Search results for "Environmental engineering"

Pluvial flooding in urban areas: the role of surface drainage efficiency

2016

Effect of plant species on water balance in a pilot-scale horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland planted with Arundo donax L. and Cyperus alt…

2015

Abstract In constructed wetland systems (CWs) for wastewater treatment, evapotranspiration (ET) is the most important water balance component in arid and semi-arid regions, where high performance levels are needed when treating contaminants and where it is also vital to preserve as much water as possible for reuse in irrigation. This study shows the results of a series of water balance measurements obtained between 2012 and 2013 from a pilot HSSF system in the West of Sicily (Italy). The system was made by two separate vegetated units: one with Arundo donax L. (giant reed) and the other with Cyperus alternifolius L. (umbrella sedge), and fed with urban wastewater following secondary treatme…

Simulation of the operation of detention tanks.

2005

The performance of detention tanks with different characteristics (volume, on-line and off-line arrangement) has been evaluated according to the results of a continuous simulation. The conceptual simplified model for sewer system simulation (COSMOSS) model has been used to simulate the operation of the tanks. The differences between the performance of on-line and off-line tanks and the influence of the characteristics of different catchments have been examined. According to the results of the simulations detention tanks demonstrated good performances in total suspended solids retention and this evenience can certainly help to prevent water pollution of receiving water bodies in urban areas,…

Atmospheric pollution in Venice, Italy, as indicated by isotopic analyses

1978

Rainwater samples collected in Venice over a period of about 1 yr were studied along with stone samples collected from buildings and monuments. Isotopic measurements of O, S, and C were carried out on rainwater, rainwater dissolved sulfate, carbonate in stone, and sulfate present in altered limestone, with the purpose of proving that atmospheric pollution is mainly responsible for the deterioration of monuments and buildings. The results obtained lead to the conclusion that, in spite of the geographic position of the city, atmospheric sulfate in Venice is basically tied to the emission of anthropogenic SO2 and that only minor contribution can be expected from seawater spray and aerosols. Th…

Methodological approach for evaluating the geo-exchange potential: VIGOR Project

2012

In the framework of VIGOR Project, a national project coordinated by the Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources (CNR-IGG) and sponsored by the Ministry of Economic Development (MiSE), dedicated to the evaluation of geothermal potential in the regions of the Convergence Objective in Italy (Puglia, Calabria, Campania and Sicily), is expected to evaluate the ability of the territory to heat exchange with the ground for air conditioning of buildings. To identify the conditions for the development of low enthalpy geothermal systems collected and organized on a regional scale geological and stratigraphic data useful for the preparation of a specific thematic mapping, able to represent in a …

Mountain dairy wastewater treatment with the use of a 'irregularly shaped' constructed wetland (Aosta Valley, Italy)

2014

Abstract In mountain areas, economical activities related to milk processing represent both a key source of income and job opportunities. One of the main characteristics of cheese production is the seasonal variability in the volume of milk processed and wastewater production that tend to limit the capacity of ecosystems to absorb their inputs. In alpine environment, the scarcity of plain surfaces and the climatic conditions results in the need for high CW performances of variable nutrient inputs in different seasons. By evaluating a CW seasonal efficiency for dairy wastewaters in a mountain region (Aosta Valley-NW Italy), this research was aimed to understand how performances of nutrient r…

Estimation of winter leaf area index and sky view fraction for snow modelling in boreal coniferous forests: consequences on snow mass and energy bala…

2012

Abstract in Undetermined Leaf area index (LAI) and canopy coverage are important parameters when modelling snow process in coniferous forests, controlling interception and transmitting radiation. Estimates of LAI and sky view factor show large variability depending on the estimation method used, and it is not clear how this is reflected in the calculated snow processes beneath the canopy. In this study, the winter LAI and sky view fraction were estimated using different optical and biomass-based approximations in several boreal coniferous forest stands in Fennoscandia with different stand density, age and site latitude. The biomass-based estimate of LAI derived from forest inventory data wa…

Macrofaunal colonization of mine tailings impacted sediments

2020

An experiment was conducted to study and compare macrofaunal colonization of thin layers of mine tailings. Experimental boxes filled with marine sediments capped with mine tailings were placed on the seabed and subject to colonization for six and twelve months. Three Norwegian mine tailings, representative of major production processes, were used. In addition, one set of boxes served as control and was not treated with tailings. The layer thickness of the tailings was supposed to represent the thickness in the transition zone between the sea deposit itself and unaffected sediments. The most fine-grained tailings, which also contained flotation chemicals, showed a significantly lower coloniz…

Impact of climate variability, drainage and land-cover changes on hemiboreal streamflow

2017

ABSTRACTThe aim of the study was to determine the effects of climate variability, agricultural land drainage and afforestation of agricultural land on river discharge. The study was conducted in the Vienziemīte stream basin (6 km2), where discharge was monitored on a daily basis during the time period of 1946–2010. In the stream basin, natural afforestation of agricultural land began in the 1950s, and in the mid-1970s artificial drainage systems were installed in all agricultural land (70% of the total basin area). Climate variability and artificial drainage were the main factors observed to be affecting stream discharge. The changes were most evident in annual and seasonal mean, minimum an…

A δ18O isoscape for the shallow groundwater in the Baltic Artesian Basin

2016

The study presents a shallow groundwater isoscape for the Baltic region, which covers the major part of the Baltic Artesian Basin (BAB). BAB is an important palaeogroundwater reservoir, but prior to this study, little has been known about the spatial variability of δD and δ18O values in modern precipitation input across the region. To overcome this limitation, we hypothesized that the isotopic composition of shallow groundwater in the BAB could be used as a proxy for the mean weighted annual isotopic composition of local precipitation. However, the results of the study reveal many clear discrepancies between the isotopic composition of precipitation and shallow groundwater in the area. The …