Search Results (8)

Remarkable advancements have been made in wave energy converters, notably the innovative WaveSAX technology—an oscillating water column system conceptually designed for coastal structures. Proven effective in existing installations, particularly at Civitavecchia Port, Italy, where the WaveSAX-1 prototype was tested in 2018 and the WaveSAX-2 was updated in 2021. The device’s power generation capacity was evaluated using a Simulating WAves Nearshore (SWAN) model that simulated 30 years of wave conditions. Validation with radar and Acoustic Doppler Profiler instruments showed excellent performance in wave height simulation. Results revealed higher wave power generation near the harbor breakwater, surpassing offshore levels, especially in central and northern sections. WaveSAX-2, featuring an improved Wells turbine, demonstrated a remarkable 37% increase in average efficiency compared to WaveSAX-1. If a linear WaveSAX array were installed, it could produce 4 GWh annually, satisfying 20% of the port’s energy needs and reducing around 2800 tCO2_e/year. Doubling arrays and incorporating triangular modules could significantly enhance sustainability for port operations, offering a promising path toward self-sufficiency and environmental responsibility. Full article

When it comes to analyzing cruise port performance, port operators have a challenging task because there are no widely accepted or well-known procedures for evaluating cruise port performance. Any performance measures used by port authorities are rough and only offer an approximation of the terminal’s operational performance. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to present a multi-criteria assessment model to assist port authorities in evaluating cruise port performance from a multidisciplinary perspective. We investigated the compatibility and utility of combining the AHP and TOPSIS methods in a proposed MCDA model for assessing cruise port performance. The AHP method was used to provide the weights of port performance indicators, and the TOPSIS method was used to assess the port performance and to create a rank list of ports. A case study involving four Mediterranean cruise ports, Barcelona, Piraeus, Civitavecchia, and Marseille, was used to show the model’s application. The case study results reveal that the safety–environmental aspect is the most important aspect in assessing cruise port performance. We compared the proposed model to a state-of-the-art paper and discovered that our model can successfully cope with various multi-criteria models for port performance assessment. Full article

In recent years, studies on climate change have focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions emitted by various civil and industrial processes. This study highlights the importance of characterizing the total deposition rates of airborne particles (bulk atmospheric deposition) in the surroundings of an industrial area along the north cost of the Lazio Region in Italy, to deepen knowledge about the potential impact of emissions from the coal-fired thermoelectric (CTE) power plant and other possible sources existing in the surrounding area. Four sampling sites were identified, and the monitoring plan was performed a yearlong with monthly collecting observation. The deposition samples were collected monthly and processed for determining organic (polychlorinated dibenzo-para-dioxins, PCDDs; polychlorinated dibenzofurans, PCDFs; dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls, DL-PCBs; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PAHs) and inorganic (metals) substances. The samples were collected monthly and sent for chemical characterization. In Europe and Italy, no reference values have been given for the deposition rates of chemicals, while some European countries have determined reference/guide values to which the authors will refer in this study. Therefore, the analytical results show that the deposition rates for PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs are lower with respects guide values defined by Germany and Belgium; PAHs values are in line with those measured in other rural-type sites, while for metals the analytical results show a situation between rural and urban area. The approach used in this study can help to identify reference values for Italy in deposition rates, with the aim both to characterize the dynamic of pollution in area with multiple risk factors and to describe and protect human health from environmental exposures caused by the contamination of the food chain. Full article

Dissolved organic matter present in natural aquatic environments is a heterogeneous mixture of allochthonous and autochthonous materials. In coastal areas vulnerable to sewage waste, its biologically active component, the chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM), is expected to change its composition and distribution in relation to anthropogenic activities, suggesting the possible use of CDOM as a proxy of fecal contamination. This study aimed at testing such hypothesis by investigating and relating the optical properties of CDOM with Escherichia coli abundance, physiological state, and enzymatic activities in a bathing area of the Northern Tyrrhenian Sea (Latium, Italy) affected by urban wastewaters. The parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) applied to the excitation–emission matrices (EEMs) of CDOM allowed us to distinguish three main components: C1 (λ_Ex/λ_Em = 342 nm/435 nm), C2 (λ_Ex/λ_Em = 281–373 nm/460 nm), and C3 (λ_Ex/λ_Em = 286 nm/360 nm). C1 and C2 corresponded to humic acids of terrestrial origin, while C3 to tryptophan, whose fluorescence peak was detected close to sewage sites, strongly related to active E. coli cells. The comparison between spectral and microbiological methods is suggested as a suitable approach to monitor bathing water quality for the implementation of coastal observing system capability. Full article

