Manuela Lasagna

University of Turin | UNITO · Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra

Water, essential for life as we know it, is fundamental to the life cycle of all organisms and plays a key role in human health and ecology. Its distribution and management are increasingly crucial, especially considering the growing anthropogenic pressure on our planet, which has led to a range of issues, culminating in a global water crisis. Desp...

This review paper examines the hydrogeological characteristics and challenges of urban groundwater management in ten major Italian cities: Turin, Milano, Padova, Bologna, Roma, Pescara, Napoli, Bari, Catania, and Cagliari. Urbanization has placed significant pressure on groundwater systems, highlighting the need for sustainable management. The stud...

The concentrations of chemicals in the groundwater chemical values in the Piedmont Po Plain (NW Italy) show significant temporal variability and need to be characterised due to the lack of regional-scale assessments. The aim of this study was to analyse the trends (period 2000–2020) in the main physicochemical parameters and main ions in 227 wells...

The spatio-temporal evolution of groundwater chemistry has seen an increase in interest over the last decade at a global level. Identifying and discerning the sources of the natural and anthropogenic compounds and the actual hydrochemical processes, as well as their evolution, is essential to support a sustainable planning for managing and protecti...

Groundwater (GW) is sensitive to climate change (CC), and the effects have become progressively more evident in recent years. Many studies have examined the effects of CC on GW quantity. Still, there is growing interest in assessing the qualitative impacts of CC, especially on GW temperature (GWT), and the consequences of these impacts. This study...

As our planet faces the complex challenges of global climate change, understanding and effectively communicating critical environmental indicators have become critical. This study explores the importance of reporting groundwater temperature data as a key component in understanding the broader implications of climate change with the use of new graph...

Come di consueto il mese di settembre è stato ricco di eventi organizzati o co-organizzati da IAH Italia. [Article in Italian]

The Poirino Plateau (northwestern Italy) presents high contamination of the shallow aquifer due to intense agricultural practices and industrial activities. Many inhabitants have exploited shallow wells for personal purposes, coming into contact with contaminants. The aims of this study were to characterize groundwater contamination by heavy metals...

The Perrot Spring (1300 m a.s.l.), located to the right of the Chalamy valley in the Monte Avic Natural Park (Valle d’Aosta, Italy), is an important source of drinking water for the municipality of Champdepraz. This spring is located on a large slope characterised by the presence of a Quaternary cover of various origins (glacial, glaciolacustrine,...

The Maggiore Valley well field plays a fundamental role in supplying drinking water to a large territory of the Piedmont Region (northwestern Italy) and has been intensively exploited since the early twentieth century. This water resource is hosted in a deep, multilayered aquifer system. The main purpose of this study was to characterize the rechar...

Citation: Gerbaudo, A.; Lozar, F.; Lasagna, M.; Tonon, M.D.; Egidio, E. For a Sustainable Future: A Survey about the 2030 Agenda among the Italian Geosciences Community. Sustainability 2023, 15, 11397. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151411397

Asbestos is widely recognized as being a carcinogen when dispersed in air, but very little is known about its exposure pathways in water and its subsequent effects on human health. Several studies have proved asbestos presence in groundwater but failed to assess its mobility in aquifer systems. This paper aims to fill this gap by studying the trans...

Asbestos occurrence has been mainly monitored in air so far and only limitedly considered in other matrices, such as water. Waterborne asbestos could originate from natural or anthropogenic sources, leading to non-conventional exposure scenarios. It could be a secondary source of airborne asbestos in case of water-to-air migration, particularly in...

We very much appreciate and thank Andrea Fildani and Angela Hessler for their comment [...]

The analysis of the time-series of groundwater level are extremely important to observe the behaviours of groundwater over time and to identify any critical situations. The studied area is an agricultural district characterised by paddy fields, located in the eastern part of Piedmont, on the border with Lombardy. In this area long time-series of gr...

This paper represents the first regional-scale investigation in the Piedmont Po plain about the relationship between groundwater temperature (GWT) and climate variability. The understanding of relationships between air temperature (AT) and GWT is really important, especially in the context of global climate change. The aim of this investigation is...

In the context of global climate change, understanding the relationships between climate and groundwater is increasingly important. This study in the NW Alps represents the first regional-scale investigation of the groundwater feature variation in mountain aquifers due to climate variability. The analysis of groundwater temperature and discharge in...

Monitoring and analysis of groundwater level (GWL) in space and time is one of the tools used to evaluate the quantitative status of groundwater (GW) resources and identify possible alterations and critical cases due to climate change and variability, anthropogenic influences and other driving factors. In this study, four statistical methodologies...

Not available [In Italian]

The United Nations 2030 Agenda is a plan designed to encourage prosperity that is respectful of the planet and its inhabitants. The Agenda will help introduce the concept of education for sustainability (EfS) to a wider population in order to promote inter- and trans-disciplinary knowledge about sustainability. Connecting Earth Sciences (ES) with s...

