Domenico Cicchella

Università degli Studi del Sannio | UniSannio · Department of Science and Technology (DST)

About a century ago, B was recognised as an essential element for the normal growth of plants and terrestrial organisms. Limitations for plant development have been recognised in agricultural systems, particularly in highly weathered soil. Boron is rarely analysed in whole rock or soil analysis, as it requires specific analytical techniques. It is...

When dealing with environmental problems, it is of fundamental importance to establish reference values (geochemical baselines) against which to determine the presence or absence of active contamination processes. To develop a method to assess the geochemical baselines for territories featuring complex geological settings and a well-established ant...

Application of advanced data mining methods to various types of geochemical data is able to fingerprint valid signatures of mineralization, thus unveiling ore genesis and discovering new minerals. But individual studies that apply data mining methods to both local- and regional-scale, both sediment and whole-rock multi-element geochemical data sets...

Total alpha and beta activities and Rn-222 concentrations were determined in water from different sections of seven aqueducts belonging to the water supply system of Campania region (Italy), known worldwide for its volcanism. Statistical analysis was performed on data to account for their variability across the aqueduct sections, and results were d...

This study reviewed scientific literature on inhalation exposure to heavy metals (HMs) in various indoor and outdoor environments and related carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk. A systematic search in Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Embase, and Medline databases yielded 712 results and 43 articles met the requirements of the Population, Exposur...

This work was carried out as the Pakistani, Uzbekistani, Tajikistani, and Kyrgyzstani contribution to the National-scale Geochemical Survey of South and Central Asia (NGSSCA) project, the objective of which was to document and study the amounts and distribution of chemical elements in stream sediment of South and Central Asia where such national-sc...

Urbanization is becoming the norm: the percentage of the global population living in urban settings increased from less than 30% in 1950 to 57% in 2021 and is expected to reach 68% by 2050. Over the last 4000 years, technological progress has changed the livability and quality of urban environments, not constantly influencing them for the better. S...

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the wild freshwater fish health status using a vast array of biomarkers as predictive factors of pollutant exposure. The European eel (Anguilla anguilla) and brown trout (Salmo trutta fario), resident in rivers with different degrees of pollution in the South of Italy (Picentino River with good environme...

The aim of the present study, was to evaluate the wild freshwater fish health status using a vast array of biomarkers as predictive factor of pollutant exposure. European eel (Anguilla anguilla) and Brown trout (Salmo trutta fario), resident in rivers with different degree of pollution in the South of Italy (Picentino river with good environmental...

The Garigliano nuclear power plant, located in Sessa Aurunca, (Caserta, Italy) was equipped with a 506 MWt (150 MWe) General Electric boiling water reactor of the BWR type, it went into commercial operation in June 1964, with a total electricity production, until the definitive stop, of about 12 billion kilowatt hours. The plant was stopped in Augu...

Studying and understanding the complexity and interactions of different factors influencing stream sediment quality is necessary for the development of successful water quality management strategies. This study aims to evaluate the level of contamination by potentially toxic elements (PTEs) (As, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, V, Zn) of the stream sediment...

The line of research on potentially toxic elements (PTEs) is of growing interest to the scientific community for protecting society against adverse health issues. The Campi Flegrei caldera in southern Italy is an active volcanic area where above two million people live, making it an ideal study area for investigating PTEs of natural and anthropogen...

In 2015, an environmental monitoring plan (http://www.campaniatrasparente.it) was launched with the aim of assessing the conditions of all environmental compartments (air, water, top and bottom soils, vegetables, biological samples) of the Campania region. A total of 5,333 topsoil samples were collected and analysed to determine the concentration o...

The environmental geochemical characterization of mineralized areas prior to mining does not receive adequate attention. This study shows trace element distribution in soils of two unexploited porphyry copper deposits located in Darreh-Zereshk and Ali-Abad in central Iran. The study was carried out using a compositional data analysis (CoDa) approac...

Campi Flegrei is an active volcanic field in south Italy where the potentially toxic elements (PTEs) are of growing concern because the intensive anthropogenic and volcanic activities might pose adverse human health effects. In this article, 394 topsoils (0–15 cm) are collected for instrumental analysis of the <2 mm fraction. The geochemical maps i...

In this study, 500 bottom soils and 7300 topsoils samples were collected to determine the major elements concentrations and to evaluate the correspondence of soil chemical contents and the local geology and to better identify background values. The <2 mm fraction of each sample was analysed for a total of 52 elements combining ICP-MS and ICP-ES tec...

In this study, we investigated the presence, abundance, and chemical nature of microplastics (MPs) in the freshwater fish gastrointestinal tract in the South of Italy, and evaluated the possible correlation between MPs and environmental pollutants. Fifty specimens belonging to five species (Scardinius erythrophthalmus, Barbus barbus, Rutilus rubili...

The southeastern sector of the Matese Massif (southern Apennines, Italy) includes several nonvolcanic gas (mainly CO 2) vents. The gas emissions in the northern part (Ciorlano-Ailano sector) have been associated with the Southern Matese Fault system, whereas a similar relationship is not evident in the southern part (Telese-Solopaca sector). Hence,...

Samples of water intended for human consumption were collected throughout the Campania Region (Italy). Measures of the concentrations of total alpha and beta activity were determined by liquid scintillation, and the concentrations of Rn-222 activity by means of the emanometric method with the ionization chamber. The statistical analysis of the data...

It is worldwide known that human exposure to ionizing radiation associated with Radon and its progeny represents the major source of exposure to Naturally Occurring Radioactivity in confined spaces, both residential and working places. Also, some natural environments like volcanic and hydrothermal areas, caves, deep groundwater catchments, etc. can...

Radon (222Rn) is a member of the uranium (238U) decay series, originates from the decay of radium, 226Ra [1]. The present study aims to find possible correlations between the presence of radon with the concentrations of radionuclides in the soil in three areas with different geological characteristics, in order to be able to estimate the radon risk...

A big monitoring programme was carried out in Italy from 2015 to 2018 with the aim to assess the environmental conditions of the Campania region territory. Among the different environmental media, 7300 samples of topsoil (10–15 cm) were collected and analysed for 52 elements through an analytical methodology combining ICP-MS and ICP-ES. Specificall...

Bioavailability of some major and trace elements was evaluated in 1,993 topsoil samples collected across Campania region (Southern Italy). A main focus was made on Al, Ca, K, Mg, Cu, Tl since they are linked, for different reasons, to agriculture. Bioavailability was assessed by an extraction with ammonium nitrate and the data were compared with th...

Radon, 222Rn, originates from the decay of radium, 226Ra, a member of the uranium (238U) decay series. Although radium occurs in virtually all type of rocks and soil, its concentration varies with the specific site1. Radon concentrations were measured in soil, air and groundwater in the Cumae archaeological site, which is located in the coastal nor...

This research suggests a new approach for determining the natural background concentrations of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in soil, combining compositional data analysis (CoDA) and unsupervised learning. The case study concerns the municipality of Benevento (Southern Italy), in which 156 topsoil samples (10-15 cm) were collected in a 129 km2...

In 2015 began the “Campania Trasparente” project (http://www.campaniatrasparente.it), a monitoring plan with the objective of assessing the environmental conditions of the Campania region territory. Among the different environmental matrices (air, water, top and bottom soil, vegetables, biological samples) 7,300 samples of the topsoil (10-15 cm) we...

Over the last two decades, the Campania region in Italy has been the focus of public debate and concern about environmental issues. Using data from soil, water, air, vegetables, animal products, and human blood, a multimedia monitoring study was performed to measure the contribution of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) to pollution in the region...

The geochemical composition of bedrock is the key feature determining elemental concentrations in soil, followed by anthropogenic factors that have less impact. Concerning the latter, harmful effects on the trophic chain are increasingly affecting people living in and around urban areas. In the study area of the present survey, the municipalities o...

Campania Region, Southern Italy, in the last 10 years was facing potential environmental issues which needed to be addressed, with the proper scientific approach, to alleviate pressure from public opinion, based more on emotions than on scientific data. Such pressure indicated an increase of oncological incidence, not supported by scientific data o...

In 2015, the "Campania Trasparente" project (http://www.campaniatrasparente.it), a monitoring plan focused on assessing the environmental conditions of the territory of the Campania region, started thanks to the financial support of the regional government. The project's general management was in charge of the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale...

The Commune of Santiago is an administrative unit belonging to Chile's capital city. It is the central hub for local transportation services and the centre of most national government functions. In 2017, a geochemical survey was carried out focusing on the topsoils of the commune. A total of 121 samples were homogeneously collected across an area o...

Establishing the natural background levels of chemical elements is very often extremely complicated. This is even more true especially for the more anthropized areas, where the concentration of an element in the environmental matrices is conditioned not only by the natural (geogenic) context but also by anthropic activities. In this study, the natu...

Il volume illustra i risultati del monitoraggio geochimico-ambientale finalizzato alla valutazione dell’inquinamento da Contaminanti Organici Persistenti (noti nella letteratura come POP - Persistent Organic Pollutants) e Elementi Potenzialmente Tossici (EPT) della matrice aria della Regione Campania. Tale lavoro è stato svolto nell’ambito del “Pro...

The basis for understanding continental tectonics to a large degree relies on terrane recognition. However, discrepant identifications and interpretations of the same terrane as well as its boundary are still commonly seen in South China. For years, the central debate has been revolving around the Yangtze-Cathaysia boundary and West-East Cathaysia...

The origin, way of growth, and compositional transition (from basaltic to andesitic) of continental crust remain enigmatic. To better understand the evolution of the Earth's crust, geoscientists have hypothesized two competing models, one is the widely accepted island‐arc model, the other is the newly proposed collision‐zone model that continental...

Agricultural soil (Ap-horizon, 0–20 cm) samples were collected from 33 European countries as part of the GEMAS (GEochemical Mapping of Agricultural and grazing land Soil) soilmapping project. The Mg data derived from total concentrations (XRF) and two acid digestion methods, aqua regia (AR) and Mobile Metal Ion (MMI®), were used to provide an overv...

In2017,ageochemical survey was carried out across the Commune of Santiago, a local administrative unit located at the center of the namesake capital city of Chile, and the concentration of a number of major and trace elements (53 in total) was determined on 121 topsoil samples. Multifractal IDW (MIDW) interpolation method was applied to raw data to...

The project Geochemical Mapping of Agricultural and grazing land Soil (GEMAS) was carried out in 33 European countries (5.6 million km2) with an average sampling density of 1 site per 2500 km2. The main objective was to assess the chemical quality of productive soils. All collected soil samples were prepared in the same laboratory, and subsequently...

Radon is a ubiquitous radioactive gas proceeding from the decay of some naturally occurring radionuclides, mostly abundant in igneous rock and volcanic materials, including soils. It is the heaviest noble gas, thus chemically inert, and moderately soluble in water. The total amount of radon in nature derives from three unstable isotopes: 219 Rn (23...

An empirical method was applied to estimate the ²²²Rn fluxes distribution across the Campania region (Italy) by using both gamma-rays and U, Th, K concentrations in soils. As a first step, K, Th and U soil concentrations and ⁴ K, ²³⁸U and ²³²Th activity have been converted into their own specific activity to calculate the Terrestrial Gamma Dose Rat...

Pozzuoli Bay is a part of Campi Flegrei caldera (Fig. 1), an active volcano with intensive hydrothermal activity. Due to co-existence of natural processes and anthropogenic activities across the area, a debate about source of some elements has been ongoing. We applied compositional data analysis (CoDA) to uncover the statistically meaningful relati...

In the last decades, investigating geochemistry of sea sediments has been challenging in the eastern sector of Pozzuoli Bay, source of the metal(loid)s has been a matter of debate and the proposed origin of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) has been occasionally inconsistent. In this study, compositional data analysis (CoDA) was used because the re...

L’onda mediatica che ha colpito la Campania in questi anni, relativamente alle problematiche ambientali, ha posto all’attenzione della pubblica opinione una situazione di disagio che vede protagonista l’intero territorio regionale. Tale condizione si riverbera negativamente sulle condizioni socio-economiche della comunità, generando un largo disori...

Providing safe tap water has been a global concern. Water scarcity, the ever-increasing water demand, temporal variation of water consumption, aging urban water infrastructure and anthropogenic pressure on the water...

Il volume illustra, anche attraverso immagini, grafici e tabelle, i risultati del monitoraggio geochimico–ambientale finalizzato alla valutazione dell’inquinamento da elementi potenzialmente tossici dei suoli superficiali e profondi della Regione Campania nell’ambito del “Programma Campania Trasparente – Attività di Monitoraggio Integrato per la Re...

Agricultural soil (Ap-horizon, 0–20 cm) samples were collected from 33 European countries as part of the GEMAS (GEochemical Mapping of Agricultural and grazing land Soil) soilmapping project. The Mg data derived from total concentrations (XRF) and two acid digestion methods, aqua regia (AR) and Mobile Metal Ion (MMI® ), were used to provide an over...

This study aims to investigate the selenium (Se) distribution in the soils of the vast cultivated areas of Aksu Prefecture in mid-Western Xinjiang of Northwest China. The study of the origin and enrichment mechanism of Se in the soils of alluvial fans of these areas (also known as oasis areas) are of great importance for the conservation and develo...

Radon is a natural radioactive gas and it can be found in soils and rocks in the Earth, continuously produced by the decay chains of uranium, thorium, or actinium series. Thus, the radon potential for a given area is mainly the result of a combination of soils and underlying rocks properties. The presence of radon implies a serious human health ris...

The products of the natural decay of uranium-238, an unstable isotope of a radioactive element almost ubiquitous in geological materials, include radon-222 (Rn-222) and radium-226 (Ra-226). Rn-222 has a half-life of 3.8 days and its decay products (progeny) are represented by further radioactive isotopes of polonium (Po-218, Po-214, Po-210), bismut...

Radon is an ubiquitous radioactive gas proceeding from the decay of some radionuclides, mostly abundant in igneous rock and volcanic soils; it is the main source of natural radiation to which human beings are exposed during their life. Campania, a region located on the south-western sector of the Italian peninsula, has a territory mostly characteri...

Bottled water consumption has a long history but nowdays bottled water industry is a fast-growing sector of the world industry. Most of the water in bottles comes from springs or underground aquifers. The mineral content of the aquifer is diluted in small amounts into the water and although consuming mineral water is thought to be a healthy practic...

Concern about health effect of Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) has led to an increasing global attention about their concentration levels in the environment. Soil geochemistry has been widely used as a tool for environment monitoring. This study investigates topsoil geochemistry of Campania region (Southern Italy) and (i) allows a reliable overvi...

This work discusses the results of a geochemical survey conducted in the Salerno urban area to determine the sources patterns of major, minor, trace and ultra-trace elements in soils. In particular, the study focused on elements that are potentially toxic and listed in the environmental Italian legislation (D.L. 152/06), in order to effectively mon...

We are going to propose a new method for aquifer vulnerability assessment, named Susceptibility Index-Contamination Degree (SICODE). Starting from the assumption that soil chemistry impacts on infiltration water quality, geochemical tool such as the soil contamination degree index (CD) was combined with hydrogeological parameters in order to enhanc...

The demand for ‘high-tech’ element resources (e.g., rare earth elements, lithium, platinum group elements) has increased with their continued consumption in developed countries and the emergence of developing economies. To provide a sound knowledge base for future generations, it is necessary to identify the spatial distribution of critical element...

n this study, the state of inorganic, organic and microbiological contamination of the seaport of Naples (Southern Italy), one of the main ports in the Mediterranean Sea, was investigated.We analyzed 55 surficial marine sediment samples for Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs), Hydrocarbons (HCs) and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). In additio...

This study is the first attempt to evaluate occurrence, distribution and potential health impacts of As at a national scale in Italy. In various environmental matrices, As geochemical distribution was investigated and carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks were assessed with respect to different exposure routes and age groups. Both deterministic a...

Native plant species were screened for their remediation potential for the removal of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) contaminated soil of Bagnoli brownfield site (Southern Italy). Soils at this site contain all of the PAHs congeners at concentration levels well above the contamination threshold limits established by Italian environmental l...

The bottled water industry is fast growing worldwide. With a total of ~440 billion liter consumption and ~$240 billion value of the global bottled water market, many issues arise concerning the energy needed for the production and transportation, the environmental footprint, the increase of the plastic pollution, the privatization and without any p...

Total organic carbon (TOC) contents in agricultural soil are presently receiving increased attention, not only because of their relationship to soil fertility, but also due to the sequestration of organic carbon in soil to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. In this research, the spatial patterns of TOC and its relationship with pH at the European sca...

This article offers statistical analyses of trace elements (TEs) in soils and plants through a Pearson correlation matrix. The main objectives were the assessment of soil TEs sources and the evaluation of native plant response to physical and chemical characteristics of a TEs contaminated soil. Data were collected from Bagnoli brownfield site (Sout...

This study comprehensively interprets the contamination status of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in the soils from Benevento provincial territory, southern Italy, and its implications for environmental health by means of a systematic grid sampling method and geostatistics. The total concentrations of OCPs in the soils ranged from 0.058 to 16.9 ng...

A study was undertaken to identify suitable native plants for the phytoremediation of the second largest integrated steelworks in Italy (Bagnoli brownfield site). A phytoecological survey allowed us to identify 139 plant taxa belonging to 58 different families. The most represented families were in the decreasing order Poaceae N Fabaceae N Asterace...

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are synthetic chemicals commonly used in agricultural activities to kill pests and are persistent organic pollutants (POPs). They can be detected in different environmental media, but soil is considered an important reservoir due to its retention capacity. Many different types of OCPs exist, which can have different...

GEochemical Mapping of Agricultural Soils (GEMAS) is a cooperation project between the Geochemistry Expert Group of EuroGeoSurveys (EGS) and Eurometaux. The GEMAS project aim was to produce soil geochemical data at the continental-scale consistent with the EU regulation REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals). All GEMAS proj...