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Dr. Luca Alberti
Politecnico di Milano- Civil and Environmental Egineering Department

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0 Biodegradation
0 Groundwater
0 Isotopes
0 Numerical Modeling
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Journal article
Published: 07 March 2021 in Water
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Natural attenuation (NA) processes represent a valuable option in groundwater remediation. At a heavily 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA) contaminated site, Compound-Specific Isotope Analysis (CSIA) in combination with Biological Molecular Tools (BMTs) were implemented as a rigorous characterization approach to evaluate the occurrence of Natural Attenuation in the proximity of the source area. By the use of microcosm experiments, the potential for natural and enhanced biodegradation under anaerobic conditions was documented, following the dichloroelimination pathway. Enrichment factors of −9.1‰ and −11.3‰ were obtained for 13C while Geobacter spp. and reductive dehalogenase genes (rdhs) were identified as main site-specific biomarkers. At pilot scale, enrichments of 13.5‰ and 6.3‰ for δ13C and δ37Cl, respectively, high levels of reductive dehalogenase (rdh group VI) along with the dominance of Geobacter spp. indicated the occurrence of significant dichloroelimination processes in groundwater under anaerobic conditions. By using the site-specific enrichment factors, degradation extents over approximately 70–80% were estimated, highlighting the relevant potential of NA in 1,2-DCA degradation in the vicinity of the source area at the site. The proposed fine-tuned protocol, including CSIA and BMTs, is proven to be effective as a groundwater remediation strategy, properly assessing and monitoring NA at site scale.

ACS Style

Giovanna Carpani; Massimo Marchesi; Ilaria Pietrini; Luca Alberti; Luciano Zaninetta; Orfan Shouakar-Stash; Francesca de Ferra. 1,2-DCA Natural Attenuation Evaluation in Groundwater: Insight by Dual Isotope 13C/37Cl and Molecular Analysis Approach. Water 2021, 13, 728 .

AMA Style

Giovanna Carpani, Massimo Marchesi, Ilaria Pietrini, Luca Alberti, Luciano Zaninetta, Orfan Shouakar-Stash, Francesca de Ferra. 1,2-DCA Natural Attenuation Evaluation in Groundwater: Insight by Dual Isotope 13C/37Cl and Molecular Analysis Approach. Water. 2021; 13 (5):728.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Giovanna Carpani; Massimo Marchesi; Ilaria Pietrini; Luca Alberti; Luciano Zaninetta; Orfan Shouakar-Stash; Francesca de Ferra. 2021. "1,2-DCA Natural Attenuation Evaluation in Groundwater: Insight by Dual Isotope 13C/37Cl and Molecular Analysis Approach." Water 13, no. 5: 728.

Original research article
Published: 16 October 2020 in Frontiers in Environmental Science
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The Milano Metropolitan Area [named FUA (functional urban area)] has a history of heavy industrialization causing a large portion of area being affected by significant diffuse contaminations of soil and groundwater. Among the various contaminants, chlorinated solvents (e.g., tetrachloroethylene and trichloroethylene) are the most used in industrial processes and represent the major cause of groundwater pollution within the FUA. The background diffuse contamination generated by these pollutants is so persistent and widely spread that makes it extremely challenging to identify the sources responsible for their release. Such background contamination originates from the overlapping of both known sources (point sources), associated to specific high release of contamination, and unknown small sources (multiple point sources), clustered within a large area, whose release is low but persistent. The aim of this article is to present the methodology, developed within the framework of the AMIIGA Project (Interreg Central Europe Grant N° CE32), which combines multivariate statistical analysis and groundwater numerical modeling in order to separate the point sources contribution from the background diffuse contamination, and supporting public authorities in the management of groundwater remediation. A methodological workflow is proposed guiding local and regional institutions to use the methodology (i.e., exploratory analysis of big dataset, simulation of groundwater flow and transport, multivariate and geostatistical analysis) to assess diffuse pollution background levels in large urbanized areas.

ACS Style

Loris Colombo; Luca Alberti; Arianna Azzellino; Marina Bellotti. Multi-Methodological Integrated Approach for the Assessment of Diffuse Pollution Background Levels (DPBLs) in Functional Urban Areas: The PCE Case in Milano NW Sector. Frontiers in Environmental Science 2020, 8, 1 .

AMA Style

Loris Colombo, Luca Alberti, Arianna Azzellino, Marina Bellotti. Multi-Methodological Integrated Approach for the Assessment of Diffuse Pollution Background Levels (DPBLs) in Functional Urban Areas: The PCE Case in Milano NW Sector. Frontiers in Environmental Science. 2020; 8 ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Loris Colombo; Luca Alberti; Arianna Azzellino; Marina Bellotti. 2020. "Multi-Methodological Integrated Approach for the Assessment of Diffuse Pollution Background Levels (DPBLs) in Functional Urban Areas: The PCE Case in Milano NW Sector." Frontiers in Environmental Science 8, no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 13 October 2020 in Water
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Several remediation technologies are currently used to address groundwater pollution. “Pump and treat” (P&T) is probably one of the most widely applied, being a process where contaminated groundwater is extracted from the subsurface by pumping and then treated before it is discharged or reinjected into the aquifer. Despite being a very adaptable technology, groundwater remediation is often achieved in long and unsustainable times because of limitations due to the hydrogeological setting and contaminant properties. Therefore, the cost–benefit analysis over time results in an inefficient system and a preliminary evaluation of the clean-up time is crucial. The aim of the paper is to compare, in an integrated manner, the application of some models to estimate the time to compliance of a P&T system in relation to the specific hydrogeological condition. Analytical solutions are analyzed and applied to an industrial site and to a synthetic case. For both cases, batch flushing and the advection-dispersion-retardation (ADR) model underestimate remediation times comparing the results to real or simulated monitoring data, whereas the Square Root model provided more reliable remediation times. Finally, for the synthetic case, the reliability of analytical approaches and the effects of matrix diffusion are tested on the basis of a numerical groundwater transport model specifically implemented, which confirm the results of the analytical methods and the strong influence of the matrix diffusion on the results.