The possibility to discriminate between different emission sources and between natural and anthropogenic contributions is a key issue for planning efficient air pollution reduction and mitigation strategies. Moreover, the knowledge of the particulate matter (PM) chemical composition for the different size fractions is recognized as increasingly important, in particular with respect to health effects of exposed population. This study is focused on the characterization of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 main sources located in the Civitavecchia harbor-industrial area (Central Italy), namely a large coal-fired power plant, a natural gas power plant, the harbor area, the vehicular traffic (due to both the local traffic and the highway crossing the area) and small industrial activities. The approach was based on PM₁₀/PM_2.5 samples monthly collected for one year and a further relative chemical characterization of organic and inorganic fractions. Wind-select sensors, allowing a selective PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 sampling downwind to specific emission sources, were used for the overall sampling. This methodology manages to explain specific emission patterns and to assess the concentration levels of the micro pollutants emitted by local sources and particularly toxic for health. A descriptive statistical analysis of data was performed, also verifying the occurrence of legislative threshold exceedances. Moreover, in order to highlight the contribution of specific sources, the differences in the measured micro pollutants concentrations between wind directions, PM size fractions and sampling sites have been investigated, as well as the seasonal trends of pollutants concentrations. These results allow to highlight that the applied methodology represents a valid support in source apportionment studies. Full article

Standard chlorophyll-a (chl-a) algorithms, which rely on Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectro-radiometer (MODIS) data aboard the Aqua satellite, usually show different performances depending on the area under consideration. In this paper, we assessed their accuracy in retrieving the chl-a concentration in the Basilicata Ionian Coastal waters (Ionian Sea, South of Italy). The outputs of one empirical (Med-OC3) and two semi-analytical algorithms, the Garver–Siegel–Maritorena (GSM) and the Generalized Inherent Optical Properties (GIOP) model, have been compared with ground measurements acquired during three different measurement campaigns. The achieved results prove the poor accuracy (adjusted R² value of 0.12) of the investigated empirical algorithm and, conversely, the good performance of semi-analytical algorithms (adjusted R² ranging from 0.74 to 0.79). The co-existence of Coloured Dissolved Organic Matter (CDOM) and Non-Algal Particles (NAP) has likely determined large errors in the reflectance ratios used in the OCx form algorithms. Finally, a local scale assessment of the bio-optical properties, on the basis of the in situ dataset, allowed for the definition of an operational local scale-tuned version of the MODIS chl-a algorithm, which assured increased accuracy (adjusted R² value of 0.86). Such a tuned algorithm version can provide useful information which can be used by local authorities within regional management systems. Full article

According to the Water Framework Directive, harbours that are classified as heavily modified water bodies must either reach or maintain good ecological potential. Moreover, following the marine spatial planning principles, the effects of port structure changes on water quality must also be considered. To support the sustainable management of harbour waters, we calculated flushing time (FT) through the use of a numerical model within the Civitavecchia port under different scenarios. To assess the effects of the realization of new infrastructure that will significantly alter the port configuration in the coming years, we also developed the flushing efficiency index (FEI). The increase in the harbour basin size due to the embankment extension result in high values of FT, particularly in the inner part of the port, in accordance with the highest values of the enrichment factor of the trace metals found in the sediment. The deterioration of water quality is confirmed by negative FEI values. Otherwise, the index assumes positive values after the realization of a second entrance in the southern part of Civitavecchia port, highlighting a drastic improvement in harbour water renewal. This study provides a low-cost and predictive tool to correctly address environmentally sustainable management of port activities. Full article

The development of low-cost instrumentation plays a key role in marine environmental studies and represents one of the most innovative aspects of current oceanographic research. These kinds of devices can be used for several applications, ranging from vertical profilers to stand-alone systems, and can be installed on different platforms (buoys, Voluntary Observing Ships, underwater vehicles, etc.). The availability of low-cost technologies enables the realization of extended observatory networks for the study of marine physical and biological processes through an integrated approach merging in situ observations, forecasting models and remotely sensed data. We present new low-cost sensors and probes developed to measure marine temperature, conductivity, chlorophyll a and Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter fluorescence, focusing on sensing strategies, general architecture, laboratory trials, in situ tests and comparison with standard instruments. Furthermore, we report the expendable (New T-FLaP), vertical profiler (T-FLaPpro) and stand-alone (Spectra) applications of these technological developments that were tested during several oceanographic surveys in the Mediterranean Sea. Full article