Search results for " volcanic emissions"

FIRST APPLICATION OF ACTIVE BIOMONITORING TECHNIQUES (MOSS-BAGS) TO MAP THE DISPERSION OF VOLCANIC EMISSIONS

2011

Biomonitoring may be defined as the use of organisms and biomaterials (biomonitors) to obtain informations on certain characteristics of a particular medium (atmosphere, hydrosphere etc.). In particular, mosses accumulate large amounts of trace metals, making them good bioaccumulators to estimate atmospheric pollution. The moss-bags technique, introduced in the early 1970’, has become very popular. Such active biomonitoring technique is particularly useful in highly polluted areas and has been extensively used in industrial and/or urban areas to examine deposition patterns and to recognize point sources of pollution. The main objective of this study, which represents the first application o…

A biomonitoring study using endemic plants for the evaluation of volcanogenic deposition on Mt. Etna (Italy)

2010

8. A biomonitoring survey using leaves of tree (Betulla aethnensis, Pinus nigra and Populus tremula) and two endemic species (Senecio aethnensis and Rumex aethnensis) above treeline level, was performed on Mt. Etna, in order to evaluate the dispersion and the impact of volcanic emissions. Samples of leaves were collected in summer 2008 from 30 sites in the upper part of the volcano (800-3000 m a.s.l). Acid digestion of samples was carried out with a microwave oven, and 44 elements were analyzed by using plasma spectrometry (ICP-MS and ICP-OES). The highest concentrations of all investigated elements were found in the samples collected closest to the degassing craters, and in the downwind se…

Experimental studies on BrO/Br ratios at Stromboli, Etna, Masaya, Gorely and Nyiragongo

2014

Environmental effects and potential impact on human health caused by the recent Nyiragongo eruption (Democratic Republic of Congo)

2022

Volcanic activity emits large amounts of gases and particles to the atmosphere subsequently spreading contaminants to rain, surface waters and soils, negatively impacting on the environment and the human health. The recent eruption of Nyiragongo occurred on 22nd of May, injected large quantities of ash affecting the environment of the Virunga area, and more than 2 million people living between 18-25 km far from the main crater of Nyiragongo. Several studies demonstrated that drinking waters and plants may contain high contents of natural pollutants, and when ingested they become harmful to human health causing acute or chronic diseases. In this study, we investigated the impact of the recen…

Volcanic plume monitoring at mount Etna by diffusive(passive)sampling

2004

This paper reports the use of diffusive tubes in determining HF, HCI, and SO2 in the volcanic plume of Mount Etna in an attempt to highlight the potential of this method in studying volcanoes. In a first application a network of 18 diffusive tubes was installed on Etna's flanks, aimed at evaluating the atmospheric dispersion of the volcanic plume on a local scale. Results showed a monotonic decrease in volatile air concentrations with distance from the craters (HF from 0.15 to <0.003 μmol m-3 , HCl from 2 to <0.01 μmol m -3, and SO2 from 11 to 0.04 μmol m -3 ), revealing the prevalently volcanic contribution. Matching of SO2/HCl and HCl/HF volatile ratios with contemporaneous measurements a…

Atmospheric CFCs and geogenic HCFCs in gas discharges from Mt Etna and Vulcano Island (Italy)

2013

Gas manifestations of Greece: Catalogue, geochemical characterization and gas hazard definition

2015

Like other geodynamically active areas, Greece is affected by a large number of geogenic gas manifestations. These occur either in form of point sources (fumaroles, mofettes, bubbling gases) or as diffuse emanations. We produced a first catalogue of the geogenic gas manifestations of Greece also considering few literature data. Collected samples were analysed for their chemical (He, Ne, Ar, O2, N2, H2, H2S, CO, CH4 and CO2) and isotopic composition (He, C and N). Most of the sampled gas manifestation are found along the South Aegean active volcanic arc (32 sites) and in the majority they belong to the CO2 dominated group. Very few gas manifestations, N2- or CH4- dominated, are found along t…

The fluids’ geochemistry along the "Sperchios Basin - Northern Evoikos Gulf" Graben, a geodynamically complex area of Central Greece

2013

The contribution of volcanic emissions (Etna, Stromboli and Vulcano) to the atmospheric trace metals budget in the Mediterranean basin

2010

Volcanic emissions represent one of the major natural source for several trace metals (Cd, Cu, As, Pb, Hg and Zn) into the atmosphere both as gaseous and aerosol forms. The Mediterranean Sea can be considered a large geochemical sink for these elements whose source are the huge amounts of aerosols of different origin. The industrialized areas located in the northern part of the basin represent a nearly constant source of the anthropogenic-dominated aerosol. By contrast, the arid and desert regions located at the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean, are the sources of frequent dust “pulses” perturbing the “steady-state” conditions of the local atmosphere through the input of seve…

Mount Etna volcanic emissions signature on the chemical composition of bulk atmospheric deposition in Sicily, Italy.

2022

Mt. Etna, on the eastern coast of Sicily (Italy), is one of the most active and most intensely monitored volcanoes on the Earth, widely recognized as a big source of volcanic gases, such as CO2, SO2, halogens, and many trace elements, including technological critical elements (TCEs), to the atmosphere on a regional and global scale. Mt. Etna emissions account for a significant percentage of the worldwide average volcanic budget and especially during eruptive periods, its products can be dispersed over great distances and they influence the chemical composition of the atmosphere of other continents too. The current knowledge about the geochemical cycle of TCEs is still scarce, nevertheless, …