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Towards the river's mouth = (Verso la foce) : a critical edition
\"Italian writer and filmmaker Gianni Celati's 1989 philosophical travelogue Towards the River's Mouth explores perception, memory, place and space as it recounts a series of journeys across the Po River Valley in northern Italy. This edition, translated into English for the first time, features a selection of ten essays by various scholars\"-- Provided by publisher.
Book
Why Italy First? Health, Geographical and Planning Aspects of the COVID-19 Outbreak
COVID-19 hit Italy in February 2020 after its outbreak in China at the beginning of January. Why was Italy first among the Western countries? What are the conditions that made Italy more vulnerable and the first target of this disease? What characteristics and diffusion patterns could be highlighted and hypothesized from its outbreak to the end of March 2020, after containment measures, including a national lockdown, were introduced? In this paper, we try to provide some answers to these questions, analyzing the issue from medical, geographical and planning points of view. With reference to the Italian case, we observed the phenomenon in terms of the spatial diffusion process and by observing the relation between the epidemic and various environmental elements. In particular, we started from a hypothesis of the comparable economic, geographical, climatic and environmental conditions of the areas of Wuhan (in the Hubei Province in China, where the epidemic broke out) and the Po Valley area (in Italy) where most cases and deaths were registered. Via an ecological approach, we compared the spatial distribution and pattern of COVID-19-related mortality in Italy with several geographical, environmental and socio-economic variables at a Provincial level, analyzing them by means of spatial analytical techniques such as LISA (Local Indicators of Spatial Association). Possible evidence arose relating to COVID-19 cases and Nitrogen-related pollutants and land take, particularly in the Po Valley area.
Journal Article
Synoptic Scale Controls and Aerosol Effects on Fog and Low Stratus Life Cycle Processes in the Po Valley, Italy
Fog and low stratus clouds (FLS) form as a result of complex interactions of multiple factors in the atmosphere and at the land surface and impact both the anthropogenic and natural environments. Here, we analyze the role of synoptic conditions and aerosol loading on FLS occurrence and persistence in the Po valley in northern Italy. By applying k‐means clustering to reanalysis data, we find that FLS formation in the Po valley is either based on radiative processes or moisture advection from the Mediterranean sea. Satellite‐based data on FLS persistence shows longer persistence of radiatively formed FLS events, likely due to air mass stagnation and a temperature inversion. Ground‐based aerosol optical depth observations further reveal that FLS event duration is significantly higher under high aerosol loading. The results underline the combined effect of topography, moisture advection and aerosol loading on the FLS life cycle in the Po valley. Plain Language Summary Fog and low stratus clouds (FLS) are influenced by various drivers in the atmosphere and near the ground. Here, the impact of the large‐scale weather situation and aerosols is analyzed over the Po valley in northern Italy. Using reanalysis and satellite data we find that FLS events driven by nighttime cooling under stable conditions can persist longer than FLS events formed as a result of moisture transport. Investigating ground‐based observations of aerosols, particles on which moisture can condensate and fog and cloud droplets form, we find that FLS event duration is higher when a higher amount of aerosols is present. These results can help when predicting the duration of FLS events, which is particularly important for traffic safety. Key Points Fog and low stratus (FLS) cloud formation in the Po valley is primarily controlled by radiative processes or moisture advection FLS persistence from the satellite perspective is highest for radiatively formed FLS events likely due to a stable boundary layer FLS persistence is significantly higher under high aerosol loading
Journal Article
Seasonal and Spatial Variations of the Oxidative Properties of Ambient PM2.5 in the Po Valley, Italy, before and during COVID-19 Lockdown Restrictions
This study describes the chemical and toxicological characteristics of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the Po Valley, one of the largest and most polluted areas in Europe. The investigated samples were collected in the metropolitan area of Milan during the epidemic lockdown and their toxicity was evaluated by the oxidative potential (OP), measured using ascorbic acid (OPAA) and dithiothreitol (OPDTT) acellular assays. The study was also extended to PM2.5 samples collected at different sites in the Po Valley in 2019, to represent the baseline conditions in the area. Univariate correlations were applied to the whole dataset to link the OP responses with the concentrations of the major chemical markers of vehicular and biomass burning emissions. Of the two assays, OPAA was found mainly sensitive towards transition metals released from vehicular traffic, while OPDTT towards the PM carbonaceous components. The impact of the controlling lockdown restrictions on PM2.5 oxidative properties was estimated by comparing the OP values in corresponding time spans in 2020 and 2019. We found that during the full lockdown the OPAA values decreased to 80–86% with respect to the OP data in other urban sites in the area, while the OPDTT values remained nearly constant.
