Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Integrated approach of multiple environmental datasets for the assessment of sediment contamination in marine areas affected by long-lasting industrial activity: the case study of Bagnoli (southern Italy)

  • Sediments, Sec 1 • Sediment Quality and Impact Assessment • Research Article
  • Published:
Journal of Soils and Sediments Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The Bagnoli’s brownfield site (southern Italy) is an environmental priority for the Italian Government and is currently considered as a case study for the definition and application of innovative approaches to ecosystem recovery after a prolonged pollution history and eventual steel plant decommissioning.

Materials and methods

Here, we analyse high-quality datasets that constrain the distribution patterns and sources of contaminants in the coastal zone facing the site where the steel plant operated for almost one century. Innovative statistical approaches provide new insights into the temporal and spatial distribution of anthropogenic impacts, documented over the last 30 years, following lines of evidence emerging from investigations on grain size, TOC, heavy metals, PAHs, PCBs and high-resolution morpho-bathymetric information.

Results and discussion

The results derived from statistical analysis, referred also to the seafloor morphological variability, highlighted the presence of recent disposal of highly contaminated sediments and their potential pathways of dispersion to wider and deeper water zones.

Conclusions

The adopted multidisciplinary approach yields fundamental information towards an effective and proper ecosystem recovery of highly contaminated marine coastal areas and provides at the same time, a sound base for the refitting of decommissioned industrial plants.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adamo P, Arienzo M, Bianco MR, Terribile F, Violante P (2002) Heavy metal contamination of the soils used for stocking raw materials in the former ILVA iron–steel industrial plant of Bagnoli (southern Italy). Sci Total Environ 295:17–34

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Arienzo M, Donadio C, Mangoni O, Bolinesi F, Stanislao C, Trifuoggi M, Toscanesi M, Di Natale G, Ferrara L (2017) Characterization and source apportionment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the sediments of gulf of Pozzuoli (Campania, Italy). Mar Pollut Bull 124(1):480–487

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Barberi F, Hill DP, Innocenti F, Luongo G, Treuil M (1984) The 1982-1984 bradyseismic crisis at Phlegrean fields (Italy). Bull Volcanol 47:173–411

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Breiman L (2001) Random forests. Mach Learn 45:5–32

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Celico P, Dall’Aglio M, Ghiara MR, Stanzione D, Brondi M, Prosperi M (1992) Geochemical monitoring of the thermal fluids in the Phlegrean fields from 1970 to 1990. Boll Soc Geol Ital 111:409–442

    Google Scholar 

  • Damiani V, Baudo R, De Rosa S, De Simone R, Ferretti O, Izzo G, Serena F (1987) A case study: bay of Pozzuoli (Gulf of Naples, Italy). Hydrobiologia 149:201–211

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • De Pippo T, Pescatore T, Vecchione C (1988) Caratteri granulometrici dei sedimenti dei terrazzi del Golfo di Pozzuoli. Mem Soc Geol Ital 41:1005–1014

    Google Scholar 

  • De Vivo B, Rolandi G, Gans PB, Calvert A, Bohrson WA, Spera FJ, Belkin HE (2001) New constraints on the pyroclastic eruptive history of the Campanian Volcanic Plain (Italy). Mineral Petrol 73:47–65

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deino AL, Orsi G, de Vita S, Piochi M (2004) The age of the Neapolitan yellow tuff caldera-forming eruption (Campi Flegrei caldera, Italy) assessed by 40Ar/39Ar dating method. J Volcanol Geotherm Res 133:157–170

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Del Gaudio C, Aquino I, Ricciardi GP, Ricco C, Scandone R (2010) Unrest episodes at Campi Flegrei: a reconstruction of vertical ground movements during 1905-2009. J Volcanol Geotherm Res 195:48–56

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dray S, Chessel D, Thioulouse J (2003) Co-inertia analysis and the linking of ecological data tables. Ecology 84:3078–3089

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ha H, Olson JR, Bian L, Rogerson P (2014) Analysis of heavy metal sources in soil using kriging interpolation on principal components. Environ Sci Technol 48:4999–5007

