The Po River Water Isotopes during the Drought Condition of the Year 2017

Climate change impacts on eutrophication in the Po River (Italy): Temperature-mediated reduction in nitrogen export but no effect on phosphorus

Rivers worldwide are under stress from eutrophication and nitrate pollution, but the ecological consequences overlap with climate change, and the resulting interactions may be unexpected and still unexplored. The Po River basin (northern Italy) is one of the most agriculturally productive and densely populated areas in Europe. It remains unclear whether the climate change impacts on the thermal and hydrological regimes are already affecting nutrient dynamics and transport to coastal areas. The present work addresses the long-term trends (1992-2020) of nitrogen and phosphorus export by investigating both the annual magnitude and the seasonal patterns and their relationship with water temperature and discharge trajectories. Despite the constant diffuse and point sources in the basin, a marked decrease (-20%) in nitrogen export, mostly as nitrate, was recorded in the last decade compared to the 1990s, while no significant downward trend was observed for phosphorus. The water temperature of the Po River has warmed, with the most pronounced signals in summer (+0.13°C/year) and autumn (+0.16°C/year), together with the strongest increase in the number of warm days (+70%-80%). An extended seasonal window of warm temperatures and the persistence of low flow periods are likely to create favorable conditions for permanent nitrate removal via denitrification, resulting in a lower delivery of reactive nitrogen to the sea. The present results show that climate change-driven warming may enhance nitrogen processing by increasing respiratory river metabolism, thereby reducing export from spring to early autumn, when the risk of eutrophication in coastal zones is higher.

The trace element distribution in peat soils affected by natural burning events: A proxy of the original composition and metals mobility assessment

This work evaluates for the first time the effects on the trace element composition of peat soils affected by natural burning events, a recurrent phenomenon in the reclaimed wetland of the Mezzano Lowland (Padanian plain, NE Italy). The trace element distribution of two neighboring soil profiles, one pristine and one deeply affected by burning events, were compared to identify the original geochemical fingerprint of saltmarsh peat environment. The pre-combustion composition of the fired profile was reconstructed to infer the physico-chemical changes occurred as a consequence of the burning event, with a special attention to the mobility of elements of environmental concern, such as potentially toxic trace metals. The increase in concentration of potentially toxic elements (PTE) was particularly evident in two layers of the fired profile. V, Cr, Cu, Zn, Pb, and As contents progressively increase toward intermediate depths (30-75 cm) together with Th, Sr, Ba, U. On the contrary, Tl, Bi and Cd show a concentration peak in a thin, shallower (14-17 cm depth) horizon. The trace element composition of the unfired profile allowed the identification of specific ratios between immobile elements that can be used as geochemical fingerprint of the soils horizons with different soil organic matter (SOM) content. On the basis of Sr/Rb, Th/U and Ba/Sr it was possible to classify three types of sedimentary deposits characterizing both the unfired and fired profile, as well as to delineate the fire severity trends occurred in the different soil horizons of the fired profile. The distribution of immobile trace element, representative of the organic (U) and mineral (silicate, Th, Ba, REE and non-silicate, Sr) soil fractions with organic matter and bulk density in the non-fired profile, allowed the reconstruction of the original physico-chemical composition of the fired/burned profile and the accurate determination of the relative CO2 lost during the burning event. Moreover, the distribution of PTE with respect to immobile trace elements, used to estimate the element redistribution and mobility after burning in the fired profile, suggested that elements such as Cr, Ni, Zn, V were mainly immobile, whereas Pb, Mo and in particular Tl and Bi suffered a significant redistribution along the burned profile. Nonetheless, results of the gain/loss calculation for the whole soil profile suggested that no significant entry or leak of these elements occurred, limiting their redistribution inside the investigated soil system.

Inferring Hydrological Information at the Regional Scale by Means of δ18O–δ2H Relationships: Insights from the Northern Italian Apennines

We compared five regression approaches, namely, ordinary least squares, major axis, reduced major axis, robust, and Prais–Winsten to estimate δ18O-δ2H relationships in four water types (precipitation, surface water, groundwater collected in wells from lowlands, and groundwater from low-yield springs) from the northern Italian Apennines. Differences in terms of slopes and intercepts of the different regressions were quantified and investigated by means of univariate, bivariate, and multivariate statistical analyses. We found that magnitudes of such differences were significant for water types surface water and groundwater (both in the case of wells and springs), and were related to robustness of regressions (i.e., standard deviations of the estimates and sensitiveness to outliers). With reference to surface water, we found the young water fraction was significant in inducing changes of slopes and intercepts, leading us to suppose a certain role of kinetic fractionation processes as well (i.e., modification of former water isotopes from both snow cover in the upper part of the catchments and precipitation linked to pre-infiltrative evaporation and evapotranspiration processes). As final remarks, due to the usefulness of δ18O–δ2H relationships in hydrological and hydrogeological studies, we provide some recommendations that should be followed when assessing the abovementioned water types from the northern Italian Apennines.