ACS Style

Matteo Antelmi; Francesca Renoldi; Luca Alberti. Analytical and Numerical Methods for a Preliminary Assessment of the Remediation Time of Pump and Treat Systems. Water 2020, 12, 2850 .

AMA Style

Matteo Antelmi, Francesca Renoldi, Luca Alberti. Analytical and Numerical Methods for a Preliminary Assessment of the Remediation Time of Pump and Treat Systems. Water. 2020; 12 (10):2850.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Matteo Antelmi; Francesca Renoldi; Luca Alberti. 2020. "Analytical and Numerical Methods for a Preliminary Assessment of the Remediation Time of Pump and Treat Systems." Water 12, no. 10: 2850.

Journal article
Published: 15 September 2020 in Science of The Total Environment
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To meet the continuous growth of urbanised areas with the ever-increasing demand for safe water supplies, the implementation of new scientifically based methodologies can represent a key support for preventing groundwater quality deterioration. In this study, a new combined approach based on the application of the Weights of Evidence and the Null-Space Monte Carlo particle back-tracking methods was set up to assess tetrachloroethylene (PCE) contamination due to Point Sources in the densely urbanised north-eastern sector of the Milano FUA (Functional Urban Area). This combined approach offers the advantage of further enhancing the power of each individual technique by integrating both the advective transport mechanism, neglected by the Weights of Evidence, and the influence of specific factors, such as the land use variation, not considered by the Null-Space Monte Carlo particle tracking. To accurately test and explore the performance of this new approach, the analysis was carried out based on the simulation of synthetic PCE plumes using a groundwater numerical model already implemented in a previous study. The Weights of Evidence method revealed that the areas characterised by a groundwater depth lower than 17 m, a groundwater velocity higher than 2.6×10−6 m/s, a recharge higher than 0.26 m/y and a significant variation of the industrial activities extent are the most susceptible to groundwater pollution. The Null-Space Monte Carlo particle back-tracking has proved to be effective in delineating the potential source zones and contaminant travel path. The proposed approach can offer additional insights for the protection of groundwater resource. The end-product provides crucial information on the zones that require to be prioritised for investigations and can be easily understood by non-expert decision-makers constituting an advanced tool for enhancing groundwater protection strategies.

ACS Style

Licia C. Pollicino; Loris Colombo; Luca Alberti; Marco Masetti. PCE point source apportionment using a GIS-based statistical technique combined with stochastic modelling. Science of The Total Environment 2020, 750, 142366 .

AMA Style

Licia C. Pollicino, Loris Colombo, Luca Alberti, Marco Masetti. PCE point source apportionment using a GIS-based statistical technique combined with stochastic modelling. Science of The Total Environment. 2020; 750 ():142366.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Licia C. Pollicino; Loris Colombo; Luca Alberti; Marco Masetti. 2020. "PCE point source apportionment using a GIS-based statistical technique combined with stochastic modelling." Science of The Total Environment 750, no. : 142366.

Journal article
Published: 13 September 2020 in Energy Conversion and Management
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In this paper for the first time the Moving Line Source (MLS) model is combined with a depth-resolved Thermal Response Test (TRT). The latter was performed in a heterogeneous and groundwater rich subsoil, composed by a layering of silty sand, medium-fine sand and coarse-medium sand, with a layer of clayey silt separating a shallow aquifer from a deep one. The temperature evolution in the ground along the vertical axis was analysed with both the standard Infinite Line Source (ILS) and the MLS. The two models lead to similar estimates of the thermal conductivity in those regions of the subsoil where conduction prevails, while the MLS performs better where a significant groundwater velocity is expected. In these layers, the MLS analysis allows to derive both the thermal conductivity and the Darcy velocity. The MLS results were validated by comparison with a numerical simulation on a multiple-layers ground model developed in MODFLOW/MT3DMS using a constant energy boundary condition. The combined depth-resolved TRT/MLS approach represents an important method for an accurate design of the Ground Heat Exchangers under the presence of groundwater flow.

ACS Style

Matteo Antelmi; Luca Alberti; Adriana Angelotti; Sara Curnis; Andrea Zille; Loris Colombo. Thermal and hydrogeological aquifers characterization by coupling depth-resolved thermal response test with moving line source analysis. Energy Conversion and Management 2020, 225, 113400 .