The supply of raw materials is a global challenge to be addressed; themes such as “sustainability”, “responsibility”, and “eco-compatibility” represent the cornerstones for proceeding towards a “wise” management of georesources. According to the United Nations’ SDGs, the economic development of countries must go hand in hand with the improvement of...

Pangea - Periodico dell'Associazione Georisorse e Ambiente - GEAM n.7 - 2021 ISSN: 2704-7458

In Naturally Occurring Asbestos (NOA) rich areas, water flows through asbestos bearing rocks and soils and generates waterborne fibres that may migrate in air and become a risk for humans. Research on the migration and dispersion after water vaporisation has been so far only marginally evaluated. This study investigates the migration in air of asbe...

Groundwater or surface water flow into natural rock formations containing asbestos (NOA), e.g. serpentinites and metabasites, may result in water asbestos pollution. In fact, asbestos-bearing rocks weathering is the principal natural cause of fibres water-dispersion. As asbestos constitute a risk to human health, it is crucial, into NOA contexts, t...

In arid and semi-arid areas, human health and economic development depend on water availability, which can be greatly compromised by droughts. In some cases, the presence of natural contaminants may additionally reduce the availability of good quality water. This research analyzed the water resources and hydrochemical characteristics in a rural are...

This research gives an overview of the status of water resources in the western Aosta Valley (Italy). Surface water, groundwater and precipitation were sampled during five sampling campaigns, and chemical analyses were performed and interpreted. Stable isotopes (δ18O and δ2H) were evaluated. This study highlights the relationships between water qua...

The Hodh el Chargui, a region located in the south-east of the Mauritania at 1000 km to the capital city of Nouakchott, is one of the poorer and remoter areas of the country. It is characterised by hard and in rural environment. Farmers and agro-pastoralists are the main economic actors and completely depend on natural resources. A specific project...

This paper describes the hydrogeological map of the western Po Plain, located in Piedmont (north-western Italy). Po plain represents a hydrogeological system of European relevance, and the Piedmont Plain is the most important groundwater reservoir of the Region. The 1:300,000 scale map was realised using previous and new data to update the knowledg...

This study analyses the temperature distribution underneath the Piedmont Po Plain (NW Italy), where an important shallow aquifer exists due to fluvial and outwash deposits. A total of 118 thermal logs, for a total of 513 temperature measurements in spring 2008 and 585 in autumn 2008, were used to propose the conceptual thermal model of the vertical...

The economic activities of South Sudan (East-Central Africa) are predominantly agricultural. However, food insecurity due to low agricultural production, connected with weather conditions and lack of water infrastructure and knowledge, is a huge problem. This study reports the results of a qualitative and quantitative investigation of underground a...

The present study proposes an analytical investigation of the natural resources and social framework of the Hodh el Chargui region (Mauritania), aiming to offer a useful instrument for planning and management to the local authorities. The situation of the region was evaluated by means of a participatory survey carried out among the local inhabitant...

Rainfall and temperature variability causes changes in groundwater recharge that can also influence groundwater quality by different processes. The aim of this study is the analysis of the hydrogeochemical variations over time due to meteorological variability in two different study areas in Italy: an alluvial aquifer in the Piedmont Po plain and a...

A 3-year high-resolution monitoring of shallow subsurface temperature (unsaturated and saturated zones) was performed in the experimental site of Mezzi Po (Po River plain, NW Italy) to investigate the thermal behaviour of subsurface and the dependency with the atmospheric (air) temperature. The unsaturated zone of the test site is mainly constitute...

This paper aims at systemizing knowledge related to geodiversity assessment for water resources and its evaluation. The novel aspect connected to geodiversity of this paper is the analysis of the components of hydrological system, both at the superficial and underground level, in the territory of the Sesia Val Grande United Nations educational, sci...

Various conceptual models are available about heat transfer in the shallow subsurface depending on the geological contexts. These models are supported by analytical solutions in order to determine the hydro-physical and thermodynamic parameters of the aquifers. This study of underground thermal data was conducted by means of aquifer thermal profile...

The groundwater flow velocity is a significant parameter to estimate the time of recharge of deep aquifers for drinking water supply. In recharge areas, temperature profiles measured along the water column in boreholes show a typical pattern: concave upward, because the seepage of cooler water causes an anomalous low gradient, and elongated in dept...

Underground temperature data in the northern sector of a regional transpressive shear zone, referred as the Torrente Traversola Deformation Zone and located in Piedmont hilly region (northwestern Italy), were collected in two boreholes (S17 and S20). Stratigraphy of S17 consists of massive gypsum (from the ground level up to 50 m depth) and fractur...

Extractive waste (EW) from abandoned mines can pose serious pressure to natural water systems. The harmful effects of EW such as deterioration of water sources by allowing leaching of potentially toxic elements (PTE) into groundwater make it necessary to carry out careful, scientific and comprehensive studies on this subject. The present research u...

