slope. The work aims at modelling the slope failure mechanism with a simplified two-dimensional framework based on the formation of a perched water table. The landslide occurred in Val Venosta/Vinschgau Valley, in Northern Italy, in April 2010 and produced catastrophic consequences. It took place on a hillside with average slope angle 36° and affected an area of about 200 m2; the slip surface was located approximately 1.0 m below the slope profile, in the uppermost layers of a predominantly coarse, well-graded soil. A series of numerical simulations were performed to back-analyse the event, using a commercial computer program. The artificial water infiltration and water content evolution were modelled with a two-dimensional finite element model (FE) of the unsaturated/saturated domain with appropriate infiltration boundary conditions. The slope stability analyses were conducted with a classic limit equilibrium method (LE) and were performed at different time instants during the infiltration process. The soil-water retention curves and conductivity functions were defined according to the van Genuchten-Mualem model. The combined FE and LE simulations showed the gradual formation of a perched water table, whose associated localized pore pressure distribution resulted in the loss of the suction stabilizing effect and thus in the reduction of the safety factor. Although supported by basic soil mechanical and hydraulic characterization, the numerical simulations allowed to perform a back-analysis which effectively captured the timing of the event and the location and depth of the slip surface along the slope.

Residential proximity to ferroalloy production has been associated with increased manganese exposure, which can adversely affect health, particularly among children. Little is known, however, about which environmental samples contribute most to internal levels of manganese and other ferroalloy metals. We aimed to characterize sources of exposure to metals and evaluate the ability of internal biomarkers to reflect exposures from environmental media. In 717 Italian adolescents residing near ferromanganese industry, we examined associations between manganese, lead, chromium, and copper in environmental samples (airborne particles, surface soil, indoor/outdoor house dust) and biological samples (blood, hair, nails, saliva, urine). In multivariable regression analyses adjusted for child age and sex, a 10% increase in soil Mn was associated with increases of 3.0% (95% CI: 1.1%, 4.9%) in nail Mn and 1.6% (95% CI: -0.2%, 3.4%) in saliva Mn. Weighted-quantile-sum (WQS) regression estimated that higher soil and outdoor dust Mn accounted for most of the effect on nail Mn (WQS weights: 0.61 and 0.22, respectively, out of a total of 1.0). Higher air and soil Mn accounted for most of the effect on saliva Mn (WQS weights: 0.65 and 0.29, respectively). These findings can help inform biomarker selection in future epidemiologic studies and guide intervention strategies in exposed populations.

Manganese (Mn) is an essential element that can become neurotoxic through various exposure windows over the lifespan. While there is clear evidence of Mn neurotoxicity in pediatric and adult occupational populations, little is known about effects in the elderly who may exhibit enhanced susceptibilities due to compromised physiology compared to younger adults. In the province of Brescia, Italy, the Valcamonica area has been the site of three ferroalloy plants operating from 1902 to 2001. Metal emissions of Mn and to a lesser extent lead (Pb) have impacted the surrounding environment, where a high prevalence of Parkinsonism was previously observed. This study aimed to assess neurocognitive and motor functions in healthy elderly subjects residing for most of their lifetime in Valcamonica or in a reference area unimpacted by ferroalloy plant activity.Subjects were enrolled for extensive neurobehavioral assessment of motor, cognitive and sensory functions. Exposure was assessed with 24h personal air sampling for PM10 airborne particles, surface soil and tap water measurement at individual households, Mn levels in blood and urine and Pb in blood. Dose-response relationships between exposure indicators and biomarkers and health outcomes were analyzed with generalized (linear and logistic) additive models (GAM).A total of 255 subjects (55% women) were examined; most (52.9%) were within the 65-70 years age class. Average airborne Mn was 26.41 ng/m(3) (median 18.42) in Valcamonica and 20.96 ng/m(3) (median 17.62) in the reference area. Average Mn in surface soil was 1026 ppm (median 923) in Valcamonica and 421 ppm (median 410) in the reference area. Manganese in drinking water was below the LDL of 1 μg/L. The GAM analysis showed significant association between airborne Mn (p=0.0237) and the motor coordination tests of the Luria Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery. The calculation of the Benchmark Dose using this dose-response relationship yielded a lower level confidence interval of 22.7 ng/m(3) (median 26.4). For the odor identification score of the Sniffin Stick test, an association was observed with soil Mn (p=0.0006) and with a significant interaction with blood Pb (p=0.0856). Significant dose-responses resulted also for the Raven's Colored Progressive Matrices with the distance from exposure point source (p=0.0025) and Mn in soil (p=0.09), and for the Trail Making test, with urinary Mn (p=0.0074). Serum prolactin (PRL) levels were associated with air (p=0.061) and urinary (p=0.003) Mn, and with blood Pb (p=0.0303). In most of these associations age played a significant role as an effect modifier.Lifelong exposure to Mn was significantly associated with changes in odor discrimination, motor coordination, cognitive abilities and serum PRL levels. These effects are consistent with the hypothesis of a specific mechanism of toxicity of Mn on the dopaminergic system. Lead co-exposure, even at very low levels, can further enhance Mn toxicity.

