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The Sarno River Basin (South-west Italy) is one of the most polluted river basins in Europe due to widespread industrialization and intensive agriculture. From the geological point of view, it lies between the Somma-Vesuvius volcanic complex and the limestone formations of the Campania-Apennine Chain. The goal of this work has been to establish the influence of the Sarno river on the present sedimentation in the Naples bay continental shelf by evaluating organic matter contribution and pollution. Sediments samples were collected, by van Veen grab, in 71 stations located offshore the Sarno river between Vesuvian and Sorrento Peninsula coasts. The characteristics of the surface sediments were analysed to highlight spatial trends in the (i) granulometry (grain-size); (ii) total nitrogen, organic carbon and total phosphorus; (iii) metal content (Hg, Cd, Pb, As, Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn, Fe and Mn). The sediment distribution suggested that sediments from the Sarno River prevailed in the central part of the bay between the sand grained deposits from Vesuvius and coarser grained sediments from Sorrento Peninsula. The Sarno River deposition is characterized by silt/clays rich in organic elements with a high water content. A comparison with a previous study carried out onshore in the Sarno river basin has allowed to interpret the elevated Pb, Zn, Cd, and Hg concentrations most likely related to geological and anthropogenic sources, to underlying volcanic rocks, and contamination from fossil fuel combustion associated with nearby urban centres. In particular, as verified onshore, Ni and Cr contamination is most likely originating from anthropogenic sources as the Solofra tannery industry; the results suggest as these metals have been dispersed offshore. All these elements permit to identify the distribution of the present Sarno prodelta and to identify the influence of the onshore anthropogenic pollution in the adjacent submarine area. First results from this study highlight the influence of the Sarno prodelta in Naples Bay and represent the first step in the characterization of a marine area strongly influenced by a very high populated and touristic coast. Therefore, the study represents a data base for the offshore environmental impact evaluation.

The aim of this work is to evaluate the effects of freshwater pollution in the heavily contaminated Sarno River (Campania, South Italy), using Pellia neesiana (Pelliaceae Metzgeriales) in order to propose this liverwort as a potential bioindicator, able to record the effects of water pollution, particularly the one related to metal (loid) contamination. Samples of P. neesiana in nylon bags were disposed floating for one week on the waters of Sarno River in three sites characterised by an increasing pollution. As control, some specimens were cultured in vitro in Cd- and Pb-added media, at the same pollutants' levels as measured in the most polluted site. P. neesiana cell ultrastructure was modified and severe alterations were observed in chloroplasts from samples exposed in the most polluted site, and Cd- and Pb-cultured samples. Concurrently, a strong increase in the occurrence of Heat shock proteins 70 (HSP70) was detected in gametophytes following the pollution gradient. In conclusion, ultrastructural damages can be directly related to HSP 70 occurrence in liverwort tissues, and proportional to the degree of pollution present in the river; thus our study suggests P. neesiana as an affordable bioindicator of freshwaters pollution.

A Pb-resistant bacterial strain (named hereinafter Pb15) has been isolated from highly polluted marine sediments at the Sarno River mouth, Italy, using an enrichment culture to which Pb(II) 0.48 mmol l(-1) were added. 16S rRNA gene sequencing (Sanger) allowed assignment of the isolate to the genus Bacillus, with Bacillus pumilus as the closest species. The isolate is resistant to Pb(II) with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 4.8 mmol l(-1) and is also resistant to Cd(II) and Mn(II) with MIC of 2.22 mmol l(-1) and 18.20 mmol l(-1), respectively. Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) showed that Pb inoculated in the growth medium is absorbed by the bacterial cells at removal efficiencies of 31.02% and 28.21% in the presence of 0.48 mmol l(-1) or 1.20 mmol l(-1) Pb(II), respectively. Strain Pb15 forms a brown and compact biofilm when grown in presence of Pb(II). Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) confirm that the biofilm contains Pb, suggesting an active biosorption of this metal by the bacterial cells, sequestering 14% of inoculated Pb as evidenced by microscopic analyses. Altogether, these observations support evidence that strain Pb15 has potentials for being used in bioremediation of its native polluted sediments, with engineering solutions to be found in order to eliminate the adsorbed Pb before replacement of sediments in situ. (C) 2016 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.