AMA Style

Matteo Antelmi, Luca Alberti, Adriana Angelotti, Sara Curnis, Andrea Zille, Loris Colombo. Thermal and hydrogeological aquifers characterization by coupling depth-resolved thermal response test with moving line source analysis. Energy Conversion and Management. 2020; 225 ():113400.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Matteo Antelmi; Luca Alberti; Adriana Angelotti; Sara Curnis; Andrea Zille; Loris Colombo. 2020. "Thermal and hydrogeological aquifers characterization by coupling depth-resolved thermal response test with moving line source analysis." Energy Conversion and Management 225, no. : 113400.

Journal article
Published: 22 August 2019 in Water
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Legislative Decree 152/2006 requires Public Authorities to identify the subjects who are responsible for soil and groundwater contamination. In highly urbanized areas with a long industrial history and an elevated number of potential contaminant sources, as in N-W Milano Functional Urban Area (FUA), their identification can be difficult. Since the groundwater flow has showed consistent changes in the last 30 years as in Milan, the problem became even more complicate. The Public Authorities put in charge by the law, i.e., Regione Lombardia and Città Metropolitana Milanese, need new methodologies to assist them in finding the source locations and implementing remediation actions. The aim of this study is, coupling unsteady flow with fate and transport model of Chlorinated Hydrocarbons, to reconstruct the potential impact of a former chemical plant on public wells in the N-W area of Milano. The proposed methodology consists in (a) reconstruction of the piezometric trend over time (1980–2018) by means of a transient flow model (MODFLOW2005 + Parameter Estimation - PEST) and (b) simulation of transport as a function of the flow variations in time. The obtained results were compared with the previous ones obtained with a quasi-steady model (no changes in time-dependent parameters). Finally, a predictive scenario was performed to assess the potential evolution of tetrachloroethylene (PCE) in groundwater; on this frame, strategies to monitor and remediate the contamination were proposed.

ACS Style

Loris Colombo; Luca Alberti; Pietro Mazzon; Giovanni Formentin. Transient Flow and Transport Modelling of an Historical CHC Source in North-West Milano. Water 2019, 11, 1745 .

AMA Style

Loris Colombo, Luca Alberti, Pietro Mazzon, Giovanni Formentin. Transient Flow and Transport Modelling of an Historical CHC Source in North-West Milano. Water. 2019; 11 (9):1745.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Loris Colombo; Luca Alberti; Pietro Mazzon; Giovanni Formentin. 2019. "Transient Flow and Transport Modelling of an Historical CHC Source in North-West Milano." Water 11, no. 9: 1745.

Journal article
Published: 26 June 2019 in Acque Sotterranee - Italian Journal of Groundwater
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La quarta edizione del congresso nazionale di idrogeologia Flowpath si è tenuta a Milano dal 12 al 14 giugno 2019, organizzato dal Politecnico di Milano, dall’Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca e dall’Università degli Studi di Milano congiuntamente al Comitato Italiano IAH [...].

ACS Style

Luca Alberti; Tullia Bonomi; Marco Masetti; Stefania Stevenazzi. Flowpath 2019 - Congresso Nazionale di Idrogeologia Milano, 12-14 giugno 2019. Acque Sotterranee - Italian Journal of Groundwater 2019, 8, 1 .

AMA Style

Luca Alberti, Tullia Bonomi, Marco Masetti, Stefania Stevenazzi. Flowpath 2019 - Congresso Nazionale di Idrogeologia Milano, 12-14 giugno 2019. Acque Sotterranee - Italian Journal of Groundwater. 2019; 8 (2):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Luca Alberti; Tullia Bonomi; Marco Masetti; Stefania Stevenazzi. 2019. "Flowpath 2019 - Congresso Nazionale di Idrogeologia Milano, 12-14 giugno 2019." Acque Sotterranee - Italian Journal of Groundwater 8, no. 2: 1.

Journal article
Published: 10 June 2019 in Water
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Contamination by chlorinated solvents is typically associated with point sources, which are able to release high concentrations and to generate well defined plumes. Nevertheless, in urban settings (especially in functional urban areas—FUAs), multiple-point sources are frequently present, consisting of a series of unidentifiable small sources clustered within large areas, generating a diffuse, anthropogenic contamination. This situation results in the coexistence of single plumes with higher contaminant concentrations, and larger areas where the concentration is lower but still higher than the maximum admissible concentration limits. This paper proposes a methodology devised to cope with the diffuse contamination by chlorinated solvents within shallow aquifers due to multiple-point sources in FUAs. The approach is based on a Bayesian model that helps to spatially evaluate the likelihood of having active multiple-point sources, and to relate their impact on the shallow aquifer to the hydrogeological features of the area. Moreover, the approach allows testing of the efficiency of the monitoring network to properly characterize the contamination in the aquifer. The consistency of the results of the analysis was also checked for the Milan FUA (Italy) by a comparison to a previous study, performed through an inverse numerical modelling approach within a Monte Carlo statistical framework to identify the areas with the highest likelihood to host potential multiple-point sources.

ACS Style

Licia C. Pollicino; Marco Masetti; Stefania Stevenazzi; Loris Colombo; Luca Alberti. Spatial Statistical Assessment of Groundwater PCE (Tetrachloroethylene) Diffuse Contamination in Urban Areas. Water 2019, 11, 1211 .