Manganese (Mn) is an essential metal that plays a fundamental role for brain development and functioning. Environmental exposure to Mn may lead to accumulation in the basal ganglia and development of Parkinson-like disorders. The most recent research is focusing on early-life overexposure to Mn and the potential vulnerability of younger individuals to Mn toxicity also in regard to cognitive and executive functions through the involvement of the frontal cortex.Neurodevelopmental disturbances are increasing in the society, and understanding the potential role of environmental determinants is a key for prevention. Therefore, assessing the environmental sources of Mn exposure and the mechanisms of developmental neurotoxicity and defining appropriate biomarkers of exposure and early functional alterations represent key issues to improve and address preventive strategies. These themes will be reviewed in this chapter.

Open image in new window The paper presents a case study of a landslide event, artificially triggered by an exceptional infiltration in an otherwise stable slope. The work aims at investigating the slope failure mechanism within a simplified two-dimensional conceptual framework based on the formation of a perched water table. The landslide occurred in Northern Italy in April 2010, on a hillside with average slope angle 36°–37°; the event affected an area of about 200 m2, the slip surface was located approximately 1 m below the slope profile, in the uppermost layers of a predominantly coarse, well graded soil. A series of numerical simulations were performed to back-analyze the event, using a commercial computer program. The artificial water infiltration and water content evolution were simulated with a two-dimensional finite element (FE) model of the unsaturated-saturated domain with appropriate infiltration boundary conditions. The slope stability analyses were conducted with classic limit equilibrium (LE) methods and were performed at different time instants during the infiltration process. The soil-water retention curves and conductivity functions were defined according to the van Genuchten-Mualem model, with parameters estimated by means of the software Rosetta (United States Department of Agriculture). The combined FE and LE simulations showed the gradual formation of a perched water table, whose associated localized pore pressure distribution results in the loss of the suction stabilizing effect and thus in the reduction of the safety factor. Although supported by basic soil mechanical and hydraulic characterization, the numerical simulations allowed to perform a back-analysis which effectively captured the timing of the event, the location and depth of the slip surface along the slope.

The paper presents the activity performed at the University of Brescia by students and researchers, belonging to different Mediterranean cultures and different disciplines, to prepare a documentary exhibition on irrigation techniques in water scarcity conditions, on the occasion of the International Year of Soils 2015. Traditional irrigation techniques were identified as a key aspect of soil conservation and agricultural practices, to build living and autopoietic ecosystems, also in adverse climatic conditions, and to adapt to climatic changes. Being a structural source of ecosystem survival, and being based on long-lasting observation of the climate and of the environment, they have deep roots in local cultures and they were identified as a common ground also for multicultural interaction. The core of the exhibition is structured in sections focused on techniques for collecting groundwater, atmospheric humidity and surface water, on water lifting techniques and on water distributive systems. The final section of the exhibition is devoted to the oases which are presented as an equilibrium ecosystem, established upon the alliance between man and nature and founded on the capability of collecting water.

Introduction: Olfactory changes are frequently shown in Parkinsonian patients and may be related to dysregulation of Dopaminergic control. While studies have suggested that exposure to manganese (M...

