The evidence of toxic wastes dumping in Campania, Italy

An ensemble machine learning model to uncover potential sites of hazardous waste illegal dumping based on limited supervision experience

With the soaring generation of hazardous waste (HW) during industrialization and urbanization, HW illegal dumping continues to be an intractable global issue. Particularly in developing regions with lax regulations, it has become a major source of soil and groundwater contamination. One dominant challenge for HW illegal dumping supervision is the invisibility of dumping sites, which makes HW illegal dumping difficult to be found, thereby causing a long-term adverse impact on the environment. How to utilize the limited historic supervision records to screen the potential dumping sites in the whole region is a key challenge to be addressed. In this study, a novel machine learning model based on the positive-unlabeled (PU) learning algorithm was proposed to resolve this problem through the ensemble method which could iteratively mine the features of limited historic cases. Validation of the random forest-based PU model showed that the predicted top 30% of high-risk areas could cover 68.1% of newly reported cases in the studied region, indicating the reliability of the model prediction. This novel framework will also be promising in other environmental management scenarios to deal with numerous unknown samples based on limited prior experience.

An overview of the environmental pollution and health effects associated with waste landfilling and open dumping

Landfilling is one of the most common waste management methods employed in all countries alike, irrespective of their developmental status. The most commonly used types of landfills are (a) municipal solid waste landfill, (b) industrial waste landfill, and (c) hazardous waste landfill. There is, also, an emerging landfill type called "green waste landfill" that is, occasionally, being used. Most landfills, including those discussed in this review article, are controlled and engineered establishments, wherein the waste ought to abide with certain regulations regarding their quality and quantity. However, illegal and uncontrolled "landfills" (mostly known as open dumpsites) are, unfortunately, prevalent in many developing countries. Due to the widespread use of landfilling, even as of today, it is imperative to examine any environmental- and/or health-related issues that have emerged. The present study seeks to determine the environmental pollution and health effects associated with waste landfilling by adopting a desk review design. It is revealed that landfilling is associated with various environmental pollution problems, namely, (a) underground water pollution due to the leaching of organic, inorganic, and various other substances of concern (SoC) contained in the waste, (b) air pollution due to suspension of particles, (c) odor pollution from the deposition of municipal solid waste (MSW), and (d) even marine pollution from any potential run-offs. Furthermore, health impacts may occur through the pollution of the underground water and the emissions of gases, leading to carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic effects of the exposed population living in their vicinity.

Campania and cancer mortality: An inseparable pair? The role of environmental quality and socio-economic deprivation

The region of Campania in Southern Italy features high levels of socio-economic deprivation and low levels of environmental quality. A vast strand of the scientific literature has tried to verify whether poor environmental quality and widespread socio-economic deprivation might explain the high cancer mortality rates (CMRs) observed, especially in the municipalities - infamously labelled as the 'Land of Fires' - that were hit most severely by the crisis. While some studies managed to identify links between these two confounding factors and cancer mortality, the evidence is overall mixed. Interesting information may be drawn from the observation of municipal data: in spite of previous claims, some municipalities featuring high environmental quality and low socio-economic deprivation also display high CMRs, while other Campanian municipalities facing disastrous environmental and socio-economic conditions are characterised by low CMRs. These figures, in contrast to common sentiment and previous studies, need to be investigated thoroughly in order to assess the exact role of the confounding factors. In this work, we aim to identify the municipalities where confounding factors act as driving forces in the determination of high CMRs through an original multi-step analysis based on frequentist and Bayesian analysis. Pinpointing these municipalities could allow policymakers to design targeted and effective policy measures aimed at reducing cancer mortality.

Heavy Metals in the Muscle and Hepatopancreas of Red Swamp Crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) in Campania (Italy)

Simple Summary

Heavy metals can represent a serious threat to marine and freshwater fauna through exposure, bioaccumulation and biomagnification processes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of non-essential and essential elements in freshwater crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) edible tissues to establish the healthiness of this product and to evaluate the pollution status of the sampling sites from Campania region (Italy). The results suggest that crayfish were safe for human consumption and indicated mild contamination of heavy metals of the sampling areas.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to carry out a quali-quantitative analysis of the presence of non-essential and essential trace elements in freshwater crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) edible tissues to establish the healthiness of this product and to evaluate the pollution status of the sampling sites included in the present study. P. clarkii is one of the most common species of freshwater crustaceans in Italy, regularly consumed by local people. Moreover, the crayfish, due to its trophic position and diet, can be considered as an excellent bioindicator of the health status of the ecosystem. We collected sixty crayfish samples from two different sites in Campania (Italy): Villa Literno and Sessa Aurunca. Concentrations of trace elements were determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Our data showed low concentrations of Cd, Hg and Pb, with values below the European Commission MRL (Commission Regulation (EC) 1881/2006). We suggest that data obtained from this study showed that crayfish collected from Villa Literno and Sessa Aurunca were safe for human consumption. Furthermore, the results of this research indicated mild contamination of heavy metals of the sampling sites, indicating a good health status of the area’s aquatic ecosystem.

