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Exploring time-series of selected air pollution elements in Castelporziano, Rome: the impact on soil and forest ecosystem

  • Coastal Forest Ecosystem near Rome
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Abstract

The present study assesses time-series data derived from a 3-year monitoring campaign of heavy metals in atmospheric wet and dry depositions in a coastal forest ecosystem in central Italy. Monitoring atmospheric deposition is a key issue when evaluating the impact of anthropogenic sources, and their absolute and potential toxicities to humans and other living organisms. Information from a permanent assessment of heavy metals is therefore crucial for the evaluation of environmental quality. Time trends in heavy metal atmospheric concentrations in Castelporziano forest (Rome), a natural ecosystem in central Italy, are considered a reliable indicator reflecting differences in spatial and temporal distribution of pollution sources. Preliminary analysis of atmospheric depositions in various sites of the forest highlights the influence of anthropogenic factors and of transport processes in both the short- and long-range distances. Further studies are recommended to investigate the relation between atmospheric deposition, meteorological variables, and runoff tree water. The use of other heavy metal indicators from specific sources of pollution, such as arsenic, is also discussed.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the Secretariat General of the Presidency of the Republic, the Directorate of the Estate of Castelporziano, the Commission Scientific-Technical of Castelporziano, the National Academy of Sciences said the XL and the Observatory Multidisciplinary Center for Mediterranean Coastal Ecosystems that enabled these studies and the publication of the data obtained.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Consiglio per la Ricerca e la Sperimentazione in Agricoltura, Centro di ricerca per lo studio delle Rela-zioni tra Pianta e Suolo (CRA-RPS), Via della Navicella 2-4, 00184, Rome, Italy

    Rita Aromolo, Valerio Moretti & Luca Salvati

Authors
  1. Rita Aromolo
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  2. Valerio Moretti
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  3. Luca Salvati
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rita Aromolo.

Additional information

This peer-reviewed article is a result of the multidisciplinary project coordinated by the “Accademia Nazionale delle Scienze detta dei XL”, Rome, Italy, in the area of the Presidential Estate of Castelporziano near Rome.

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Aromolo, R., Moretti, V. & Salvati, L. Exploring time-series of selected air pollution elements in Castelporziano, Rome: the impact on soil and forest ecosystem. Rend. Fis. Acc. Lincei 26 (Suppl 3), 499–505 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12210-015-0413-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12210-015-0413-6

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