AMA Style

Licia C. Pollicino, Marco Masetti, Stefania Stevenazzi, Loris Colombo, Luca Alberti. Spatial Statistical Assessment of Groundwater PCE (Tetrachloroethylene) Diffuse Contamination in Urban Areas. Water. 2019; 11 (6):1211.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Licia C. Pollicino; Marco Masetti; Stefania Stevenazzi; Loris Colombo; Luca Alberti. 2019. "Spatial Statistical Assessment of Groundwater PCE (Tetrachloroethylene) Diffuse Contamination in Urban Areas." Water 11, no. 6: 1211.

Journal article
Published: 26 March 2019 in Acque Sotterranee - Italian Journal of Groundwater
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Nauru is a small limestone island in the Pacific region where, as in many small islands in the world, the population heavilyrely upon groundwater as primary freshwater resource, in conjunction with rainwater and desalinated water.The Nauru project started in 2010 and led by Politecnico di Milano (http://nauru.como.polimi.it/), consisted on the hydrogeological characterization of the northern part of the island and the implementation of 3 numerical models for: (1) understanding the mechanisms governing groundwater flow and accumulation, (2) assess the adequate sustainable fresh groundwater exploitation in order to prevent saltwater upconing occurrences in the area more suitable for groundwater extraction and (3) to simulate future scenarios based on climate changes and population growth.

ACS Style

Luca Alberti; Ivana La Licata; Louis Bouchet. Assessment of groundwater resources: Nauru project 2010 – 2019. Acque Sotterranee - Italian Journal of Groundwater 2019, 1 .

AMA Style

Luca Alberti, Ivana La Licata, Louis Bouchet. Assessment of groundwater resources: Nauru project 2010 – 2019. Acque Sotterranee - Italian Journal of Groundwater. 2019; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Luca Alberti; Ivana La Licata; Louis Bouchet. 2019. "Assessment of groundwater resources: Nauru project 2010 – 2019." Acque Sotterranee - Italian Journal of Groundwater , no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 30 November 2018 in Science of The Total Environment
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Groundwater status in highly urbanized areas is particularly affected by anthropogenic influence due to diffuse pollution deriving from many sources. This makes very often challenging to determine whether the observed groundwater conditions are the result of localized pollutant sources (PS-Point Sources). In the EU legislative framework it is accepted that, when Natural Background Levels (NBLs) of undesirable elements are proven to be higher than specific Groundwater Quality Standards (GQSs), NBLs should be assumed as GQSs. No procedure is instead defined when anthropogenic Diffuse Pollution Background levels (DBPLs) are higher than GQSs and make unfeasible any remediation strategy. Among the many contaminants affecting groundwater, the chlorinated solvents, tetrachloroethylene (PCE), trichloroethylene (TCE) and trichloromethane (TCM) among the organics and hexavalent chromium, among the inorganics, having been widely used in several industries all over Europe, are very often the most prevalent contaminants in soil and groundwater. Aim of this paper is to discuss a multivariate statistical approach to address the issue of identification of anthropogenic Diffuse Pollution Background Levels. With such aim, an area of about 1600 km2, including the Functional Urban Area of Milan, was considered and 10 independent geochemical datasets, provided by local and regional agencies, and covering the period 2003–2014 were merged into a single database after homogenization and multiple quality checks. A total of 618,258 chemical analyses from 3477 sampling wells were considered, being all samples collected and analyzed through internally consistent protocols. The analysis enabled to identify five main clusters, having specific hydrogeological characteristics, different temporal profiles and pollutant background concentration levels, which were also found to respond differently to meteo-climatic changes. This study offers a robust knowledge basis for drafting a diffuse pollution management plan of the area.

ACS Style

Arianna Azzellino; Loris Colombo; Silvia Lombi; Valeria Marchesi; Alessandra Piana; Merri Andrea; Luca Alberti. Groundwater diffuse pollution in functional urban areas: The need to define anthropogenic diffuse pollution background levels. Science of The Total Environment 2018, 656, 1207 -1222.

AMA Style

Arianna Azzellino, Loris Colombo, Silvia Lombi, Valeria Marchesi, Alessandra Piana, Merri Andrea, Luca Alberti. Groundwater diffuse pollution in functional urban areas: The need to define anthropogenic diffuse pollution background levels. Science of The Total Environment. 2018; 656 ():1207-1222.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Arianna Azzellino; Loris Colombo; Silvia Lombi; Valeria Marchesi; Alessandra Piana; Merri Andrea; Luca Alberti. 2018. "Groundwater diffuse pollution in functional urban areas: The need to define anthropogenic diffuse pollution background levels." Science of The Total Environment 656, no. : 1207-1222.