Journal Article
The Urbanization of Northern Italy
Recent excavations and theoretical advances have revealed evidence of an early and perhaps independent nucleation and centralization process in the region south of the Alps, a phenomenon that has been undervalued in previous studies. In this paper I present a broad overview and attempt to reassess the role of the Cisalpine regions as crossroads of trade and cultural transfer between the Mediterranean and central Europe through a critical evaluation of key archaeological evidence. I adopt alternative and up-to-date perspectives on the urbanization phenomenon, disentangling commonsensical and text-driven definitions of urbanism and social formation, while challenging the outdated “check-list” approach. This theoretical framework should promote a paradigm shift that leads to a substantial backdating and broadening of the appearance of complex site agglomerations in northern Italy, avoiding unidirectional development patterns and instead looking at possible cases of instability, ephemerality, and seasonality. The adoption of a comparative perspective triggers a timely disentanglement of the simplistic equation between urbanism and social hierarchy. Beyond a narrow and selective emphasis on elites, this paper considers alternative social entities and actions, including commoners, subaltern groups, and cooperation.
Journal Article
Towards a New MAX-DOAS Measurement Site in the Po Valley: Aerosol Optical Depth and NO2 Tropospheric VCDs
Pollutants information can be retrieved from visible (VIS) and ultraviolet (UV) diffuse solar spectra exploiting Multi-AXis Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS) instruments. In May 2021, the Italian research institute CNR-ISAC acquired and deployed a MAX-DOAS system SkySpec-2D. It is located in the “Giorgio Fea” observatory in San Pietro Capofiume (SPC), in the middle of the Po Valley, where it has constantly acquired zenith and off-axis diffuse solar spectra since the 1st October 2021. This work presents the retrieved tropospheric NO2 and aerosol extinction profiles (and their columns) derived from the MAX-DOAS measurements using the newly developed DEAP retrieval code. The code has been validated both using synthetic differential Slant Column Densities (dSCDs) from the Fiducial Reference Measurements for Ground-Based DOAS Air-Quality Observations (FRM4DOAS) project and real measured data. For this purpose, DEAP results are compared with the ones obtained with three state-of-the-art retrieval codes. In addition, an inter-comparison with satellite products from Sentinel-5P TROPOMI, for the tropospheric NO2 Vertical Column Densities (VCDs), and MODIS-MAIAC for the tropospheric Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD), is performed. We find a bias of −0.6 × 1015 molec/cm2 with a standard deviation of 1.8 × 1015 molec/cm2 with respect to Sentinel-5P TROPOMI for NO2 tropospheric VCDs and of 0.04 ± 0.08 for AOD with respect to MODIS-MAIAC data. The retrieved data show that the SPC measurement site is representative of the background pollution conditions of the Po Valley. For this reason, it is a good candidate for satellite validation and scientific studies over the Po Valley.
Journal Article
Improving Air Quality in the Po Valley, Italy: Some Results by the LIFE-IP-PREPAIR Project
The Po Valley (Northern Italy) represents an important exceedance zone of the air-quality limit values for PM (particulate matter), NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) and O3 (ozone). This area covers the territory of most Italian northern regions and includes several urban agglomerates, such as Milan, Turin, Venice and Bologna. The area is densely populated and heavily industrialized. The paper summarizes the assessment of the impact of the current (2013) and future (2025) emissions and of the meteorological conditions on the air quality of the Po Valley. This study is one of the first outcomes of the EU LIFE-IP Clean Air Program Po Regions Engaged to Policies of Air (PREPAIR) project. The project, involving administrations and environmental agencies of eight regions and three municipalities in Northern Italy and Slovenia, started in 2017 and will end in 2024. Future emission scenarios consider the emissions reduction due to the air-quality action plans of the regions involved, of the agreements between the national authorities and regional administrations and of the PREPAIR project itself, in the overall context of the application of the current legislation of the European Union. The combination of these measures will lead to the reduction of direct emissions of PM10 in the Po Valley and of the main precursors emitted in the area (NOx, nitrogen oxides and NH3, and ammonia) by 38% for PM10, 39% for NOx and 22% for NH3, respectively. This lowering corresponds to a reduction of about 30.000 tons of primary PM10, 150.000 tons of NOx, 54.000 tons of NH3 and 1700 tons of SO2. The results show that these expected reductions should allow us to achieve the EU PM10 limit value in the Po Valley by the year 2025.