Peat Soil Burning in the Mezzano Lowland (Po Plain, Italy): Triggering Mechanisms and Environmental Consequences

The effects of peat burning on organic-rich agricultural soils of the Mezzano Lowland (NE Italy) were evaluated on soil profiles variously affected by smoldering. Profiles were investigated for pH, electrical conductivity, bulk density, elemental and isotopic composition of distinct carbon (and nitrogen) fractions. The results suggest that the horizons affected by carbon loss lie at depths 10-70 cm, where the highest temperatures are developed. We suggest that the exothermal oxidation of methane (mediated by biological activity) plays a significant role in the triggering mechanism. In the interested soils we estimated a potential loss of Soil Organic Carbon of approximately 110 kg m -2 within the first meter, corresponding to 580 kg CO2 m -3. The released greenhouse gas is coupled with a loss of soil structure and nutrients. Moreover, the process plausibly triggers mobility of metals bound in organometallic complexes. All these consequences negatively affect the environment, the agricultural activities and possibly also health of the local people.

Headwaters’ Isotopic Signature as a Tracer of Stream Origins and Climatic Anomalies: Evidence from the Italian Alps in Summer 2018

Glaciers are shrinking due to global warming, resulting in a diminishing contribution of ice and snowmelt to headwaters and subsequent consequences to freshwater ecosystems. Within this context, we tested whether water-stable isotopes are spatio-temporal tracers of (i) water in high altitude periglacial environments, being the isotopic signature of surface water inherited from the snow/icemelt, groundwater, and rainfall; and (ii) regional (year-specific) meteorological conditions, being the isotopic signature of precipitations affected by air temperature, humidity and aqueous vapour origin, ascribing stable isotopes to the list of “essential climate variables″ (ECVs). To this end, we investigated the ionic and isotopic composition (δ18O and δ2H) of six high-altitude streams and one pond in the Italian Alps (Noce and Sarca basins) during the ablation season in 2018. Differences between habitat types (pond, kryal, rhithral, krenal) were detected. More negative values of δ18O and δ2H were recorded in the kryal and glacio-rhithral sites, dominated by ice and snowmelt, in early summer. Less negative values were recorded in these sites in late summer, as well as in the krenal sites, which were dominated by groundwater and rainfall inputs. The isotopic results also show that the complex alpine orography influences air masses and moisture, ultimately resulting in isotopic differences in the precipitations of neighboring but distinct catchments (Sarca and Noce basins). On average, less negative values were recorded in the Sarca basin, characterized by a higher contribution of precipitation of Mediterranean origin. In general, isotopic results of the entire water population appeared to be strongly influenced by the regional climatic anomaly of 2018, which was anomalously warm. Therefore, the study will provide additional information for the climate change debate, proposing water isotopes as ECVs for assessing change in a warmer future.

The Analysis of Short-Term Dataset of Water Stable Isotopes Provides Information on Hydrological Processes Occurring in Large Catchments from the Northern Italian Apennines

This study discusses a dataset of water stable isotopes from precipitation (4 rain gauges) and surficial water (9 rivers) from the northern Italian Apennines, an area in which clay-rich bedrocks widely outcrop and the runoff response to precipitation events is very rapid. The dataset has been compiled starting from existing data that had previously been published in the literature and consists of monthly values of stable isotopes oxygen-18 (18O) and deuterium (2H) lasting over the period from January 2003 to December 2006 (precipitation) and from January 2006 to December 2007 (surficial water). For this period, mean residence times estimated by means of a sine-wave fitting technique make evident the significant differences over time spent by water molecules within the 9 catchments. Moreover, isotopic compositions of rivers deviated from those of precipitations revealing the influence of some catchment characteristics in differentiating the isotopic composition in rivers. Further correlations between mean residence times of river water and selected catchment characteristics reveal the role of orography and bedrocks in delaying the water molecules during their flow-paths. In addition, time series and cross–correlation analyses indicate a certain control by the main watershed divide on the isotopic composition of river waters, which is reflected in a progressive isotopic variation with longitude. The study shows that, despite using a short-time dataset (2-years for surficial water) of sparse stable isotopes can provide remarkable indications for depicting hydrological processes in large catchments made up of clay-rich bedrocks.