Journal article
Published: 01 November 2018 in Rendiconti Online della Società Geologica Italiana
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Water resources sustainable management will be one of the major issues that need to be attempted globally in the next decades.Especially south of the Alps, climate projections suggest a strong impact on water resources availability and distribution in space and time. Agriculture would be the most sensitive sector to changing water availability: under warmer climate, crops would be more water-demanding to sustain the evapotranspiration during the growing season. The integrated use of ground- and surface water resources will have a key role in mitigating climate change impact.With the final aim of exploring such possibility, an irrigation-system model (IdrAgra) was coupled with a groundwater flow model (MODFLOW2000), applying it to an area including a portion of the Muzza-Bassa Lodigiana irrigation district in Lombardy. Downscaled projected meteorological data (2080-2099) were applied to the coupled model to estimate changes in the resource availability under climatechange scenarios. Results would represent the starting point for the implementation of alternative integrated water resource management policies in agricultural environment.

ACS Style

Gabriele Oberto; Yu Li; Luca Alberti; Rodolfo Soncini-Sessa; Loris Colombo. Coupled irrigation-system/groundwater flow modelling for groundwater resource assessment in agricultural areas: a case study in northern Italy. Rendiconti Online della Società Geologica Italiana 2018, 46, 94 -100.

AMA Style

Gabriele Oberto, Yu Li, Luca Alberti, Rodolfo Soncini-Sessa, Loris Colombo. Coupled irrigation-system/groundwater flow modelling for groundwater resource assessment in agricultural areas: a case study in northern Italy. Rendiconti Online della Società Geologica Italiana. 2018; 46 ():94-100.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Gabriele Oberto; Yu Li; Luca Alberti; Rodolfo Soncini-Sessa; Loris Colombo. 2018. "Coupled irrigation-system/groundwater flow modelling for groundwater resource assessment in agricultural areas: a case study in northern Italy." Rendiconti Online della Società Geologica Italiana 46, no. : 94-100.

Journal article
Published: 24 August 2018 in Applied Sciences
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On November 2014, the Municipality of Grandate, near Lake Como, had to deal with a great emergency that was caused by the flooding of factory undergrounds. The authors realized a hydrogeological study to understand the causes of groundwater flooding and to prepare a pre-feasibility study concerning possible actions for groundwater control. The hydrogeological structure is rather complex and required time-consuming reconstruction of the conceptual site model. A transient numerical model was developed to analyse the system behaviour in different scenarios. The flow model was calibrated in a steady and unsteady-state using the automatic calibration code Model-Independent Parameter Estimation (PEST). The study demonstrated that the reason for floods was mainly due to the concurrence of three causes: (1) the hydrogeological structure of the area was recognized as a stagnation zone, (2) groundwater rising, and (3) extremely heavy rainfall in 2014. Through the PEST RandPar function, 100 random rainfall scenarios were generated starting from rainfall data for the last 20 years. The model was used to run 100 1-year long simulations considering the probability distribution of recharge related to the 100 randomly generated rainfall scenarios. Through collecting the piezometric heads that resulted from the simulations, monthly probability curves of groundwater exceeding a threshold level were obtained. The results provided an occurrence probability of groundwater level exceeding the underground structures level between 12% and 15%.

ACS Style

Ivana La Licata; Loris Colombo; Vincenzo Francani; Luca Alberti. Hydrogeological Study of the Glacial—Fluvioglacial Territory of Grandate (Como, Italy) and Stochastical Modeling of Groundwater Rising. Applied Sciences 2018, 8, 1456 .

AMA Style

Ivana La Licata, Loris Colombo, Vincenzo Francani, Luca Alberti. Hydrogeological Study of the Glacial—Fluvioglacial Territory of Grandate (Como, Italy) and Stochastical Modeling of Groundwater Rising. Applied Sciences. 2018; 8 (9):1456.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ivana La Licata; Loris Colombo; Vincenzo Francani; Luca Alberti. 2018. "Hydrogeological Study of the Glacial—Fluvioglacial Territory of Grandate (Como, Italy) and Stochastical Modeling of Groundwater Rising." Applied Sciences 8, no. 9: 1456.

Journal article
Published: 30 June 2018 in Acque Sotterranee - Italian Journal of Groundwater
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La Functional Urban Area (FUA) di Milano è un’area densamente popolata (2.254.263 abitanti) dove l’approvvigionamento idrico è garantito esclusivamente mediante prelievi idrici sotterranei. Per questa ragione la protezione della qualità delle falde rientra tra le priorità delle politiche ambientali di Regione Lombardia. Recentemente è stato avviato un programma di studi ed interventi aventi lo scopo d’individuare i principali plumes di contaminazione da solventi clorurati distinguendone l’impatto da quello legato all’inquinamento diffuso. In questo articolo si presenta il modello di flusso sviluppato per il settore NE della FUA di Milano, settore utilizzato quale area pilota per sviluppare e testare una nuova metodologia che combina statistica e modellistica al fine di distinguere il contributo delle fonti di contaminazione puntuale rispetto a quelle diffuse.

ACS Style

Luca Alberti. Model calibration using the automatic parameter estimation procedure (PEST) of the North-eastern zone of the Milan Functional Urban Area (Italy). Acque Sotterranee - Italian Journal of Groundwater 2018, 7, 1 .

AMA Style

Luca Alberti. Model calibration using the automatic parameter estimation procedure (PEST) of the North-eastern zone of the Milan Functional Urban Area (Italy). Acque Sotterranee - Italian Journal of Groundwater. 2018; 7 (2):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Luca Alberti. 2018. "Model calibration using the automatic parameter estimation procedure (PEST) of the North-eastern zone of the Milan Functional Urban Area (Italy)." Acque Sotterranee - Italian Journal of Groundwater 7, no. 2: 1.