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • ICRAM (2006) Progetto preliminare di bonifica dell’area marina inclusa nella perimetrazione del sito di bonifica di Napoli Bagnoli-Coroglio. Technical report, BoIPr-CA-BA-01.03, 116 pp

  • Liaw A, Wiener M (2002) Classification and regression by random forest. R News 2:18–22

    Google Scholar 

  • Long ER, MacDonald DD, Smith SL, Calder FD (1995) Incidence of adverse biological effects within ranges of chemical concentrations in marine and estuarine sediments. Environ Manag 19:81–97

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Orsi G, De Vita S, Di Vito M (1996) The restless, resurgent Campi Flegrei nested caldera (Italy): constraints on its evolution and configuration. J Volcanol Geotherm Res 74:179–214

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Passaro S, Barra M, Saggiomo R, Di Giacomo S, Leotta A, Uhlen H, Mazzola S (2013) Multi-resolution morpho-bathymetric survey results at the Pozzuoli - Baia underwater archaeological site (Naples, Italy). J Archaeol Sci 40:1268–1278

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Passaro S, Genovese S, Sacchi M, Barra M, Rumolo P, Tamburrino S, Mazzola S, Basilone G, Placenti F, Aronica S, Bonanno A (2014) First hydroacoustic evidence of marine, active fluid vents in the Naples Bay continental shelf (southern Italy). J Volcanol Geoth Res 285:29–35

  • Passaro S, Tamburrino S, Vallefuoco M, Gherardi S, Sacchi M, Ventura G (2016) High-resolution morpho-bathymetry of the Gulf of Naples, eastern Tyrrhenian Sea. J Maps 12:203–210

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pennetta M, Pescatore T, Vecchione C (1984) Contributi allo studio del Golfo di Pozzuoli: caratteristiche tessiturali dei sedimenti superficiali. Mem Soc Geol Ital 27:161–169

    Google Scholar 

  • Qu C, Li J, Albanese S, Lima A, Wang M, Sacchi M, Molisso F, De Vivo B (2018) Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the sediments of the gulfs of Naples and Salerno, southern Italy: status, sources and ecological risk. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 161:156–163

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • R Core Team (2016) R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria. URL https://www.R-project.org/

  • Ribó M, Puig P, Muñoz A, Lo Iacono C, Masqué P, Palanques A, Acosta J, Guillén J, Gómez Ballesteros M (2016) Morphobathymetric analysis of the large fine-grained sediment waves over the Gulf of Valencia continental slope (NW Mediterranean). Geomorphology 253:22–37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rolandi G, Bellucci F, Heizler MT, Belkin HE, De Vivo B (2003) Tectonic controls on the genesis of ignimbrites from the Campanian volcanic zone, southern Italy. Mineral Petrol 79:3–31

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Romano E, Ausili A, Zharova N, Celia Magno C, Pavoni B, Gabellini M (2004) Marine sediment contamination of an industrial site at Port of Bagnoli, Gulf of Naples, Southern Italy. Mar Pollut Bull 49:487–495

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Romano E, Bergamin L, Finoia MG, Carboni MG, Ausili A, Gabellini M (2008) Industrial pollution at Bagnoli (Naples, Italy): benthic foraminifera as a tool in integrated programs of environmental characterization. Mar Pollut Bull 56:439–457

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Romano E, Bergamin L, Ausili A, Pierfranceschi G, Maggi C, Sesta G, Gabellini M (2009) The impact of the Bagnoli industrial site (Naples, Italy) on sea-bottom environment. Chemical and textural features of sediments and the related response of benthic foraminifera. Mar Pollut Bull 59:245–256

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Romano E, Bergamin L, Celia Magno M, Pierfranceschi G, Ausili A (2018) Temporal changes of metal and trace element contamination in marine sediments due to a steel plant: the case study of Bagnoli (Naples, Italy). Appl Geochem 88:85–94

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rosi M, Sbrana A (1987) Phlegrean fields. CNR, Quaderni de “La Ricerca Scientifica”, Vol 114-119, 176 pp