Journal Article
Drought in the Po Valley: Identification, Impacts and Strategies to Manage the Events
The area surrounding the Po River, known as the Po Valley, provides a central contribution in the economy of Italy and is highly devoted to agriculture. Recently it has been hit by multiple droughts, among which the exceptional event of summer 2022 is considered the worst dry period of the past 200 years. In the near future, the frequency of such exceptional events is predicted to rise; thus, a deep knowledge of the past droughts that hit the area, the variables used to characterize the events, the impacts they caused and the mitigation strategies adopted to deal with dry periods is of the utmost importance for policy definitions and planning. This study maps the scientific literature published from 2000 to February 2024 on the topic of drought in the Po Valley using the Scopus and Web of Science databases. Overall, 44 articles have been identified and grouped in three main classes: event identification and characterization, impact analysis and management strategies. The main gaps found in the collected papers are the lack of evaluations of the impacts of drought events on human health, hydroelectric energy production and tourism. Furthermore, comprehensive drought management and planning in the area is never addressed in the considered articles. The mentioned aspects deserve more attention, especially the development of drought management plans and policies and the evaluation of their effectiveness.
Journal Article
Critical Analysis of the Results of a Network System for Nitrogen Dioxide Monitoring
Data relative to the nitrogen dioxide concentrations of seventeen fixed monitoring stations in three provinces in Po Valley in Northern Italy are analysed. NO2 is considered to be one of the most harmful air pollutants, mainly due to vehicle traffic in urban environments. According to the EU directives, different categories of monitoring sites are identified as being representative of different situations. The main objective of this study was to check the agreement of the classification of monitoring sites with the chemical measurements of the actual atmospheric NO2 pollution. The analysis considered the whole year of 2022 and even included the consideration of single months; the aim was to identify seasonal effects. The data were treated using different chemometric techniques, and the results obtained from significance tests were consistent with those of cluster analyses. In particular, both approaches to the treatment of the chemical data indicate that the level of NO2 pollution may be significantly different from one station to another, even within the same category, and may produce results that are more similar to those of different categories, both inside the same province and in different provinces. Beyond local interest, this work also acts as a case study, attempting to offer a path for a common approach to effective reproducible monitoring procedures toward shared environmental sustainability.
Journal Article
Impact of NOx and NH3 Emission Reduction on Particulate Matter across Po Valley: A LIFE-IP-PREPAIR Study
Air quality in Europe continues to remain poor in many areas, with regulation limits often exceeded by many countries. The EU Life-IP PREPAIR Project, involving administrations and environmental protection agencies of eight regions and three municipalities in Northern Italy and Slovenia, was designed to support the implementation of the regional air quality plans in the Po Valley, one of the most critical areas in Europe in terms of pollution levels. In this study, four air quality modelling systems, based on three chemical transport models (CHIMERE, FARM and CAMx) were applied over the Po Valley to assess the sensitivity of PM2.5 concentrations to NOx and NH3 emission reductions. These two precursors were reduced (individually and simultaneously) from 25% up to 75% for a total of 10 scenarios, aimed at identifying the most efficient emission reduction strategies and to assess the non-linear response of PM2.5 concentrations to precursor changes. The multi-model analysis shows that reductions across multiple emission sectors are necessary to achieve optimal results. In addition, the analysis of non-linearities revealed that during the cold season, the efficiency of PM2.5 abatement tends to increase by increasing the emission reductions, while during summertime, the same efficiency remains almost constant, or slightly decreases towards higher reduction strengths. Since the concentrations of PM2.5 are greater in winter than in summer, it is reasonable to infer that significant emission reductions should be planned to maximise reduction effectiveness.
Journal Article