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, and landslide) above the bedrock (essentially serpentinite referred to the Zermatt–Saas Zone, Penninic Domain). Water emerges at the contact between the landslide bodies and impermeable or semi-permeable glaciolacustrine deposits. The aim of this study is to define the processes and recharge zones of this spring. The analysis of the data revealed the presence of two contributions to the Perrot Spring input: a spring thaw contribution defined by a small increase in flow and an autumn contribution from rainwater infiltration. The low average temperature and low variation of the annual temperature (4.8–6.5 °C) suggest a sufficiently deep flow circuit. Chemical analyses showed a groundwater chemistry consistent with the regional geology: the hydrochemical facies is calcium–magnesium bicarbonate and isotopic analyses (δ²H and δ¹⁸O) of rainfall and spring water suggested a recharge altitude of about 2100 m a.s.l. In conclusion, this study makes it possible to recognize the water inputs to the spring discharge and to delineate its recharge area, which can be proposed to implement strategies to protect the resource.

Alpine areas shaped in a normally fissured bedrock do not typically contain important groundwater aquifers. In contrast, a wide Quaternary cover in mountainous areas, especially of landslide deposits, can make large aquifers promising for water withdrawals. A geological study of the central sector of the Chalamy Valley, a right tributary of the main Dora Baltea River (Aosta Valley) in which the Perrot Spring is located, was carried out, with the aim of providing a preliminary assessment of hydrogeological significance. The main interest of this investigation is, in addition to the high discharge of the Perrot Spring, its location within Mont Avic Natural Park, which is a very busy area with walkers, cyclists, visitors, and scholars. The geological survey shows a thick body of sandy silty glaciolacustrine sediments, consequent to the barrage of the Chalamy Valley from the glacier hosted in the main Aosta Valley. These sediments, outcropping in the north-facing slope of the Chalamy Valley, are involved in significant gullies and covered by a thick landslide accumulation located in the northern slope of the Bec de Nona, formed by very heterometric sediments. A wide detachment scarp is shaped in serpentinite characterized by evident fracture systems. The preliminary hydrogeological significance for the Perrot Spring, located at the boundary between glaciolacustrine and landslide sediments, was proposed. In detail, the thick landslide cover, characterized by high permeability, represents an important aquifer with a relatively fast groundwater flow to the spring. The underlying glaciolacustrine sediments of the low band of the slope, typically with very low permeability, favor the concentration of groundwater near the boundary with landslide sediments and the spring supply.

Soil contamination from oil spills in the canton of Francisco de Orellana in Ecuador is the biggest contamination problem in the region. It affects the quality of resources and poses health risks to the surrounding communities. To find an economical and efficient alternative for the remediation of soils contaminated with total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs), the application of oil palm bagasse was proposed. This is a locally available industrial waste. The methodology of the study was based on the application of six treatments (G-A, G-B, O-A, O-B, M-A, M-B) belonging to the bagasse of Elaeis guineensis and Elaeis oleifera, in two percentages of concentration, 98:2 and 96:4, during a period of 20 days. To determine the efficacy of the treatments, the bagasse of the two palms was characterized. In addition, the initial physicochemical characterization of the soil and the final characterization after the treatments were carried out. Soil characterization included analyses of macronutrients, micronutrients, metals, pH, EC and TPH. The results of the initial characterization revealed that the concentrations of electrical conductivity and TPH were more than 70 and 50 times the values established in the 97-A ministerial agreement, respectively. However, after the final characterization, the effectiveness of the treatments in reducing metal concentrations was observed. Likewise, conductivity levels were reduced by more than 10 times. As for TPH, the G-B treatment stood out by achieving a 56% removal of this pollutant.