  • Sacchi M, Pepe F, Corradino M, Insinga DD, Molisso F, Lubritto C (2014) The Neapolitan Yellow Tuff caldera offshore the Campi Flegrei: stratal architecture and kinematic reconstruction during the last 15 ky. Mar Geol 354:15–33

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sharp WE, Nardi G (1987) A study of the heavy-metal pollution in the bottom sediments at Porto di Bagnoli (Naples). J Geochem Explor 29:31–48

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shepard FP (1954) Nomenclature based on sand-silt-clay ratio. J Sediment Petrol 24:151–158

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Somma R, Iuliano S, Matano F, Molisso F, Passaro S, Sacchi M, Troise C, De Natale G (2016) High-resolution morpho-bathymetry of Pozzuoli Bay, southern Italy. J Maps 12:222–230

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steinmann L, Spiess V, Sacchi M (2016) The Campi Flegrei caldera (Italy): formation and evolution in interplay with sea-level variations since the Campanian ignimbrite eruption at 39 ka. J Volcanol Geotherm Res 327:361–374

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tarzia M, De Vivo B, Somma R, Ayuso RA, McGill RAR, Parrish RR (2002) Anthropogenic vs. natural pollution: an environmental study of an industrial site under remediation (Naples, Italy). Geochem: Explor Environ Anal 2(1):45–56

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Trifuoggi M, Donadio C, Mangoni O, Ferrara L, Bolinesi F, Nastro RA, Stanislao C, Toscanesi M, Di Natale G, Arienzo M (2017) Distribution and enrichment of trace metals in surface marine sediments in the Gulf of Pozzuoli and off the coast of the brownfield metallurgical site of Ilva of Bagnoli (Campania, Italy). Mar Pollut Bull 124:502–511

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Troise C, De Natale G, Pingue F, Obrizzo F, De Martino P, Tammaro U, Boschi E (2007) Renewed ground uplift at Campi Flegrei caldera (Italy): new insight on magmatic processes and forecast. Geophys Res Lett 34:L03301

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Urgeles R, Cattaneo A, Puig P, Liquete C, De Mol B, Amblàs D, Sultan N, Trincardi F (2011) A review of undulated sediment features on Mediterranean prodeltas: distinguishing sediment transport structures from sediment deformation. J Mar Geophys Res 32:49–69

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Maria Celia Magno and Giancarlo Pierfranceschi for grain size analyses carried out during ICRAM campaigns.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto per lo studio degli Impatti Antropici e Sostenibilità in ambiente marino, Capo Granitola, Via del Mare 3, 91021, Campobello di Mazara, Torretta Granitola, Trapani, Italy

    Mario Sprovieri & Enza Maria Quinci

  2. Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto per le Scienze del Mare, Calata Porta di Massa, 80133, Naples, Italy

    Salvatore Passaro, Serena Gherardi, Flavia Molisso & Marco Sacchi

  3. ISPRA, Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via Vitaliano Brancati 60, 00144, Rome, Italy

    Antonella Ausili, Luisa Bergamin, Maria Grazia Finoia, Giulio Sesta & Elena Romano

  4. Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Dipartimento di Scienze del Sistema Terra e Tecnologie per l’Ambiente, Piazzale A. Moro 7, 00185, Rome, Italy

    Fabio Trincardi

Authors
  1. Mario Sprovieri
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Salvatore Passaro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Antonella Ausili
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Luisa Bergamin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Maria Grazia Finoia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Serena Gherardi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Flavia Molisso
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Enza Maria Quinci
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Marco Sacchi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Giulio Sesta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. Fabio Trincardi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  12. Elena Romano
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elena Romano.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Henner Hollert

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Electronic supplementary material

ESM 1

(DOC 43 kb)

ESM 2

(JPG 1099 kb)

ESM 3

(JPG 3215 kb)

ESM 4

(JPG 4090 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Sprovieri, M., Passaro, S., Ausili, A. et al. Integrated approach of multiple environmental datasets for the assessment of sediment contamination in marine areas affected by long-lasting industrial activity: the case study of Bagnoli (southern Italy). J Soils Sediments 20, 1692–1705 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-019-02530-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-019-02530-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation