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Several anthropogenic activities have undergone major changes following the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, which in turn has had consequences on the environment. The effect on air pollution has been studied in detail in the literature, although some pollutants, such as ammonia (NH3), have received comparatively less attention to date. Focusing on the case of Lombardy in Northern Italy, this study aimed to evaluate changes in NH3 atmospheric concentration on a temporal scale (the years from 2013 to 2019 compared to 2020) and on a spatial scale (countryside, city, and mountain areas). For this purpose, ground-based (from public air quality control units scattered throughout the region) and satellite observations (from IASI sensors on board MetOp-A and MetOp-B) were collected and analyzed. For ground-based measurements, a marked spatial variability is observed between the different areas while, as regards the comparison between periods, statistically significant differences were observed only for the countryside areas (+31% in 2020 compared to previous years). The satellite data show similar patterns but do not present statistically significant differences neither between different areas, nor between the two periods. In general, there have been no reduction effects of atmospheric NH3 as a consequence of COVID-19. This calls into question the role of the agricultural sector, which is known to be the largest responsible for NH3 emissions. Even if the direct comparison between the two datasets shows little correlation, their contextual consideration allows making more robust considerations regarding air pollutants.
Daniela Lovarelli; Davide Fugazza; Michele Costantini; Cecilia Conti; Guglielmina Diolaiuti; Marcella Guarino. Comparison of ammonia air concentration before and during the spread of COVID-19 in Lombardy (Italy) using ground-based and satellite data. Atmospheric Environment 2021, 259, 118534 .
AMA StyleDaniela Lovarelli, Davide Fugazza, Michele Costantini, Cecilia Conti, Guglielmina Diolaiuti, Marcella Guarino. Comparison of ammonia air concentration before and during the spread of COVID-19 in Lombardy (Italy) using ground-based and satellite data. Atmospheric Environment. 2021; 259 ():118534.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDaniela Lovarelli; Davide Fugazza; Michele Costantini; Cecilia Conti; Guglielmina Diolaiuti; Marcella Guarino. 2021. "Comparison of ammonia air concentration before and during the spread of COVID-19 in Lombardy (Italy) using ground-based and satellite data." Atmospheric Environment 259, no. : 118534.
Livestock activities, in particular swine farms, are sources of odorant compounds that cause conflicts with the neighboring population. Beside the effects on the neighborhood, excessive odor emission can cause discomfort to farm workers. In this context the APPROAch project, aims to test the application of two different air cleaning technologies (a wet acid scrubber and a dry filter) to reduce dust, ammonia and odors, in naturally ventilated pig facilities. The aim of the present study is to evaluate, in a pig farm, the odor removal efficiency of the two tested abatement technologies, based on air samples analyzed by dynamic olfactometry. Odor sampling was carried out at a pig facility involved in the project and brought to the lab within 30 h from sampling, as established by the European Standard EN 13725:2004. Odor concentration was evaluated by dynamic olfactometry using an Olfaktomat-n 6 (PRA-Odournet B.V.—Amsterdam, The Netherlands). The results show that the wet acid scrubber prototype presents an average odor removal efficiency of 16%, whereas dry filter has from limited to no effect. This efficiency could be considered as a good result for a prototype even if further analysis, with longer sampling periods are needed.
Cecilia Conti; Emanuela Tullo; Jacopo Bacenetti; Marcella Guarino. Evaluation of a Wet Acid Scrubber and Dry Filter Abatement Technologies in Pig Barns by Dynamic Olfactometry. Applied Sciences 2021, 11, 3219 .
AMA StyleCecilia Conti, Emanuela Tullo, Jacopo Bacenetti, Marcella Guarino. Evaluation of a Wet Acid Scrubber and Dry Filter Abatement Technologies in Pig Barns by Dynamic Olfactometry. Applied Sciences. 2021; 11 (7):3219.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCecilia Conti; Emanuela Tullo; Jacopo Bacenetti; Marcella Guarino. 2021. "Evaluation of a Wet Acid Scrubber and Dry Filter Abatement Technologies in Pig Barns by Dynamic Olfactometry." Applied Sciences 11, no. 7: 3219.
Nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur oxides (SOx) and ammonia (NH3) are among the main contributors to the formation of secondary particulate matter (PM2.5), which represent a severe risk to human health. Even if important improvements have been achieved worldwide, traffic, industrial activities, and the energy sector are mostly responsible for NOx and SOx release; instead, the agricultural sector is mainly responsible for NH3 emissions. Due to the emergency of coronavirus disease, in Italy schools and universities have been locked down from late February 2020, followed in March by almost all production and industrial activities as well as road transport, except for the agricultural ones. This study aims to analyze NH3, PM2.5 and NOx emissions in principal livestock provinces in the Lombardy region (Brescia, Cremona, Lodi, and Mantua) to evaluate if and how air emissions have changed during this quarantine period respect to 2016–2019. For each province, meteorological and air quality data were collected from the database of the Regional Agency for the Protection of the Environment, considering both data stations located in the city and the countryside. In the 2020 selected period, PM2.5 reduction was higher compared to the previous years, especially in February and March. Respect to February, PM2.5 released in March in the city stations reduced by 19%–32% in 2016–2019 and by 21%–41% in 2020. Similarly, NOx data of 2020 were lower than in the 2016–2019 period (reduction in March respect to February of 22–42% for 2016–2019 and of 43–62% for 2020); in particular, this can be observed in city stations, because of the current reduction in anthropogenic emissions related to traffic and industrial activities. A different trend with no reductions was observed for NH3 emissions, as agricultural activities have not stopped during the lockdown. Air quality is affected by many variables, for which making conclusions requires a holistic perspective. Therefore, all sectors must play a role to contribute to the reduction of harmful pollutants.
Daniela Lovarelli; Cecilia Conti; Alberto Finzi; Jacopo Bacenetti; Marcella Guarino. Describing the trend of ammonia, particulate matter and nitrogen oxides: The role of livestock activities in northern Italy during Covid-19 quarantine. Environmental Research 2020, 191, 110048 -110048.
AMA StyleDaniela Lovarelli, Cecilia Conti, Alberto Finzi, Jacopo Bacenetti, Marcella Guarino. Describing the trend of ammonia, particulate matter and nitrogen oxides: The role of livestock activities in northern Italy during Covid-19 quarantine. Environmental Research. 2020; 191 ():110048-110048.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDaniela Lovarelli; Cecilia Conti; Alberto Finzi; Jacopo Bacenetti; Marcella Guarino. 2020. "Describing the trend of ammonia, particulate matter and nitrogen oxides: The role of livestock activities in northern Italy during Covid-19 quarantine." Environmental Research 191, no. : 110048-110048.
The development of residential areas near farms, and the intensification and specialization of livestock activities have led to a considerable increase in the potential of odor impact on nearby residents. The manure management system is the principal cause of odor nuisance to the surrounding neighborhood. Ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and volatile organic compounds are the principal odorous compounds emitted from farms. Their impact depends on animal species (pig, cattle, poultry, etc.), farm management, FIDOL factors, topography, and meteorological conditions. Thus, reducing nuisance episodes is a relevant air quality issue. Different types of atmospheric dispersion models (Gaussian, Lagrangian or Eulerian) can be used to predict the impact of odors on nearby communities, and to plan setback distances, aimed at maintaining adequate buffer zones between livestock units and residents. The aim of this review was to investigate, through the analysis of the published literature, air dispersion models used to determine setback distances, aimed at protecting neighbors from odor discomfort.
C. Conti; M. Guarino; J. Bacenetti. Odor Nuisance in the Livestock Field: A Review. Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering 2020, 199 -206.
AMA StyleC. Conti, M. Guarino, J. Bacenetti. Odor Nuisance in the Livestock Field: A Review. Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering. 2020; ():199-206.
Chicago/Turabian StyleC. Conti; M. Guarino; J. Bacenetti. 2020. "Odor Nuisance in the Livestock Field: A Review." Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering , no. : 199-206.
Ammonia (NH3), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from livestock farms contribute to negative environmental impacts such as acidification and climate change. A significant part of these emissions is produced from the decomposition of slurry in livestock facilities, during storage and treatment phases. This research aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of the additive “SOP LAGOON” (made of agricultural gypsum processed with proprietary technology) on (i) NH3 and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, (ii) slurry properties and N loss. Moreover, the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method was applied to assess the potential environmental impact associated with stored slurry treated with the additive. Six barrels were filled with 65 L of cattle slurry, of which three were used as a control while the additive was used in the other three. The results indicated that the use of the additive led to a reduction of total nitrogen, nitrates, and GHG emissions. LCA confirmed the higher environmental sustainability of the scenario with the additive for some environmental impact categories among which climate change. In conclusion, the additive has beneficial effects on both emissions and the environment, and the nitrogen present in the treated slurry could partially displace a mineral fertilizer, which can be considered an environmental credit.