Journal article
Published: 01 April 2018 in Science of The Total Environment
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The Lombardy Region in Italy is one of the most urbanized and industrialized areas in Europe. The presence of countless sources of groundwater pollution is therefore a matter of environmental concern. The sources of groundwater contamination can be classified into two different categories: 1) Point Sources (PS), which correspond to areas releasing plumes of high concentrations (i.e. hot-spots) and 2) Multiple-Point Sources (MPS) consisting in a series of unidentifiable small sources clustered within large areas, generating an anthropogenic diffuse contamination. The latter category frequently predominates in European Functional Urban Areas (FUA) and cannot be managed through standard remediation techniques, mainly because detecting the many different source areas releasing small contaminant mass in groundwater is unfeasible. A specific legislative action has been recently enacted at Regional level (DGR IX/3510-2012), in order to identify areas prone to anthropogenic diffuse pollution and their level of contamination. With a view to defining a management plan, it is necessary to find where MPS are most likely positioned. This paper describes a methodology devised to identify the areas with the highest likelihood to host potential MPS. A groundwater flow model was implemented for a pilot area located in the Milan FUA and through the PEST code, a Null-Space Monte Carlo method was applied in order to generate a suite of several hundred hydraulic conductivity field realizations, each maintaining the model in a calibrated state and each consistent with the modelers' expert-knowledge. Thereafter, the MODPATH code was applied to generate back-traced advective flowpaths for each of the models built using the conductivity field realizations. Maps were then created displaying the number of backtracked particles that crossed each model cell in each stochastic calibrated model. The result is considered to be representative of the FUAs areas with the highest likelihood to host MPS responsible for diffuse contamination.

ACS Style

Luca Alberti; Loris Colombo; Giovanni Formentin. Null-space Monte Carlo particle tracking to assess groundwater PCE (Tetrachloroethene) diffuse pollution in north-eastern Milan functional urban area. Science of The Total Environment 2018, 621, 326 -339.

AMA Style

Luca Alberti, Loris Colombo, Giovanni Formentin. Null-space Monte Carlo particle tracking to assess groundwater PCE (Tetrachloroethene) diffuse pollution in north-eastern Milan functional urban area. Science of The Total Environment. 2018; 621 ():326-339.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Luca Alberti; Loris Colombo; Giovanni Formentin. 2018. "Null-space Monte Carlo particle tracking to assess groundwater PCE (Tetrachloroethene) diffuse pollution in north-eastern Milan functional urban area." Science of The Total Environment 621, no. : 326-339.

Journal article
Published: 01 April 2018 in Science of The Total Environment
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A laboratory approach was adopted in this study to explore the potential of (37)Cl-CSIA in combination with (13)C-CSIA and Biological Molecular Tools (BMTs) to estimate the occurrence of monochloroenzene (MCB) aerobic biodegradation. A new analytical method for (37)Cl-CSIA of MCB was developed in this study. This methodology using a GC-IRMS allowed to determine δ(37)Cl values within an internal error of ±0.3‰. Samples from a heavily MCB contaminated site were collected and MCB aerobic biodegradation microcosms with indigenous cultures in natural and enhanced conditions were set up. The microcosms data show a negligible fractionation for (13)C associated to MCB mass decrease of >95% over the incubation time. Conversely, an enrichment factor of -0.6±0.1‰ was estimated for (37)Cl, which is a reflection of a secondary isotope effect. Moreover, the dual isotope approach showed a pattern for aerobic degradation which differ from the theoretical trend for reductive dehalogenation. Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) results showed a significant increase in todC gene copy number with respect to its initial levels for both natural attenuation and biostimulated microcosms, suggesting its involvement in the MCB aerobic degradation, whereas phe gene copy number increased only in the biostimulated ones. Indeed, (37)Cl fractionation in combination with the dual carbon‑chlorine isotope approach and the todC gene copy number represent valuable indicators for a qualitative assessment of MCB aerobic biodegradation in the field.

ACS Style

Massimo Marchesi; Luca Alberti; Orfan Shouakar-Stash; Ilaria Pietrini; Francesca de Ferra; Giovanna Carpani; Ramon Aravena; Andrea Franzetti; Tatiana Stella. 37Cl-compound specific isotope analysis and assessment of functional genes for monitoring monochlorobenzene (MCB) biodegradation under aerobic conditions. Science of The Total Environment 2018, 619-620, 784 -793.

AMA Style

Massimo Marchesi, Luca Alberti, Orfan Shouakar-Stash, Ilaria Pietrini, Francesca de Ferra, Giovanna Carpani, Ramon Aravena, Andrea Franzetti, Tatiana Stella. 37Cl-compound specific isotope analysis and assessment of functional genes for monitoring monochlorobenzene (MCB) biodegradation under aerobic conditions. Science of The Total Environment. 2018; 619-620 ():784-793.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Massimo Marchesi; Luca Alberti; Orfan Shouakar-Stash; Ilaria Pietrini; Francesca de Ferra; Giovanna Carpani; Ramon Aravena; Andrea Franzetti; Tatiana Stella. 2018. "37Cl-compound specific isotope analysis and assessment of functional genes for monitoring monochlorobenzene (MCB) biodegradation under aerobic conditions." Science of The Total Environment 619-620, no. : 784-793.