Environmental protection issues are gaining increasing relevance in the framework of regional and local planning. The protection and enhancement of ecological networks is one of the most significant factors, in connection with sustainable urban water management. Several countries are revising their planning systems, in order to translate into practice the principles of ecological sustainability. An overview of iconic examples of river ecosystem restoration within some of the most populous European urban areas showed how river restoration could give the spur to urban rehabilitation programs, giving the opportunity to increase urban quality. This paper presents Campania regional policies regarding water protection and sustainable water management, and their influence on Provincial and Municipal planning practice, using as case study a group of fourteen municipalities located within one the most critical river basins, i.e. Sarno Valley. A research carried out by the University of Naples Federico II investigated the effects of water protection policies on municipal plans in Campania Region. The study showed that, roughly fifteen years after the regional legislative reform of 2004, the renewal rate of urban plans is still low. A deeper analysis of local planning state of the art, carried out through local plan collection and comparison, interviews and review of municipal databases, underlined the poor consideration put on sustainable water management by local planners., UPLanD - Journal of Urban Planning, Landscape & environmental Design, Vol 3 No 2: Urban Water Management

In a growing deterioration of the ecosystem both in terms of biodiversity and ecological features, even more problematic is the conservation of species. The aim of this work was to study seasonal variations of biochemical and molecular DNA damage markers in Pelophylax bergeri exposed to potential endocrine disrupting chemicals. Frogs were collected in the main phase of the reproductive cycle: in April and May, during active spermatogenesis and the breeding season, and in October and November, in spermatogenetic regression, from a sampling site in the polluted Sarno River and from a clean reference site (Matese Lake). DNA profile and poly(ADPribose) polymerase (PARP) activity were evaluated in the testis. In the main phases of the reproductive cycle, all specimens from Sarno River showed a PARP activity higher than that measured in the same frog’s testis from Matese Lake. In addition, the PARP activity in active spermatogenesis was always higher compared with the activity in the spermatogenetic regression in Sarno River frogs. PARP2, usually activated in response to exposure to heavy metals, was expressed in all testes. In the species examined from Sarno River, no evident correlation between testis DNA damage and PARP activation was found. The working hypothesis is that PARP, implicated in genome surveillance and protection, might represent in frog spermatogenesis an appealing tool for genotoxic risk assessment useful to define a warning alarm for its survival.

The Sarno River is nicknamed "the most polluted river in Europe". The main goal of this study is to enhance our knowledge on the Sarno River water and sediment quality and on its environmental impact on the gulf of Naples (Tyrrhenian Sea, Central Mediterranean Sea) in order to become a useful assessment tool for the regional administrations. For these reasons, 32 selected polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and aldrin, α-BHC, β-BHC, δ-BHC, γ-BHC (lindane), 4,4'-DDD, 4,4'-DDE, 4,4'-DDT, dieldrin, endosulfan I, endosulfan II, endosulfan sulphate, endrin, endrin aldehyde, heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide (isomer B) and methoxychlor were determined in the water dissolved phase (DP), suspended particulate matter (SPM) and sediments. Total concentrations of PCBs ranged from 1.4 to 24.9 ng L(-1) in water (sum of DP and SPM) and from 1.01 to 42.54 ng g(-1) in sediment samples. The concentrations of total organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) obtained in water (sum of DP and SPM) ranged from 0.54 to 7.32 ng L(-1) and from 0.08 to 5.99 ng g(-1) in sediment samples. Contaminant discharges of PCBs and OCPs into the sea were calculated in about 1,247 g day(-1) (948 g day(-1) of PCBs and 326 g day(-1) of OCPs), showing that this river should account as one of the main contribution sources of PCBs and OCPs to the Tyrrhenian Sea.

The organophosphates pesticide (OPP) pollution in the Sarno River and its environmental impact on the Gulf of Naples (Tyrrhenian Sea, Central Mediterranean Sea) were estimated. Nine selected OPPs (diazinon, dimethoate, malathion, chlorpyrifos, dichlorvos, fenitrothion, methidathion, tolclofos-methyl, azinphos-methyl) were determined in the water dissolved phase (DP), suspended particulate matter (SPM) and sediment samples. Total OPP concentrations ranged from 5.58 to 39.25 ng L(-1) in water (as the sum of the DP and SPM) and from 0.19 to 3.98 ng g(-1) in sediment samples. Contaminant discharges of OPPs into the sea were calculated in about 48,064.08 g year(-1), showing that this river should account as one of the main contribution sources of OPPs to the Tyrrhenian Sea.

The effects of freshwater pollution in the highly contaminated river Sarno (Campania, Southern Italy) have been evaluated using bags containing the aquatic plant Lemna minor (Lemnacee, Arales), in order to determine morpho-physiological modifications as a response to pollutants. The exposition of Lemna bags for 7 days on three different sites along the river path showed alterations in chloroplasts and vacuoles shape and organization. Moreover, some specimens were exposed in vitro at the same heavy metal (HM) concentrations measured in the polluted sites of the river, and compared with data from the bag experiment; to verify the dose and time dependent effects, samples were exposed to HM in vitro at concentrations ranging from 10−6 to 10−4 M up to 7 days. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations on in vitro plants confirmed that ultrastructural alterations affected most of plastids and the shape of different subcellular structures, namely vacuoles; in in vitro stressed specimens, Heat Shock Proteins 70 (Hsp70) levels changed, in dependence of changing levels of HM measured in different sites along the river path. Thus L. minor exhibited a possible correlation between the levels of HM pollution and Hsp70 occurrence; interestingly, the data presented showed that copper specifically increased Hsp70 levels at concentrations detected in polluted river waters, whereas cadmium and lead did not; on the other side, the latter represent highly toxic elements when specimens were exposed to higher levels in vitro. The effects of specific elements in vitro are compared to those observed in bags exposed along the river path; thus results are examined in order to propose L. minor as an organism able to be utilized to monitor heavy metals pollution; the possibility of using Hsp70 s as specific markers of HM pollution is discussed.

