Stefano Albanese

University of Naples Federico II | UNINA · Department of Earth Sciences, Environment and Resources

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...

Urban areas are characterized by a constant anthropogenic input, which is manifested in the chemical composition of the surface layer of urban soil. The consequence is the formation of intense anomalies of chemical elements, including lead (Pb), that are atypical for this landscape. Therefore, this study aims to explore the compositional-geochemica...

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...

Soil contamination in outdoor shooting ranges (OSRs) is a major threat for human health, particularly when, after the end of activities, the land is used for recreational areas or agricultural production. The status of land degradation of an OSR in southern Italy was assessed using a multisensor approach. It was based on: i) proximal sensors, inclu...

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...

Geochemical mapping is a knowledge tool based on the spatial analysis of compositional characteristics of environmental matrices dependent on geology, natural alteration processes and, secondarily, anthropogenic impact. Knowing the environmental status of a territory is of fundamental importance to plan its development in a perspective of minimizi...

The sample catchment basin approach (SCBA) is one of the methods mainly used to assess the expected chemical composition of a stream sediment sample considering the geolithological variability of the catchment basin upstream of its collection point. In the original SCBA, the catchment surface considered for the purpose is limited to the area betwee...

The present study was performed to reveal the distribution patterns and spatiotemporal changes of radionuclides in the soil of the highest mountain of Armenia: Aragats Massif. In this regard, two surveys were implemented in 2016–2018 and 2021 with an altitudinal sampling strategy. The activities of radionuclides were determined by gamma spectrometr...

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 worldwide increase in fire events has attracted global attention, as potentially toxic elements (PTEs) have been widely recognised within the produced ash. Ash is transported, dispersed by wind, and deposited into the soil and surficial waters even far from fires. Considering that their composition can be enriched in PTEs, they represent a pote...

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...

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...

The presence of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) derived from anthropogenic sources in soil represents a serious issue for animal and human health. These elements can easily move from the geological compartment to the biological compartment through to the food chain. (Jarup, 2003). The geochemical knowledge of a territory allows to assess the degr...

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...

Epidemiological and environmental studies demonstrated that the rate of cancer mortality in the Acerra area, better known as "Triangle of Death", and, more in general, in the Neapolitan metropolitan territory are higher than the regional average values. In the "Triangle of Death" the higher rate of mortality has been mostly related to the presence...

Rivers can be sinks for potential toxic elements (PTEs) inputted in their systems by both natural and anthropic processes. Many indices have been proposed to assess the contamination degree of sediments and the environmental conditions of surficial water bodies. Above all, enrichment factor (EF) is the most used tool, but also it is the most debate...

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...

This Manual presents, a comprehensive overview of the standardised methods to be employed across the land surface of the Earth to map the distribution of chemical elements in rock, soil, sediment and water

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...

Spatial patterns and background ranges of naturally occurring radionuclides (NORs) (i.e. U-238, Th-232, K-40) and Cs-137 were studied in the urban soils of Yerevan, the capital city of Armenia. Multifractal Inverse Distance Weighting (MIDW) was used to generate and analyze distribution patterns of radionuclide activities. Based on Fourier transform...

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...

In Campania, in 2017, a geochemical prospecting activity focused on regional soils was completed as part of the Campania Trasparente project, funded by the Campania Region and coordinated by the Zooprophylactic Institute of Southern Italy. One of the purposes of the study was the identification of portions of the territory characterized by high con...

Comprehensive hydrogeochemical studies have been conducted in the Campi Flegrei volcanic aquifer since late 20th century due to the volcanic unrest. In the last decade, groundwater samples were grouped based on the dominant anion species (i.e. bicarbonate, sulfate and chloride) to explain the general hydrogeochemical processes. In this article, 44...

The large-scale Chuankou W deposit is located in the north part of the Nanling metallogenic belt, South China. It comprises independent quartz vein-type scheelite and wolframite mineralization, both associated with the underlying granitic intrusion spatially. The scheelite-bearing quartz veins occur invariably in sandstone and slate to the west, wh...

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...

Stream sediment geochemical prospecting is historically acknowledged as a reliable tool to investigate the influence of geology and to assess the presence of natural and/or anthropogenic anomalies within river catchment basins at different scales. Several methods have been developed during decades to seek for geochemical anomalies especially those...

The concentrations of a selection of major and trace elements were determined in 101 sediment samples collected from a core located in a mid-channel of the Changjiang River (China), about 150 km far away from the river mouth. The whole core refers to a sedimentation period of about 150 years (1850 ~ 2007). The median diameter (D50), as a main grain...

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...

Campi Flegrei aquifer is situated in an area with a long history of volcanic activity. Although groundwater geochemistry has been studied since the late 20th century to characterize volcanic activity in the study area, limited information is available about fluoride geochemistry. To fill this gap, 44 groundwater samples were collected to determine...

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...

Synchronization is an important current frontier area of nonlinear sciences. In order to explore the spatio-temporal evolution of ore-forming elements in complex system at mesoscale, the principles, promises, methods and procedures of a spatio-temporal synchronization method were defined. Based on the phase conversion equation, the phase data and t...

The activity concentration of both naturally occurring (NOR) (i.e. U-238, Th-232, K-40) and technogenic (Cs-137) radionuclides was determined on 51 soil samples collected across Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. Measures were carried out at the Center for Ecological-Noosphere Studies National Academy of Sciences, RA (CENS) with a High Purity Ge dete...

A geochemical survey was carried out on stream sediments of the Sabato river (with a catchment area of catchment of ~400 km2) which flows in the inner territory of Southern Italy across hilly areas, mostly covered by woods, and valley sectors where both industrial and urban settlements are located. The concentrations of major and trace elements (53...

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...

The Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Southern Italy (Istitituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, IZSM) is a public health institution operating within the Italian National Health Service. Over the past 5 years [IZSM] has promoted several research studies and interventions in an effort to tackle the ‘Land of Fires’ phenomenon,...

One of the top priorities of ore body exploration geochemistry is to effectively identifying "anomalies" and separating them from "background" in geochemical data analyses, during which an accurate understanding of geochemical distribution patterns of elements and anomaly separation has been the focus of ore body hunting. However, geochemical data...

In response to the complex social, environmental and economic situation caused by the "Terra dei Fuochi" phenomenon, the IZSM collaborated closely with the Terra dei Fuochi working group, carrying out additional monitoring surveys both on food (QR Code Campania project[30]), and on the environment (Campania Trasparente project[31]). This model was...

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...

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are a group of synthetic molecules, consisting of organic structures containing at least one aromatic ring and one covalently bound chlorine atom, widely used for decades in agriculture (as insecticides and fungicides) and, subordinately, in the medical field. The study area, corresponding to the Acerra-Marigliano...

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...

A study on low-level ionizing radiation and the associated risk was conducted on the city of Naples. 2548 measurements of ADER (µSv/h) were made in the open air at 0.2 (ADER0.2) and at 1 m (ADER1) above the ground, respectively, using a handheld gamma-ray spectrometer. Besides, a total of 13 samples of paving materials were collected and analyzed b...

Because most relevant studies have used small sample sizes, to date, representative atmospheric monitoring of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) on a regional scale has been very limited, which makes it difficult to precisely identify “hotspots” and possible pollution sources. In this study, an ultrahigh resolution monitoring technique was used t...

Outdoor shooting ranges provide recreational facilities for millions of people in the world. However, there are many negative effects on the environment and public health arising from this activity. In particular, potential risks are mostly associated with the residential or agricultural use of decommissioned outdoor ranges, where bullets and targ...