The precipitation constitutes one of the main sources of the groundwater resources. The chemical composition of precipitation is influenced both by natural and anthropic sources. For this reason, it is essential to monitor rainfall potentially able to influence groundwater quality. The Po Plain sector (NW Italy) is one of the most urbanized, industrialized and air polluted area in Europe but few studies have been conducted in this area, particularly in the Piedmont Region.The main purpose of this study was: I) to provide a preliminary assessment of quality and isotopic composition of rainwater in the western Po Plain, II) to show the spatial and temporal differences of rain chemical composition between the monitoring points, and III) to define the influence of rain to groundwater chemistry.A long-term trends on the groundwater concentration of NO3– and SO42– in the shallow aquifer on 227 monitoring points of the Regional Monitoring network database were conducted (2000-2020 period).In the last decades, in Europe a large effort was carried out to reduce sulphur and nitrogen emission in the atmosphere. This resulted in a sharp decrease in the deposition of SO42– and nitrogen compounds.The rain analysis of long-term trends in near regions, revealed a large proportion of significant decreasing trends in the concentration of both sulphate and nitrogen compounds.Actually also the analysis of groundwater long-term trends revealed a significant decreasing trends in the concentration of NO3– and SO42– in the shallow aquifer.A sampling campaigns was carried out during one year (September 2021 – September 2022) in 4 monitoring points located in the western Po Plain. Rainfall collection occurred every 2 months, for a total of 20 samples. Physical-chemical analyzes of the main ions and isotopic analyzes (δ18O, δ2H) were conducted for all samples.The period September 2021 – September 2022 was characterized by a rainfall deficit in the winter period in the NW Italy, recording a 62% reduction in rainfall (compared to the climatic average of the thirty year period 1981-2010).The processing of rainfall chemical data has shown different concentrations between the monitoring points and a temporal variability. High NO3– and SO42– concentrations were observed.Rainfalls sampled after the winter dry period (March-April samples) show higher ions concentrations (NO3– 13 mg/L, SO42– 4 mg/L) respect to other periods. Differences in rainfall samples depend on the location of the monitoring point (urban or rural areas).Isotopic data has shown different spatial and temporal isotopic signals, linked to the location and elevation of the monitoring points. In the δ18O/δ2H diagram all isotopic signals are not placed on the Local Meteoric World Line, potentially linked to climate change.The isotopic signals are within the ranges of previous studies (δ18O: -12,6/-6,2; δ2H: -82,15/-35,1 ‰ (min/max)).In conclusion, the rain ions concentrations are influenced by anthropic pollution, they are affected by dry periods and they appears to influence the concentration in groundwater.

La técnica de espectroscopía Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) es una técnica experimental para detectar y caracterizar sistemas químicos que poseen electrones impares. En presencia de un campo magnético externo, el momento magnético en diferentes centros tienden a alinearse con el campo y además con cada uno de ellos, así como en ausencia del campo los electrones impares son alineados aleatoriamente. La resonancia magnética del electrón ocurre cuando una onda electromagnética en la región del microondas interactúa con la muestra inmersa en un campo magnético, a este efecto se le llama efecto Zeeman en mecánica cuántica, que es un movimiento energético split entre dos estados permitidos. Es importante hacer un estudio de ESR para comprobar y hacer comparaciones de lo que nos dice la teoría en cuanto a características de componentes biológicos como en este caso de una molécula lipídica, Este estudio se realizará preparando una solución y una molécula lipídica y luego serán estudiadas en el espectrómetro ESR por separado y juntas a diferentes temperaturas. Además, para la verificación de los datos teóricos y experimentales se utilizará un parámetro de partición mediante la medición de intensidad del espectro y utilizando ecuaciones, a varias temperaturas. El análisis de los datos obtenidos indica que existe un cambio de conformación de la molécula lipídica al incrementar la temperatura y se observa la fase de pretransición y la transición principal.

La importancia del siguiente trabajo radica en implementar un tratamiento de remoción de H2S con un bajo impacto ambiental. El objetivo fue el de evaluar microorganismos eficientes para la remoción de ácido sulfhídrico sobre lodos activados de las aguas residuales industriales. Se construyó un biofiltro con microorganismos eficientes, lodo activado y material filtrante. Se inocularon durante tres semanas en lodos 21 litros de microorganismos eficientes activado, controlando parámetros como pH, temperatura, humedad, oxígeno y luz solar, garantizando las condiciones aptas de desarrollo de bacterias fotosintéticas, ácido lácticas y levaduras. El muestreo del agua residual se realizó en la caja de revisión más cercana al punto de descarga al alcantarillado de La Ibérica, y para su análisis a la salida del biofiltro, tomando una muestra con tres repeticiones cada semana, durante 21 días, para conocer la concentración inicial, intermedia y final de H2S y el porcentaje de remoción alcanzado en el tratamiento. Los resultados de la investigación dictaminaron que los microorganismos eficientes aumentaron la carga microbiana de los microorganismos endógenos en el lodo, consiguiendo un mejor crecimiento de la biopelícula y logrando la reducción de la concentración de H2S de 3,68 mg/L a 0,45 mg/L, alcanzando un porcentaje de remoción del 70,35%. El presente trabajo analiza que a mayores tiempos de retención se da una mejor actuación de microorganismos eficientes en el tratamiento. La utilización de microorganismos eficientes en la remoción de H2 S, resulta rentable por sus tiempos cortos de actuación y bajos costos de aplicación.