Health-seeking behavior and waste management practices among women in major urban markets in Owerri, Nigeria

Behavioral patterns on seeking health are pertinent in terms of how waste is managed. However, informal approach towards waste management has led to poor environmental attitude and pernicious health consequences for many Nigerians. Despite plethora of scientific investigation on waste management, there has been paucity of information on health-seeking behavior and waste management practices among market women, hence the need for this research. The study aimed at assessing the health-seeking behavioral pattern of women traders on waste management in major urban markets in Owerri, Nigeria by identifying the extent of their commitment to sustainable waste management practices, investigating health-seeking behaviors that influence their attitude towards waste management and measuring prevalence of waste-related diseases among them. Data collection for the study involved a cross-sectional survey of 739 women trading in three Owerri major urban markets in line with the study's aim. Results show that motivation to manage waste for disease control was effectively predicted by type of trading item (Omnibus Test: χ2 = 13.871, df = 3, p-value = 0.003); Cochran-Armitage tests of trend show that there is no statistically linear trend between the proportions of understanding the 3Rs and the rankings for methods of seeking health; understanding the 3Rs was not determined by health-seeking method as most methods were with motivation to manage waste discordant (4 out 5 health-seeking methods had negative Goodman & Kruskal's G values); PCA on the prevalence of waste-related diseases had a two-component structure which followed acute and chronic dimensions; vegetable and plastics comprised the highest waste streams with plastics being most reused waste type while government is mainly responsible for waste disposal. The study recommends a knowledge transfer approach in entrenching sustainable waste management practices.

Characterizing the implications of waste dumping surrounding the Yangtze River economic belt in China

China has prohibited an extensive list of solid waste from abroad since 2017. While China seeks to move away from being the world's dumping ground, cleaning up its own backyard is proving to be a great challenge. China's Yangtze River economic zone, which covers 11 provinces and accounts for 40% of the country's Gross Domestic Product, has been found to be alarmingly polluted: 74 million metric tons of solid wastes, including industrial solid waste, construction debris, municipal solid waste, and hazardous waste, have been disposed of by dumping. In this study, the statistics and spatial patterns of waste dumping were determined and mapped, and then the subsequent environmental impacts on the local and downstream marine ecosystem were evaluated. The results indicated the largest dumped-waste volume was found in Sichuan province (industrial solid waste) and Hubei province (solid waste mixture). The potential environmental impacts aroused by waste dumping in Hubei, Jiangxi and Sichuan provinces were serious, while the impacts in Yunnan and Zhejiang were slight. It is imperative for the Yangtze River Economic Zone to develop stringent measures for curbing the dumping of solid waste, assessing the implications from existing dumping activities, and enhancing the capacity for responsible waste management.

Health concepts among socially disadvantaged children in France, Germany and Switzerland

As health concepts develop through exposure to, and experience with particular contexts, and as health concepts influence health behaviour, it is important for actors in health promotion programmes to understand an individual's health concepts. This study focussed on health concepts among socially disadvantaged children in France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland-a hitherto less researched population group. We conducted focus groups with a total of 167 children aged 7-11 years (mean=8.76 years, SD=0.68). The aim of this study was to explore if the life situation across four different countries leads to similar health concepts, and how the particular, national health discourses are reflected in the children's health concepts. The data were analysed through a structured qualitative content analysis and revealed four categories: 'Symbols/symptoms of health/illness', 'Emotionality', 'Healthy/unhealthy practices', and 'Consequences of health problems'. The children's health concepts are linked to concrete events and objects, and they are able to think in logical sequences. However, the children's causal argumentation is uni-dimensional; they do not cover the complexity of the development of health problems. In particular, overweight stands for illness and is exclusively the result of unhealthy practices. In their concepts, the children reflect the national health promotion programme discourses about overweight. They seem to understand the messages of health education as 'behaving well means being healthy'; however, such a health education message initiates accusations of 'unhealthy persons'. In consequence, challenges for sensitive health education programmes (at school) are discussed.