Background Release of ambient metals during ferroalloy production may be an important source of environmental exposure for nearby communities and exposure to these metals has been linked to adverse respiratory outcomes. We sought to characterize the association between personal air levels of metals and respiratory health in Italian adolescents living in communities with historic and current ferroalloy activity. Methods As part of a study in the industrial province of Brescia, Italy, 410 adolescents aged 11–14 years were recruited. Participants were enrolled from three different communities with varying manganese (Mn) levels: Bagnolo Mella which has current ferroalloy activity, Valcamonica, which has historic ferroalloy activity and Garda Lake which has no history of ferroalloy activity. Particulate matter

Ferroalloy production can release a number of metals into the environment, of which manganese (Mn) is of major concern. Other elements include lead, iron, zinc, copper, chromium, and cadmium. Manganese exposure derived from settled dust and suspended aerosols can cause a variety of adverse neurological effects to chronically exposed individuals. To better estimate the current levels of exposure, this study quantified metal levels in dust collected inside homes (n=85), outside homes (n=81), in attics (n=6), and in surface soil (n=252) in an area with historic ferroalloy production. Metals contained in indoor and outdoor dust samples were quantified using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy while attic and soil measurements were made with a XRF instrument. Mean Mn concentrations in soil (4600 μg/g) and indoor dust (870 μg/g) collected within 0.5 km of a plant exceeded levels previously found in suburban and urban areas, but did decrease outside 1.0 km to the upper end of background concentrations. Mn concentrations in attic dust were approximately 120 times larger than other indoor dust levels, consistent with historical emissions that yielded high airborne concentrations in the region. Considering the potential health effects that are associated with chronic manganese inhalation and ingestion exposure, remediation of soil near the plants and frequent, on-going hygiene indoors may decrease residential exposure and the likelihood of adverse health effects.

Adolescents living in communities with ferromanganese alloy plant activity have been shown to exhibit deficits in olfactory and fine motor function. Household dust may serve as an important manganese (Mn) exposure pathway to children, though dust Mn concentrations have not previously been measured to assess household contamination from ferromanganese alloy plant emissions. Here we determined the association between dust concentrations and surface loadings of Mn and other metals (Al, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, and Zn) in indoor and outdoor household dust from three Italian communities that differ by history of ferromanganese alloy plant activity: Bagnolo Mella, with an active ferromanganese alloy plant (n=178 households); Valcamonica, with historically active plants (n=166); and Garda Lake, with no history of ferromanganese plant activity (n=99). We also evaluated Mn levels in other environmental (soil, airborne particulates) and candidate biomarker (blood, hair, saliva, fingernails) samples from children within the households. Household dust Mn concentrations and surface loadings were significantly different between the three sites, with levels highest in Bagnolo Mella (outdoor median Mn concentration = 4620, range 487 – 183,000 µg/g), intermediate in Valcamonica (median = 876, range 407 – 8240 µg/g), and lowest in Garda Lake (median = 407, range 258 – 7240 µg/g). Outdoor dust Mn concentrations in Bagnolo Mella, but not the other communities, were significantly inversely related with distance from the plant (R2=0.6630, P

Aiming at better understanding the processes involved in perched water tables onset and in their development, the case of a soil slope characterised by gradually decreasing hydraulic conductivity at saturation with depth was numerically investigated. Different anisotropy factors and steepness values were accounted for. The problem was led to a dimensionless form on the basis of the Buckingham π-theorem. Coherently with a theoretical solution of the 2D sloping case, the simulations evidenced (a) non-monotonic transverse profiles of the pressure head within the perched water, (b) slightly lower infiltration thresholds for perched water onset and for soil waterlogging, with respect to the 1D case. If the slope is long enough, an almost uniform flux can be observed in a branch of its central part.

Aiming at contributing with a hydrological perspective to the geotechnical investigation in mountain environments, particularly focusing on landslides triggered by perched water tables, we present some findings of a longlasting experimental and theoretical investigation of mountain—soils hydrology. After recalling a theoretical framework suitable to describe the hydrology of shallow, sloping and heterogeneous soils, we discuss some relevant difficulties concerning the measurement of the hydrological properties of heterogeneous and non mature soils, and we finally focus on the role played by the soil heterogeneity in the perched water tables onset.