High resolution seismic data coupled to Multibeam bathymetry of Stromboli island collected in the frame of the Stromboli geophysical experiment: implications with the marine geophysics and volcanology of the Aeolian Arc volcanic complex (Sicily, Southern Tyrrhenian sea, Italy).

New high resolution seismic data (Subbottom Chirp) coupled to high resolution Multibeam bathymetry collected in the frame of the Stromboli geophysical experiment aimed at recording active seismic data and tomography of the Stromboli Island are here presented. The Stromboli geophysical experiment has been already carried out based on onshore and offshore data acquisition in order to investigate the deep structure and the location of the magma chambers of the Stromboli volcano. A new detailed swath bathymetry of Stromboli Island is here shown and discussed to reconstruct an up-to-date morpho-bathymetry and marine geology of the area compared to the volcanologic setting of the Aeolian Arc volcanic complex. Due to its high resolution the new Digital Terrain Model of the Stromboli Island gives interesting information about the submerged structure of the volcano, particularly about the volcano-tectonic and gravitational processes involving the submarine flanks of the edifice. Several seismic units have been identified based on the geologic interpretation of Subbottom Chirp profiles recorded around the volcanic edifice and interpreted as volcanic acoustic basement pertaining to the volcano and overlying slide chaotic bodies emplaced during its complex volcano-tectonic evolution. They are related to the eruptive activity of Stromboli, mainly poliphasic and to regional geological processes involving the intriguing geology of the Aeolian Arc, a volcanic area still in activity and needing improved research interest.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and polychlorinated biphenyls in the harbour of Naples (Southern Italy): time and spatial distribution patterns.

Seventeen parent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and 38 congeners of polychlorinated biphenyls were measured at five different sediment depths (between the surface and ~300 cm below the seafloor) at 160 sites in Naples harbour. Total PAH (ΣPAH) and PCB (ΣPCB) concentrations ranged between 0.012-21.73( - )nd 0.001-0.222 mg kg(-1), respectively. For PAHs, an evident and progressive decrease in concentration with depth documents the effects of a more intense anthropic impact of this group of pollutants in the recent period. A selected number of PAH isomer pairs (phenanthrene/anthracene, fluoranthene/pyrene and benzo(a)anthracene/crysene) were used to distinguish between contaminants of pyrolitic and petrogenic origin. More than 90% of PAHs present at the different depths of the studied sediments indicate pyrolitic industrial origins. On the other hand, relatively high concentrations of three- and four-ring PAHs suggest a limited contribution of vehicular emissions to the contamination of sediments. An unexpected and systematic increase of ΣPCB concentration, exceeding values approved by international regulations, was found in the studied sediments, testifying to the uncontrolled discharge to the studied area from industrial and commercial activity on nearby land. Ecotoxicological risk levels calculated for PAHs suggests a relatively elevated level of toxicity in surface sediments decreasing with depth and very low toxicity values associated to PCB toxicity.

Heavy metals in benthic foraminifera from the highly polluted sediments of the Naples harbour (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy).

A systematic investigation evaluated the concentrations of a selected number of trace elements (Cd, Co, Cu, Li, Ni, Pb, V and Zn) in carbonates of the benthic foraminifera Ammonia tepida collected from surface sediments of the highly polluted harbour of Naples. Application of cleaning procedures, combined with Scanning Electron Microscopy investigation (SEM) of the analysed shells allowed reliable quantification of the elements in the carbonate lattice. Adoption of biogenic carbonate/seawater distribution coefficients reported in the literature provided the ranges of variability of total dissolved trace elements in the studied marine environment. Very high concentrations of Zn, Cd, and Cu calculated in seawater (from 100 to 10,000 times higher than those reported for uncontaminated Mediterranean seawaters) testify to intense effects of anthropogenic impact on the harbour mainly related to the industrial and commercial activities carried out in the neighbouring area. The ensemble of the obtained results emphasizes the high potential of measurements of trace elements in the biogenic carbonates of benthic foraminifera as tracers of anthopogenic pollution of seawater and reliable proxies of potentially bioavailable forms (as free ions and/or more labile organic complexes) of seawater dissolved metals.

Utility of benthic foraminifera for biomonitoring of contamination in marine sediments: a case study from the Naples harbour (Southern Italy).

We propose a detailed investigation on the distribution patterns of the benthic foraminiferal assemblage and their predominant species in the highly contaminated marine sediments of the Naples harbour. Combined use of multivariate canonical, cluster and principal component analysis in a proper geostatistic framework provided an appropriate approach to explore the role played by a number of contaminants (heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds, heavy hydrocarbons, PCBs) and different physical parameters (grain size, pH, redox potential, total organic carbon) on the spatial distribution of the benthic foraminiferal assemblage and its single species. Obtained results provide evidence for a high and systematic non-linear response of the biota to the effects of contamination of the different classes of pollutants. The reduced number of specimens per sample, their small dimensions and low diversity, testify the negative effects of a highly contaminated environment. For this reason, it appears very difficult to clearly identify a differential sensitivity of different benthic species to single classes of contaminants. In particular, in addition to a number of case studies which invoked a key role of the heavy metals in the control of the distribution patterns of the benthic foraminifera in the marine environment, the results presented here underline an important effect of some classes of organic compounds (particularly the volatile organic compounds) on the distribution patterns of the benthic assemblage. However, the obtained results demonstrate that any kind of oversimplification would unquestionably cancel the strong complexity of the biotic response to combined effects of different coexisting contaminants.

Heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and polychlorinated biphenyls in surface sediments of the Naples harbour (southern Italy).

The Naples's harbour is one of the largest and most important commercial and tourist port of the Mediterranean basin. It is located on the southeast coast of Italy and receives industrial and municipal wastewaters from the city of Naples. Due to its social and economic impact, a comprehensive assessment of levels and sources of contamination of bottom sediments in this area of the Mediterranean basin is essential to identify potential danger due to mobilization of contaminants produced by managing of the same sediments. In this study, superficial sediments collected from 189 sampling sites were analyzed for grain size, heavy metals (Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, V, Zn, Co, Sn, Cd, Hg, As, Al and Fe), 16 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and perylene and 38 individual polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners. Compared to the estimated local background, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, Sn and Hg show enrichment factors >3 and only Hg evidences a median value higher than the NOAA (effects range - median) guidelines. Principal component analysis allowed us to clearly discriminate two areas mainly affected by heavy metals contamination and influenced by different sources related to industrial, commercial and/or urban activities. Priority PAHs are predominantly represented by three-five-ring compounds with concentrations ranging between 9 and 31774 ng g(-1) and frequently higher than the NOAA ER-M index. A prevalent pyrolitic origin of PAH was assessed on the basis of the relative abundance of the different congeners and selected isomer ratios. The concentrations of PCBs, as sum of the 38 congeners, ranged from 1 to 899 ng g(-1), with a predominance of highly chlorinated (tetra- and penta-chlorobiphenyls) congeners. WHO-TEQ values, calculated for the PCDD-like PCB congeners, suggest a relatively high level of toxicity. Generally, the concentration of PAHs and PCBs were higher near the sites of intense industrial, shipping and/or commercial activities suggesting a direct influence of these sources on the pollutant distribution patterns.