Alpine areas, with normally fissured bedrock outcrops, do not typically contain important hydrologic reservoirs, except for small aquifers located in Quaternary sediments. By contrast, mountainous areas affected by deep-seated gravitational slope deformations (DSGSD), especially if covered by glacial sediments, contain large aquifers and are conseq...

Abandoned mines can pose serious pressure on local water sources. Analyses of the possible water related environmental problems connected to past mining activities was performed in two mining areas, Campello Monti and Gorno in NW Italy. To study impacts on local water sources water sampling campaigns and analyses were performed. The samples were an...

This study investigated the thermal regime of shallow groundwater in the Turin area (NW Italy), where the large energy demand has driven a new interest for ground-source heat pumps (GSHPs). The strongest vertical variability of groundwater temperature is found within 10-20 m below ground surface. In spring, deeper temperatures are higher than shall...

Deep aquifers typically serve as a key source of drinking water due to their good groundwater quality. Then the identification of deep aquifers recharge areas provides the local administration with a management tool to protect groundwater, through the implementation of legislative measures for the control of pollution sources. However, the location...

Diffuse nitrate pollution in groundwater is currently considered one of the major causes of water quality degradation. Determining the sources of nitrate contamination is an important first step for a better management of water quality. Thus, the isotopic composition of nitrate (δ¹⁵NNO3 and δ¹⁸ONO3) and boron (δ¹¹B) were used to evaluate nitrate co...

Editorial of a Special Issue of : Environmental Science and Pollution Research (Springer)

This work is a multidisciplinary synthesis of geological and hydrogeological researches on the subsoil of Turin and suburbs, summarizing the existing previous studies and also using new data specially collected, aimed at bringing together the different aspects of the subsoil in a single contribution. The stratigraphic setting of the Turin Plain, as...

An example of characterization of a tectonic zone by using underground temperature measurements is presented. A tectonic discontinuity, located in NW Italy, was investigated by precision temperature measurements by means of the analysis of thermal data recorded in a monitoring well along the northern part of Torrente Traversola Deformation Zone. Mo...

The concept of aquifer vulnerability is certainly useful in the field of groundwater protection. Nevertheless, within the scientific community, the definition of vulnerability is still under debate and lacks standardisation. As a consequence, the methods for evaluating the vulnerability degree are numerous and often lead to conflicting results. Thu...

Large volumes of precious water resources are negatively affected by nitrate contamination, and the problem of the world population's exposure to this is becoming an even more pressing issue. To tackle this problem, the application of environmental isotopes has proven to be an effective method to identify the N origins and major transformations in...

This study investigated the role of two technical features of borehole heat exchangers (BHEs) in causing impacts on groundwater quality: the use of propylene glycol (PG) and other additives in heat-carrier fluids and the BHE grouting. The PG is the most diffused antifreeze compound used in heat-carrier fluids circulating into the ground loops. Labo...

Aquifer overexploitation is a common problem in drinking water management. This will become more and more important given the general reduction of water resources. To overcome overexploitation, one of the most adopted solutions is the relocation of extraction wells. To establish the positions of new wells, a precise knowledge of the hydrogeological...

Abandoned mine sites continue to present serious environmental hazards because the heavy metals associated with extractive waste are continuously released into the environment, where they threaten human life and the environment. Remediating and securing extractive waste are complex, lengthy and costly processes. Thus, in most European countries, a...

Logs termici di precisione in piezometri, associati a indagini geologico-strutturali e idrogeologiche, si rivelano un valido strumento diagnostico sia per il riconoscimento di zone fratturate o interessate da importanti discontinuità tettoniche sepolte, in quanto la circolazione di fluidi in mezzi porosi può significativamente alterarne il regime t...

Improving understanding on groundwater chemistry is a key priority for water supply from groundwater resources, especially in developing countries. A hydrochemical study was performed in an area of SW Guatemala (Samalà River basin), where water supply to population is groundwater-based and no systematic studies on its groundwater resources have bee...

Abandoned mines can pose serious pressure on local water sources. Analyses of the possible water-related environmental problems connected to past mining activities was performed in two mining areas, Campello Monti and Gorno, NW Italy. Campello Monti (Valstrona municipality, Piedmont region) is located in the basement of Southern Italian Alps in th...

The large energy demand for heating and cooling of buildings has motivated a new interest for low enthalpy geothermal systems. For this reason shallow groundwater temperatures are nowadays regarded as highly important in Turin area (NW Italy). The area is located in a favourable geological context for geothermal applications: a thick alluvial body,...

The temperature distribution in shallow subsoil (<20 m below ground surface) is influenced by seasonal variations in air temperature and soil thermal conductivity. In addition, the advective heat transport, due to the presence of water flow in an aquifer, and variations of temperature related to rainfall and soil permeability, are expected to play...

This study investigated the thermal regime of shallow groundwater in the Turin area (NW Italy), where the large energy demand has motivated a new interest for renewable sources, such as the use of ground-source heat pumps for domestic heating and cooling. The vertical variability of the groundwater temperature between the ground surface and 10–20 m...