Search results for "IMPACT"
showing 10 items of 1703 documents
Mount Etna volcano (Italy) as a major “dust” point source in the Mediterranean area
2016
Volcanic emissions represent one of the most relevant natural sources of trace elements to the troposphere. Due to their potential toxicity, they may have important environmental impacts from local to global scale. They can also severely affect the atmospheric and terrestrial environment at timescales ranging from a few to millions of years. Mt. Etna volcano is known as one of the largest global contributors of magmatic gases (CO2, SO2 and halogens) and particulate matter, including some toxic trace elements. The aim of this study is to characterize the chemical composition and the mineralogical features of the volcanogenic aerosol passively emitted from Mt. Etna. Twenty-five samples were c…
8000 years of coastal changes on a western Mediterranean island: A multiproxy approach from the Posada plain of Sardinia
2018
Abstract A multi-proxy palaeoenvironmental investigation was conducted to reconstruct the Holocene history of coastal landscape change in the lower Posada coastal plain of eastern Sardinia. In the Mediterranean region, coastal modifications during the Holocene have been driven by a complex interplay between climate, geomorphological processes and human activity. In this paper, millennial-scale human-sea level-environment interactions are investigated near Posada, one of the largest coastal plains in eastern Sardinia. Biostratigraphic and palynological approaches were used to interpret the chrono-stratigraphy exhibited by a series of new cores taken from the coastal plain. This new study elu…
Mid- and late-Holocene vegetation and fire history at Biviere di Gela, a coastal lake in southern Sicily, Italy
2009
The vegetation and fire history of few coastal sites has been investigated in the Mediterranean region so far. We present the first paleoecological reconstruction from coastal Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. We analysed pollen and charcoal in the sediments of Biviere di Gela, a lake (lagoon) on the south coast of Sicily. Our data suggest that the area became afforested after a marine transgression at ca. 7200 cal b.p. (5250 b.c.). Build-up of forest and shrublands took ca. 200–300 years, mainly with the deciduous trees Quercus, Ostrya and Fraxinus. Juniperus expanded ca. 6900 cal b.p. (4950 b.c.), but declined again 6600 cal b.p. (4650 b.c.). Afterwards, evergreen trees…
Effects of Nautical Traffic and Noise on Foraging Patterns of Mediterranean Damselfish (Chromis chromes)
2012
Chromis chromis is a key species in the Mediterranean marine coastal ecosystems where, in summer, recreational boating and its associated noise overlap. Anthropogenic noise could induce behavioural modifications in marine organisms, thereby affecting population dynamics. In the case of an important species for the ecosystem like C. chromis, this could rebound on the community structure. Here, we measured nautical traffic during the summer of 2007 in a Southern Mediterranean Marine Protected Area (MPA) and simultaneously the feeding behaviour of C. chromis was video-recorded, within both the no-take A-zone and the B-zone where recreational use is allowed. Feeding frequencies, escape reaction…
Suspect, non-target and target screening of emerging pollutants using data independent acquisition: Assessment of a Mediterranean River basin
2019
A single workflow based on three approaches (target, suspected and non-target screening) using liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS) in data independent acquisition mode (DIA) was developed to assess the presence of emerging pollutants (EPs) in water and sediments from a Mediterranean River Basin. Identification of potential contaminants was based on mass accuracy, isotopic ratio pattern, theoretical fragmentation, and retention time using Waters UNIFI software. In the suspect screening against a library containing 2200 components, 68 contaminants were tentatively identified, 6 of which were confirmed and quantified with analytical standar…
Pharmaceuticals and personal care products in a Mediterranean coastal wetland: Impact of anthropogenic and spatial factors and environmental risk ass…
2021
The present study focused on the occurrence, distribution and risk assessment of 32 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in water and sediment, as well as the surrounding soil of the irrigation channels and lake of a Mediterranean coastal wetland, the Albufera Natural Park (Valencia, Spain). Moreover, the influent and effluent of ten wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) that treat wastewater from Valencia and the surrounding areas were also studied. BPA, caffeine, diclofenac, ethyl paraben, methyl paraben, metformin, tramadol and salicylic acid were the predominant PPCPs detected in the channels and the lake, and are in good agreement with those detected in the effluent. Furthe…
Comparative study of the environmental footprints of marinas on European Islands
2021
AbstractPorts have been key elements in Europe's economic development. This situation is even more relevant on islands, which are highly dependent on the maritime sector. Consequently, over the years, ports with diverse functionalities have been established both in mainland Europe and on its outlying islands. This article discusses the environmental impact of leisure marinas on European islands, especially as they are closely linked to economic development through tourism. The aim is to study the environmental impact of these infrastructures by determining the carbon and water footprints of marinas on European islands in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. The results obtained enable the au…
Dataset of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in a Mediterranean coastal wetland
2021
The dataset provides information on Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Products (PPCPs) detected in the Albufera Natural Park (Valencia, Spain), a typical Mediterranean coastal wetland. These PPCPs constitute an important group of organic pollutants highly representative of the human impact. The concentrations values measured in soil, sediment and water and the statistical relationship of contaminants between them and with the environmental parameters could help to understand their fate in different compartments. The data also reported the occurrence and removal efficiency (%) for each contaminant in ten wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), located in the surrounding area. This dataset could …
Meiofauna as indicator for assessing the impact of fish farming at exposed marine site
2012
This study aimed to detect the impact of organic loads due to biodeposition from a fish farm in an exposed area of the Strait of Sicily, Mediterranean Sea. Sediment chemistry and meiofaunal assemblages were investigated on a seasonal basis at four stations: two from the impacted area and two control stations. The presence of the cages induced a significant accumulation of proteins, lipids and biopolymeric carbon, resulting in a reduction in meiofaunal density at the impacted stations. Changes in community structure were also evident, as meiofauna under the cages were characterized by increased importance of polychaetes and copepods in comparison with a much lower importance of gastrotrichs …
Benthic microbial indicators of fish farm impact in a coastal area of the Tyrrhenian Sea
2004
Abstract We studied the impact of organic loads due to the biodeposition of a fish farm in a non-impacted coastal area of the Tyrrhenian Sea (Western Mediterranean). Sediment chemistry and benthic microbial community were investigated from July 1997 to February 1998 on monthly basis at two stations: one was located under the fish farm, while the second was about 1 km away, and served as a reference site. The presence of the cage induced rapid changes in the benthic conditions: the sediments were rapidly (after 6 weeks) reduced. A significant accumulation of biopolymeric carbon was observed beneath the cage both 2 weeks after the initial cage deployment, on non-impacted sediments, and 5-7 mo…