Federica Borgonovo; Cecilia Conti; Daniela Lovarelli; Valentina Ferrante; Marcella Guarino. Improving the Sustainability of Dairy Slurry by A Commercial Additive Treatment. Sustainability 2019, 11, 4998 .
AMA StyleFederica Borgonovo, Cecilia Conti, Daniela Lovarelli, Valentina Ferrante, Marcella Guarino. Improving the Sustainability of Dairy Slurry by A Commercial Additive Treatment. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (18):4998.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFederica Borgonovo; Cecilia Conti; Daniela Lovarelli; Valentina Ferrante; Marcella Guarino. 2019. "Improving the Sustainability of Dairy Slurry by A Commercial Additive Treatment." Sustainability 11, no. 18: 4998.
Food waste is recognized as a global issue affecting the sustainability of the food supply chain. The unnecessary exploitation of natural resources (land, water and fossil energy) and production of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) make the reduction of food waste a key point. In this context, the use of fruit and vegetable waste (FVW) as growth substrate for fresh earthworms to produce dried meal for feed and food purpose can be recognized as a viable solution. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the environmental impact of the bioconversion of FVW into earthworm meal to be used as new food/feed source. This is carried out by adopting the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method with an attributional approach and solving the multifunctionality of the system with an economic allocation between earthworms and vermicompost. The results show that the main process hotspots are the emissions of methane, dinitrogen monoxide and ammonia taking place during vermicomposting, as well as FVW transport and electricity consumed during fresh earthworm processing. Respect to the one used as feed, the dried meal with food purpose shows a higher impact due to the higher economic value and to the higher electricity consumed during freeze drying compared to the oven-drying process for feed meal production. Enhancing productivity and reducing energy consumption are necessary to improve the sustainability of earthworm meal as food/feed source.
Doriana E.A. Tedesco; Cecilia Conti; Daniela Lovarelli; Elisa Biazzi; Jacopo Bacenetti. Bioconversion of fruit and vegetable waste into earthworms as a new protein source: The environmental impact of earthworm meal production. Science of The Total Environment 2019, 683, 690 -698.
AMA StyleDoriana E.A. Tedesco, Cecilia Conti, Daniela Lovarelli, Elisa Biazzi, Jacopo Bacenetti. Bioconversion of fruit and vegetable waste into earthworms as a new protein source: The environmental impact of earthworm meal production. Science of The Total Environment. 2019; 683 ():690-698.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDoriana E.A. Tedesco; Cecilia Conti; Daniela Lovarelli; Elisa Biazzi; Jacopo Bacenetti. 2019. "Bioconversion of fruit and vegetable waste into earthworms as a new protein source: The environmental impact of earthworm meal production." Science of The Total Environment 683, no. : 690-698.
Humankind currently consumes more resources than our planet is able to generate. In our web survey, we investigated insects and earthworms, as a possible future food source. We targeted the survey to university students, as the possible future consumers and trendsetters of new food. A total of 3556 university students (18–29 years old) completed it. The aims of this study were to evaluate participants’ food preferences and their willingness to taste foods containing terrestrial invertebrates. Data were processed using Cronbach’s alfa to assess the reliability of each constructs. The food preferences showed pizza-focaccia and pasta at the highest rankings, followed by fruit and vegetables. Males have a higher preference for any kind of animal protein source. Gender influenced food preference and willingness to eat food with insect or earthworm ingredients. The results indicated that students were prone to consider novel food into the Italian diet and to familiarize with them in the future. Insects/earthworms were more accepted in salty snacks. Highlighting the essential amino-acids daily requirements of a snack with earthworm meal did not improve the willingness to taste it. Information and awareness of future global food demand can play a fundamental role in accepting new food.
Cecilia Conti; Annamaria Costa; Claudia Maria Balzaretti; Vincenzo Russo; Doriana Eurosia Angela Tedesco. Survey on Food Preferences of University Students: from Tradition to New Food Customs? Agriculture 2018, 8, 155 .
AMA StyleCecilia Conti, Annamaria Costa, Claudia Maria Balzaretti, Vincenzo Russo, Doriana Eurosia Angela Tedesco. Survey on Food Preferences of University Students: from Tradition to New Food Customs? Agriculture. 2018; 8 (10):155.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCecilia Conti; Annamaria Costa; Claudia Maria Balzaretti; Vincenzo Russo; Doriana Eurosia Angela Tedesco. 2018. "Survey on Food Preferences of University Students: from Tradition to New Food Customs?" Agriculture 8, no. 10: 155.