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Chemeri L, Cabassi J, Taussi M, Venturi S. Development and testing of a new flexible, easily and widely applicable chemical water quality index (CWQI). JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 348:119383. [PMID: 37875050 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
Water quality indices (WQIs) are numeric parameters that summarize the overall quality status of freshwaters compared to quality standards by aggregating multiple physicochemical data into a single value. Among the available WQIs in the literature, several criticalities were recognized including: (a) mathematical complexity of the computation, (b) lack of inclusivity, (c) arbitrary weight assignment method, and (d) site-specificity of most of the indexes. The proposed index, the Chemical Water Quality Index (CWQI), aims to overcome these flaws and provides a computation based on simple mathematic equations that are easily manageable on spreadsheet software. The computation is divided into two steps: (i) parametrization of the variables and (ii) index determination. The parametrization consists of assigning a score (s) from ∼1 to 10 to each chemical variable based on (i) measured concentrations and (ii) quality targets (e.g., the limits provided by the European legislation for drinking waters). In the second step, a weight (w), directly proportional to the score (s), is assigned to each parameter, allowing to overcome any bias related to subjective assignments from the user. The resulting CWQI ranges from ∼1 (very good quality) to 10 (extremely poor quality). The reliability and accuracy of the CWQI were assessed by (i) applying the computation to 1,810 waters and (ii) comparing our results with another available WQI. The CWQI outputs showed an optimal response with the number of variables exceeding the quality target with high correlation coefficients (r = 0.94; R2 = 0.89). Due to the simplicity of its computation, the absence of arbitrariness in the weightage of selected variables, and the independence of the proposed approach regarding the choice of the chemical parameters, CWQI can be easily and universally applied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Chemeri
- Department of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Via Ca' Le Suore 2/4, 61029, Urbino, Italy; Department of Earth Sciences, University of Florence, Via G. La Pira 4, 50121, Florence, Italy.
| | - Jacopo Cabassi
- Institute of Geosciences and Georesources (IGG), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via G. La Pira 4, 50121, Florence, Italy
| | - Marco Taussi
- Department of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Via Ca' Le Suore 2/4, 61029, Urbino, Italy
| | - Stefania Venturi
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Florence, Via G. La Pira 4, 50121, Florence, Italy; Institute of Geosciences and Georesources (IGG), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via G. La Pira 4, 50121, Florence, Italy
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Meloni F, Farieri A, Higueras PL, Esbrí JM, Nisi B, Cabassi J, Rappuoli D, Vaselli O. Mercury distribution in plants and soils from the former mining area of Abbadia San Salvatore (Tuscany, Central Italy). ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH 2023; 45:8523-8538. [PMID: 37648955 PMCID: PMC10611595 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-023-01739-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
The distribution of heavy metals in plants (Castanea sativa, Sambucus nigra, Verbascum thapsus, Popolus spp., Salix spp., Acer pseudoplatanus, Robinia pseudoacacia) growing in soils from active and abandoned mining areas is of scientific significance as it allows to recognize their ability to survive in a hostile environment and provide useful indications for phytoremediation operations. In this work, soils from the former Hg-mining area of Abbadia San Salvatore (Tuscany, Central Italy) were analyzed for total, leached Hg, % of organic and inorganic-related Hg. The dehydrogenase enzyme activity (DHA) was also measured with the aim to evaluate the status of the soil, being characterized by high Hg contents (up to 1068 mg kg-1). Eventually, the concentration of Hg in the different parts of the plants growing on these soils was also determined. Most studied soils were dominated by inorganic Hg (up to 92%) while the DHA concentrations were < 151 µg TPF g-1 day-1, suggesting that the presence of Hg is not significantly affecting the enzymatic soil activity. This is also supported by the bioaccumulation factor (BF), being predominantly characterized by values < 1. Sambucus nigra and Verbascum thapsus had the highest Hg contents (39.42 and 54.54 mg kg-1, respectively). The plant leaves appear to be the main pathways of Hg uptake, as also observed in other mining areas, e.g., Almadèn (Spain), indicating that particulate-Hg and Hg0 are the main forms entering the plant system, the latter derived by the GEM emitted by both the edifices hosting the roasting furnaces and the soils themselves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Meloni
- Department of Earth Sciences, Via G. La Pira, 4-50121, Florence, Italy.
- CNR-IGG Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources, Via G. La Pira, 4-50121, Florence, Italy.
| | | | - Pablo L Higueras
- Instituto de Geología Aplicada, EIMIA - Pl. Manuel Meca 1 13400 Almadén, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - José M Esbrí
- Departament of Mineralogy and Petrology, (UCM), C. de José Antonio Novais, 12, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Barbara Nisi
- CNR-IGG Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources, Via G. La Pira, 4-50121, Florence, Italy
| | - Jacopo Cabassi
- CNR-IGG Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources, Via G. La Pira, 4-50121, Florence, Italy
| | - Daniele Rappuoli
- Unione Dei Comuni Amiata Val d'Orcia, Unità Di Bonifica, Via Grossetana, 209-53025, Piancastagnaio, Siena, Italy
- Parco Museo Minerario Di Abbadia San Salvatore - Via Suor Gemma, 53021 Abbadia San Salvatore 1, Siena, Italy
| | - Orlando Vaselli
- Department of Earth Sciences, Via G. La Pira, 4-50121, Florence, Italy.