Journal article
Published: 01 January 2018 in Agricultural Water Management
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In intensive breeding farms, maintaining an adequate indoor thermal environment and air quality is cru-cial in order to establish healthy conditions and increase productivity. In the EU, fossil fuels and electricityare the main energy sources adopted for this purpose, yet introducing renewable energy sources andefficient Heating Ventilating Air Conditioning systems would reduce energy consumption and improvesustainability.Another environmental concern in agricultural production is related to the intensive use of fertilizers,causing nitrate contamination in surface water and groundwater. Therefore, innovative strategies toreduce fertilizers and simultaneously reduce primary energy consumption are worthy of investigation.This paper addresses both issues, studying the application of geothermal heat pumps in the agro-zootechnical sector, where they are rarely applied and thus their potential needs to be verified. The studyconsiders systems based on the closed loop configuration, i.e. Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHP), andon the open loop configuration, i.e. Groundwater Heat Pumps (GWHP).Firstly, a pilot GSHP system for a piglet stable in Northern Italy is presented. Thanks to the use of bothground source and thermal recovery of air ventilation, the system achieves an appreciable reduction inboth primary energy consumption and running costs, compared with a more traditional system typicallyadopted in this kind of farm.Secondly, the feasibility of an innovative concept of a GWHP combined with the irrigation system isstudied through numerical modelling. The area of the piglet stable is represented in a flow and heat trans-port model; groundwater used by the heat pump is re-injected up-gradient during the cold season, whileit is used for irrigation during the warm season. The system would provide energy-efficient climatizationto the farm stables and, at the same time, promote the reuse of nitrogen in cultivated fields as a result ofgroundwater recirculation through irrigation

ACS Style

Luca Alberti; Matteo Antelmi; Adriana Angelotti; Giovanni Formentin. Geothermal heat pumps for sustainable farm climatization and field irrigation. Agricultural Water Management 2018, 195, 187 -200.

AMA Style

Luca Alberti, Matteo Antelmi, Adriana Angelotti, Giovanni Formentin. Geothermal heat pumps for sustainable farm climatization and field irrigation. Agricultural Water Management. 2018; 195 ():187-200.

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Luca Alberti; Matteo Antelmi; Adriana Angelotti; Giovanni Formentin. 2018. "Geothermal heat pumps for sustainable farm climatization and field irrigation." Agricultural Water Management 195, no. : 187-200.

Journal article
Published: 22 December 2017 in Acque Sotterranee - Italian Journal of Groundwater
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Daniela Ducci; Sergio Rusi; Luca Alberti; Paolo Cerutti; Paolo Fabbri; Alessandro Gargini; Francesco La Vigna; Marco Masetti; Marco Petitta; Vincenzo Piscopo; Maurizio Polemio; Andrea Sottani; Viviana Re; Daniela Valigi. Aquifers: the natural response to the water supply emergency. Acque Sotterranee - Italian Journal of Groundwater 2017, 1 .

AMA Style

Daniela Ducci, Sergio Rusi, Luca Alberti, Paolo Cerutti, Paolo Fabbri, Alessandro Gargini, Francesco La Vigna, Marco Masetti, Marco Petitta, Vincenzo Piscopo, Maurizio Polemio, Andrea Sottani, Viviana Re, Daniela Valigi. Aquifers: the natural response to the water supply emergency. Acque Sotterranee - Italian Journal of Groundwater. 2017; ():1.

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Daniela Ducci; Sergio Rusi; Luca Alberti; Paolo Cerutti; Paolo Fabbri; Alessandro Gargini; Francesco La Vigna; Marco Masetti; Marco Petitta; Vincenzo Piscopo; Maurizio Polemio; Andrea Sottani; Viviana Re; Daniela Valigi. 2017. "Aquifers: the natural response to the water supply emergency." Acque Sotterranee - Italian Journal of Groundwater , no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 09 November 2017 in Water
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In light of the complex management of chlorobenzene (CB) contaminated sites, at which a hydraulic barrier (HB) for plumes containment is emplaced, compound-specific stable isotope analysis (CSIA) has been applied for source apportionment, for investigating the relation between the upgradient and downgradient of the HB, and to target potential CB biodegradation processes. The isotope signature of all the components potentially involved in the degradation processes has been expressed using the concentration-weighted average δ13C of CBs + benzene (δ13Csum). Upgradient of the HB, the average δ13Csum of −25.6‰ and −29.4‰ were measured for plumes within the eastern and western sectors, respectively. Similar values were observed for the potential sources, with δ13Csum values of −26.5‰ for contaminated soils and −29.8‰ for the processing water pipeline in the eastern and western sectors, respectively, allowing for apportioning of these potential sources to the respective contaminant plumes. For the downgradient of the HB, similar CB concentrations but enriched δ13Csum values between −24.5‰ and −25.9‰ were measured. Moreover, contaminated soils showed a similar δ13Csum signature of −24.5‰, thus suggesting that the plumes likely originate from past activities located in the downgradient of the HB. Within the industrial property, significant δ13C enrichments were measured for 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene (TCB), 1,2-dichlorobenzene (DCB), 1,3-DCB, and 1,4-DCBs, thus suggesting an important role for anaerobic biodegradation. Further degradation of monochlorobenzene (MCB) and benzene was also demonstrated. CSIA was confirmed to be an effective approach for site characterization, revealing the proper functioning of the HB and demonstrating the important role of natural attenuation processes in reducing the contamination upgradient of the HB.

