0000000000293743
AUTHOR
Dario Tedesco
Mobility of plume-derived volcanogenic elements in meteoric water at Nyiragongo volcano (Congo) inferred from the chemical composition of single rainfall events
The chemical composition of single rainfall events was investigated at Nyiragongo volcano (Democratic Republic of Congo) with the aim of determining the relative contributions of plume-derived elements. The different locations of the sampling sites allowed both plume-affected samples (hereafter referred to as “fumigated samples”) and samples representative of the local background to be collected. The chemical composition of the local background reflects the peculiar geographic features of the area, being influenced by biomass burning, geogenic dust, and biological activity. Conversely, fumigated samples contain large amounts of volcanogenic elements that can be clearly distinguished from th…
Public Health physicians and empathy: are we really emphatic? The Jefferson Scale applied to Italian resident doctors in Public Health.
Large gaps in care quality resulting from ineffective communication between health providers, patients, and other health care organizations have been documented. Research suggests that effective, empathic communication positively influences health outcomes. Many studies focused on the assessment of clinicians empathy, while there is still a lack of evidence on the role and level of empathy for public health medical doctors,especially during their postgraduate education. The aim of this study was to assess empathy level of public health residents, and to investigate differences in empathy scores using a validated questionnaire. The Italian version of the Jefferson scale of Physician Empathy …
Preliminary results of biomonitoring survey at Virunga Volcanic Province (D.R. Congo), Eastern Africa.
Biomonitoring techniques have been widely used in environmental studies to monitor anthropogenic pollutants. Recently such techniques have been also applied to ascertain the impact of contaminants naturally released by volcanic activity (Calabrese et al., 2015; Arndt et al., 2017). In the present study a biomonitoring survey has been performed in different sites around Nyiragongo and Nyamulagira (D.R. Congo), active volcanoes in the western branch of the East African Rift. We applied both active and passive biomonitoring techniques in order to investigate the release of some harmful chemical elements by Nyiragongo and Nyamulagira: the former was performed by exposing moss-bags (Sphagnum sp.…
Passive degassing at Nyiragongo (D.R. Congo) and Etna (Italy) volcanoes
Volcanoes are well known as an impressive large natural source of trace elements into the troposphere. Etna (Italy) and Nyiragongo (D.R. Congo) are two stratovolcanoes located in different geological settings, both characterized by persistent passive degassing from their summit craters. Here, we present some results on trace element composition in volcanic plume emissions, atmospheric bulk deposition (rainwater) and their uptake by the surrounding vegetation, with the aim to compare and identify differences and similarities between these two volcanoes. Volcanic emissions were sampled by using active filter-packs for acid gases (sulfur and halogens) and specific teflon filters for particulat…
Geochemical characterization and health risk assessment in two diversified environmental settings (Southern Italy).
An integrated approach using chemical and microbial indicators has been tested in two different sites of the Campania Plain (Southern Italy) with different land use covering and different hydrogeological features in order: (1) to define the water-rock interaction processes, (2) to differentiate sources of pollution in a detailed way (3) to evaluate the degree of water quality in the studied alluvial aquifer and (4) to identify the most worrying elements for human's health. Groundwater have showed a HCO3-Ca signature for both investigated sites, and a progressive enrichment in alkali ions has been highlighted moving from the boundary of the plain toward the coastal areas, due to groundwater …
Gas emission strength and evolution of the molar ratio of BrO/SO2 in the plume of Nyiragongo in comparison to Etna
Airborne and ground-based differential optical absorption spectroscopy observations have been carried out at the volcano Nyiragongo (Democratic Republic of Congo) to measure SO2 and bromine monoxide (BrO) in the plume in March 2004 and June 2007, respectively. Additionally filter pack and multicomponent gas analyzer system (Multi-GAS) measurements were carried out in June 2007. Our measurements provide valuable information on the chemical composition of the volcanic plume emitted from the lava lake of Nyiragongo. The main interest of this study has been to investigate for the first time the bromine emission flux of Nyiragongo (a rift volcano) and the BrO formation in its volcanic plume. Mea…
Impacts of volcanic hazards on rural communities and adaptative strategies: A case study of the Virunga Volcanic Province (Democratic Republic of Congo)
co auteur étranger; International audience; Active volcanoes are a continuous threat for several regions worldwide and cause socio-economic and environmental issues, including the Virunga Volcanic Province (D.R. Congo). There, more than 2 million people are permanently exposed to the hazards of the most active volcanoes in Africa: Nyiragongo and Nyamulagira. However, there is a clear lack of information regarding the impacts of these hazards and how they may be affected by social vulnerability. In this study, a household survey based on semi-structural interviews was performed for rural communities in Virunga. This research aims to (i) investigate the impacts of volcanic hazards on rural co…