Source patterns and contamination level of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in urban and rural areas of Southern Italian soils

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a group of persistent organic pollutants. They have been identified as a type of carcinogenic substance and are relatively widespread in environment media such as air, water and soils, constituting a significant hazard for human health. In many parts of the world, PAHs are still found in high concentrations despite improved legislation and monitoring, and it is therefore vital defining their profiles, and assessing their potential sources. This study focused on a large region of the south of Italy, where concentration levels, profiles, possible sources and toxicity equivalent quantity (TEQ) level of sixteen PAHs were investigated. The survey included soils from five large regions of the south of Italy: 80 soil samples (0-20 cm top layer) from urban and rural locations were collected and analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Total PAHs and individual molecular compounds from the US Environmental Protection Agency priority pollutants list were identified and measured. Results showed that 16 PAHs varied significantly in urban and rural areas, and different regions presented discordant characteristics. Urban areas presented concentrations ranging from 7.62 to 755 ng g^-1 (mean = 84.85 ng g^-1), whilst rural areas presented ranges from 1.87 to 11,353 ng g^-1 (mean = 333 ng g^-1). Large urban areas, such as Rome, Naples and Palermo, exhibited high PAHs total concentration, but high values were also found in rural areas of Campania region. Different PAHs molecular ratios were used as diagnostic fingerprinting for source identification: LWMPAHs/HWMPAHs, Fluo/(Fluo + Pyr), BaA/(BaA + Chr), Ant/(Ant +  Phe) and IcdP/(IcdP + BghiP). These ratios indicated that PAHs sources in the study area were mainly of pyrogenic origin, i.e. mostly related to biomass combustion and vehicular emission. On the other hand, values in Sicilian soils seemed to indicate a petrogenic origin, possibly linked to emissions from crude oil combustion and refineries present in the region. Finally, results allowed to calculate the toxicity equivalent quantity (TEQ_BAP) levels for the various locations sampled, highlighting that the highest values were found in the Campania region, with 661 and 54.20 ng g^-1, in rural and urban areas, respectively. These findings, which could be linked to the presence of a large solid waste incinerator plant, but also to well-documented illegal waste disposal and burning, suggest that exposure to PAH may be posing an increased risk to human health in some of the studied areas.

Sequential application of soil washing and phytoremediation in the land of fires

This paper presents an experimental study aimed at verifying the efficiency of a double-stage remediation process to be applied in former agricultural sites contaminated by illegal dumping of industrial wastes. The process, which includes an EDDS (Ethylenediamine-N,N'-disuccinic acid) enhanced washing, followed by a phytoremediation treatment, is applied at the lab scale for the remediation of a soil sampled in a territory known as Land of Fires (Italy) contaminated with Cu (∼400 mg kg^-1) and Zn (∼250 mg kg^-1). Phytoremediation is conducted using Lactuca sativa to verify, together with process efficiency, the potential risks due to metal accumulation in edible species. The results of the washing process show the possibility of removing the potential toxic metals from 44% to 77% for Cu and from 18% to 47% for Zn. The removal is well distributed among all soil fractions. There is almost no removal of other components which are fundamental for an agricultural soil. Results of the subsequent phytoremediation treatment indicate that both the contaminants and the residual EDDS/EDDS-chelates adsorbed into the soil generally negatively affect plant growth, reducing the number of germinated seeds up to 43%, and the shoot length up to 63%. Nonetheless, whenever the efficiency of the washing stage is high enough, no adverse effect is obtained on the plants. The efficiency of the phytoremediation stage mainly relies on leaf uptake, which accounts for up to 88% of the total removed Cu and up to 95% of the total removed Zn. Stabilization in the underground part of the plant is more contained because of the limited mass of the roots.

Evaluation of Trace Elements in Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) from a Suburban Area of Naples, Italy: The "Triangle of Death"

Human exposure to contaminated food is a general health concern worldwide; it is necessary to evaluate food safety with respect to contaminants present in the edible parts of major food crops. This study evaluated the concentrations of 17 trace elements (As, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Sn, Tl, V, and Zn) from 51 potato plantations in the Campania region, inside the area known as the "Triangle of Death," with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry analysis. Results confirm that the potatoes collected from the suburban area of Naples contained concentrations of trace elements below the safe limits prescribed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization. The concentrations of elements were similar to those reported for potatoes grown in other countries. Monitoring the content of toxic and potentially toxic elements is one of the most important aspects of food quality assurance. The environmental persistence of metals may result in the accumulation of significant levels of these contaminants in plants. They are absorbed to different extents, depending on their source, soil and climatic factors, plant genotype, and agrotechnical conditions, thereby entering the food chain and representing a risk to human health.