The Sarno River trend analysis during the last 60 years was traced focusing on the socio-economic and environmental issues. The river, originally worshiped as a god by Romans, is affected by an extreme level of environmental degradation, being sadly reputed as the most polluted river in Europe. This is the “not to be followed” example of the worst way a European river can be managed. Data about water, sediment, soil, biota and air contamination were collected from scientific papers, monitoring surveys, and technical reports depicting a sick river. Originally, the river was reputed as a source of livelihood, now it is considered a direct threat for human health. Wastewater can still flow through the river partially or completely untreated, waste production associated with the manufacture of metal products and leather tanning continues to suffer from the historical inadequacy of regional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), associated with the partial or no reuse of effluents. All efforts should be devoted to solving the lack of wastewater and waste management, the gap in land planning, improving the capacity of existing WWTPs also via the construction of new sewer sections, restoring Sarno River minimum vital-flow, keeping to a minimum uncontrolled discharges as well as supporting river contracts. The 2015 goal stated by the Water Framework Directive ( 2000/60/EC ) is still far to be reached. The lesson has not been learnt yet.

The presence of illicit drugs and their metabolites in surface waters has to be considered a new type of hazard, still unknown, for both the human health and the aquatic ecosystem, due to the potent pharmacological activities of all the illicit drugs. Our research was aimed at evaluating the presence of illicit drugs in the Sarno River (Campania region, Italy), crossing a densely populated area, the basin of the Sarno River, one of the largest and most important economic areas in Campania region, famous for the presence of zones with high landscape-environmental value. The drugs selected for this study were the most used in Campania region. The presence of illicit drugs in surface water was analyzed by a selective multi-residue assay based on liquid chromatographytandem mass spectrometry. The analysis showed the presence of all the illicit drugs investigated: cocaine and its main metabolites (benzoylecgonine, nor-benzoylecgonine), morphine, THC-COOH and codeine; cocaine was the most abundant illicit drug. The presence of illicit drugs and their metabolites in the Sarno River suggests new potential risk for the basin’s inhabitants, using water in the food chain, via field irrigation and animal feed, and for the health of the aquatic fauna.

The Sarno river basin covers an area of 500 km2 collecting the waters of Solofrana and Cavaiola tributaries. Originally it manly represents a source of livelihood for inhabitants by fishing and transporting goods; currently, the Sarno river, still partially used for irrigation, is affected by an extreme environmental degradation as a result of uncontrolled outflow of industrial waste. Within the framework of a wider geochemical prospecting project aiming at characterizing the whole territory of the Campania region, 89 stream sediment samples with a sampling density of 1 sample per 5 km2 were collected in the river basin and analyzed by means of inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry in order to assess the environmental conditions at a regional scale. A GIS-aided technique, based on both the actual distribution of potentially harmful elements and their regional background values, was used to generate the maps of the contamination factors and of the contamination degrees for As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb and Zn. Furthermore, a factor analysis was performed to assess the nature and the extent of contamination sources for the river sediments. Results showed that the Sarno river basin could be divided in two ??????environmental status?????? units: one, low contaminated, corresponding to the hilly and mountain areas, and the second, from moderately to very highly contaminated, corresponding to the economically developed areas of the valley floor characterized by a high population density. This work was developed within a project that aims to investigate the relationships between environmental pollution and human health by analyzing environmental media (stream sediments, water, soil and vegetation) together with human hair of resident population. In this context, the spatial correlation between the extremely compromised environmental conditions of developed areas and the incidence rate of liver cancer in the same area was also explored posing the need of a careful costs/benefits analysis to assess whether the deterioration of the environment, that could adversely affect the conditions of public health, is worth the economic development.

The metals pollution in the Sarno River and its environmental impact on the Gulf of Naples (Tyrrhenian Sea, Central Mediterranean Sea) were estimated. Eight selected metals (As, Hg, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) were determined in the water dissolved phase (DP), suspended particulate matter (SPM) and sediment samples. Selected metals concentrations ranged from 0.32 to 1,680.39 μg l(-1) in water DP, from 103.6 to 7,734.6 μg l(-1) in SPM and from 90.7 to 2,470.3 mg kg(-1) in sediment samples. Contaminant discharges of selected metals into the sea were calculated in about 13,977.6 kg year(-1) showing that this river should account as one of the main contribution sources of metals to the Tyrrhenian Sea.