- CNR-IGG Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources, Via G. La Pira, 4-50121, Florence, Italy.
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Meloni F, Farieri A, Higueras PL, Esbrí JM, Nisi B, Cabassi J, Rappuoli D, Vaselli O. Mercury distribution in plants and soils from the former mining area of Abbadia San Salvatore (Tuscany, central Italy). RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2823040. [PMID: 37131725 PMCID: PMC10153366 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2823040/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The distribution of heavy metals in plants growing in soils from active and abandoned mining areas is of scientific significance as it allows one to recognize their ability to survive in a hostile environment and to provide useful indications for phytoremediation operations. In this work, soils developed in the former Hg-mining area of Abbadia San Salvatore (Tuscany, Central Italy) were analyzed for total, leached Hg, % of organic- and inorganic-related Hg. The dehydrogenase enzyme activity (DHA) was also measured with the aim to evaluate the status of the soil, being characterized by high Hg content. Eventually, the concentration of Hg in the different parts of the plants growing on these soils was analyzed. The soils showed Hg content up to 1068 mg kg - 1 and in most of them is dominated by inorganic Hg (up to 92%). The DHA concentrations were < 151 µg TPF g - 1 day - 1 , suggesting that the presence of Hg is not significantly affecting the enzymatic soil activity. This is also supported by the bioaccumulation factor (BF) that is < 1 in most of the studied plants. Generally speaking, the plant leaves appear to be one of the main pathways of Hg uptake, as also observed in other mining areas, e.g. Almaden (Spain), suggesting that particulate-Hg and Hg 0 are the main forms entering the plant system, the latter derived by the GEM emitted by both the edifices hosting the roasting furnaces and the soils themselves.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Barbara Nisi
- CNR-IGG Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources
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Nuvolone D, Aprea MC, Stoppa G, Petri D, Barbone F, Crocetti E, Voller F. Levels and determinants of urinary and blood metals in the geothermal area of Mt. Amiata in Tuscany (Italy). ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:38319-38332. [PMID: 36577821 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-24953-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Natural sources and anthropogenic activities are responsible for the widespread presence of heavy metals in the environment in the volcanic and geothermal area of Mt. Amiata (Tuscany, Italy). This study evaluates the extent of the population exposure to metals and describes the major individual and environmental determinants. A human biomonitoring survey was carried out to determine the concentrations of arsenic (As), mercury (Hg), thallium (Tl), antimony (Sb), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), vanadium (V), and manganese (Mn). The associations between socio-demographics, lifestyle, diet, environmental exposure, and metal concentrations were evaluated using multiple log-linear regression models, adjusted for urinary creatinine. A total of 2034 urine and blood samples were collected. Adjusted geometric averages were higher in women (except for blood Hg) and younger subjects (except for Tl and Cd). Smoking was associated with Cd, As, and V. Some dietary habits (rice, fish, and wine consumption) were associated with As, Hg, Co, and Ni. Amalgam dental fillings and contact lenses were associated with Hg levels, piercing with As, Co, and Ni. Among environmental determinants, urinary As levels were higher in subjects using the aqueduct water for drinking/cooking. The consumption of locally grown fruits and vegetables was associated with Hg, Tl, and Co. Exposure to geothermal plant emissions was associated only with Tl.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Nuvolone
- Unit of Epidemiology, Regional Health Agency of Tuscany, Via Pietro Dazzi, 1, 50141, Florence, FI, Italy.
| | - Maria Cristina Aprea
- Public Health Laboratory, Department of Prevention, Health Agency of South-East Tuscany, Strada del Ruffolo 4, 53100, Siena, SI, Italy
| | - Giorgia Stoppa
- Unit of Epidemiology, Regional Health Agency of Tuscany, Via Pietro Dazzi, 1, 50141, Florence, FI, Italy
- Unit of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health University of Padova, Via Loredan 18, 35131, Padova, PD, Italy
| | - Davide Petri
- Unit of Epidemiology, Regional Health Agency of Tuscany, Via Pietro Dazzi, 1, 50141, Florence, FI, Italy
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Roma 67, 56126, Pisa, PI, Italy
| | - Fabio Barbone
- Clinical Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Strada Di Fiume, 447, Trieste, Italy
| | - Emanuele Crocetti
- Unit of Epidemiology, Regional Health Agency of Tuscany, Via Pietro Dazzi, 1, 50141, Florence, FI, Italy
| | - Fabio Voller
- Unit of Epidemiology, Regional Health Agency of Tuscany, Via Pietro Dazzi, 1, 50141, Florence, FI, Italy
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