ACS Style

Luca Alberti; Massimo Marchesi; Patrizia Trefiletti; Ramon Aravena. Compound-Specific Isotope Analysis (CSIA) Application for Source Apportionment and Natural Attenuation Assessment of Chlorinated Benzenes. Water 2017, 9, 872 .

AMA Style

Luca Alberti, Massimo Marchesi, Patrizia Trefiletti, Ramon Aravena. Compound-Specific Isotope Analysis (CSIA) Application for Source Apportionment and Natural Attenuation Assessment of Chlorinated Benzenes. Water. 2017; 9 (11):872.

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Luca Alberti; Massimo Marchesi; Patrizia Trefiletti; Ramon Aravena. 2017. "Compound-Specific Isotope Analysis (CSIA) Application for Source Apportionment and Natural Attenuation Assessment of Chlorinated Benzenes." Water 9, no. 11: 872.

Journal article
Published: 13 October 2017 in Water
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Water resources sustainable management is a vital issue for small islands where groundwater is often the only available water resource. Nauru is an isolated and uplifted limestone atoll island located in the Pacific Ocean. Politecnico di Milano performed a feasibility study for the development of sustainable use of groundwater on the island. This paper focuses on the first phase of the study that concerns the conceptual site model development, the hydrogeological characterization and the 2D model implementation. During the project, different activities were performed such as GNSS topographic survey of monitoring wells and groundwater level surveys taking into account tidal fluctuation. This data collection and the analysis of previous studies made it possible to identify the most suitable areas for groundwater sustainable extraction. The characterization findings suggested, unlike previous studies and surveys, the presence of only few drought resilient thin freshwater lenses, taking place in low conductivity sandy deposits, unexpectedly next to the seashore. Thanks to the 2D modeling results, it has been possible to clarify the mechanism that allows the storage of freshwater so close to the sea.

ACS Style

Luca Alberti; Ivana La Licata; Martino Cantone. Saltwater Intrusion and Freshwater Storage in Sand Sediments along the Coastline: Hydrogeological Investigations and Groundwater Modeling of Nauru Island. Water 2017, 9, 788 .

AMA Style

Luca Alberti, Ivana La Licata, Martino Cantone. Saltwater Intrusion and Freshwater Storage in Sand Sediments along the Coastline: Hydrogeological Investigations and Groundwater Modeling of Nauru Island. Water. 2017; 9 (10):788.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Luca Alberti; Ivana La Licata; Martino Cantone. 2017. "Saltwater Intrusion and Freshwater Storage in Sand Sediments along the Coastline: Hydrogeological Investigations and Groundwater Modeling of Nauru Island." Water 9, no. 10: 788.

Journal article
Published: 17 May 2017 in Energies
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U-pipes for ground source heat pump (GSHP) installations are generally inserted in vertical boreholes back-filled with pumpable grouts. Grout thermal conductivity is a crucial parameter, dominating the borehole thermal resistance and impacting the heat exchanger efficiency. In order to seal the borehole and prevent leakages of the heat carrier fluid, grouting materials are also hydraulically impermeable, so that groundwater flow inside the borehole is inhibited. The influence of groundwater flow on the borehole heat exchangers (BHE) performance has recently been highlighted by several authors. However groundwater impact and grouting materials influence are usually evaluated separately, disregarding any combined effect. Therefore simulation is used to investigate the role of the thermal and hydraulic conductivities of the grout when the BHE operates in an aquifer with a relevant groundwater flow. Here 3 main cases for a single U-pipe in a sandy aquifer are compared. In Case 1 the borehole is back-filled with the surrounding soil formation, while a thermally enhanced grout and a low thermal conductivity grout are considered in Case 2 and Case 3 respectively. Simulations are carried out maintaining the inlet temperature constant in order to reproduce the yearly operation of the GSHP system. For each of the 3 cases three different groundwater flow velocities are considered. The results show that a high thermal conductivity grout further enhances the effects of a significant groundwater flow. The conditions when neglecting the grout material in the numerical model does not lead to relevant errors are also identified.

ACS Style

Luca Alberti; Adriana Angelotti; Matteo Antelmi; Ivana La Licata. A Numerical Study on the Impact of Grouting Material on Borehole Heat Exchangers Performance in Aquifers. Energies 2017, 10, 703 .

AMA Style

Luca Alberti, Adriana Angelotti, Matteo Antelmi, Ivana La Licata. A Numerical Study on the Impact of Grouting Material on Borehole Heat Exchangers Performance in Aquifers. Energies. 2017; 10 (5):703.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Luca Alberti; Adriana Angelotti; Matteo Antelmi; Ivana La Licata. 2017. "A Numerical Study on the Impact of Grouting Material on Borehole Heat Exchangers Performance in Aquifers." Energies 10, no. 5: 703.