Toxic metals in Venice lagoon sediments: model,observation, and possible removal

We have modeled the distribution of nine toxic metals in the surface sediments from 163 stations in the Venice lagoon using published data. Three entrances from the Adriatic Sea control the circulation in the lagoon and divide it into three basins. We assume, for purposes of modeling, that Porto Marghera at the head of the Industrial Zone area is the single source of toxic metals in the Venice lagoon. In a standing body of lagoon water, concentration of pollutants at distancex from the source (C ₀) may be given byC=C ₀e^–kx wherek is the rate constant of dispersal. We calculatedk empirically using concentrations at the source, and those farthest from it, that is the end points of the lagoon. Averagek values (ppm/km) in the lagoon are: Zn 0.165, Cd 0.116, Hg 0.110, Cu 0.105, Co 0.072, Pb 0.058, Ni 0.008, Cr (0.011) and Fe (0.018 percent/km), and they have complex distributions. Given thek values, concentration at source (C ₀), and the distancex of any point in the lagoon from the source, we have calculated the model concentrations of the nine metals at each sampling station. Tides, currents, floor morphology, additional sources, and continued dumping perturb model distributions causing anomalies (observed minus model concentrations). Positive anomalies are found near the source, where continued dumping perturbs initial boundary conditions, and in areas of sluggish circulation. Negative anomalies are found in areas with strong currents that may flush sediments out of the lagoon. We have thus identified areas in the lagoon where higher rate of sediment removal and exchange may lessen pollution.     

Relationship among geochemical elements in soil and grapes as terroir fingerprintings in Vitis vinifera L. cv. “Glera”

Prosecco, one of the most popular sparkling wines in the world, is produced in Italy. For this reason, it is important to develop a scientific method for determining geographic origin in order to prevent fraudulent labelling. To establish the relationship between geochemistry of vineyard soil and chemical composition of grape, a geochemical characterization of “Glera”, a Vitis vinifera cultivar from Italian Region, Veneto was undertaken. We evaluated the relationship between major and trace elements in soil and their concentrations in “Glera” grape berries in vineyards belonging to five localities in the Veneto alluvial plain, all included in the Controlled Designation of Origin (DOC) area of Prosecco. A statistically significant correspondence between the soil and grape was observed for Sr. Multivariate analysis (LDA) allowed discrimination of samples of soil and grape berries from each single winery according to the geographic origin. The elements that could establish a reliable correspondence between the geolithological features of the vineyard soil and the chemical composition of grape berries are: Sr, Ba, Ca, Mg, Al, K, Zn, B, Ni, Co.     

Long-term model of planimetric and bathymetric evolution of a tidal lagoon

This model is based on the concept of transport concentration, defined as the time-averaged concentration in a given location of a lagoon, which determines the long-term net transport of sediments as the sum of a dispersive and an advective flux. Dispersive net flux of sediments is due to the alternate components of the tidal flow, while the advective net flux of sediments is due to the residual (Eulerian) component of the tidal, fluvial and littoral flow and possibly to the asymmetry between flow and ebb tide.     

A new platypterygiine ichthyosaur rostrum from the Lower Cretaceous of the Lessini Mountains (Northern Italy)

An incomplete rostrum of a platypterygiine ichthyosaur (IGVR 94574) has recently been found near Tregnago (Verona, Italy), in the Lessini Mts. This is the first Cretaceous ichthyosaurian fossil found in Italy outside the northern Apennines, where fragmentary remains have been recovered since the 19^th century.IGVR 94574 is a mid-distal rostral fragment infilled by a white, fine-grained limestone matrix. It consists of the premaxilla, nasal, vomer, dentary, and splenial, together with 20 teeth.Even if the exact horizon of provenance is unknown, analysis of the microfossil content of the matrix (planktonic foraminifera and calcareous nannofossils) allowed us to assign it to the lower part of the upper Albian. This is also the first Cretaceous ichthyosaur in Italy with a precise age: all previously reported fossils from the Apennines could not be dated due to the complete absence of microfossils in the surrounding matrix.We assign IGVR 94572 to Platypterygiinae; generic specification is not possible pending the taxonomic revision of the genus Platypterygius.Finally, the Tregnago rostrum is strikingly similar to the specimen IPUM 30139 from Gombola (Modena, Italy), stored in the collections of the Paleontological Museum of Modena and Reggio Emilia University and also attributable to a platypterygiine ichthyosaur. The comparison between these two fossils reveals the teeth are very similar both in shape and size.