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This research gives an overview of the status of water resources in the western Aosta Valley (Italy). Surface water, groundwater and precipitation were sampled during five sampling campaigns, and chemical analyses were performed and interpreted. Stable isotopes (δ18O and δ2H) were evaluated. This study highlights the relationships between water quality and quantity and local conditions (i.e., aquifer lithology, mixing into the aquifer, proximity to towns, contribution of snowmelt and ice melt to groundwater recharge, amount of rain, and season and altitude of the sampling location). A relationship between dust dispersed in the atmosphere as aerosols from the nearby Piedmont Region and the precipitation chemistry was identified, highlighting the presence of interregional conditions. Furthermore, isotopic analyses allowed the identification of aquifer feeding by both rainwater and glacial meltwater. Additionally, two origins for rainfall were identified: the Mediterranean Sea in winter and the Atlantic Ocean in summer. Finally, a local meteoric water line was calibrated for the study area. This research highlights the importance of implementing both traditional and isotopic techniques for water analysis to achieve optimal and sustainable management of water resources.
Barbara Grappein; Manuela Lasagna; Pietro Capodaglio; Chiara Caselle; Domenico Luca. Hydrochemical and Isotopic Applications in the Western Aosta Valley (Italy) for Sustainable Groundwater Management. Sustainability 2021, 13, 487 .
AMA StyleBarbara Grappein, Manuela Lasagna, Pietro Capodaglio, Chiara Caselle, Domenico Luca. Hydrochemical and Isotopic Applications in the Western Aosta Valley (Italy) for Sustainable Groundwater Management. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (2):487.
Chicago/Turabian StyleBarbara Grappein; Manuela Lasagna; Pietro Capodaglio; Chiara Caselle; Domenico Luca. 2021. "Hydrochemical and Isotopic Applications in the Western Aosta Valley (Italy) for Sustainable Groundwater Management." Sustainability 13, no. 2: 487.
Although its use is declining, oil heating is still used in areas not covered by the methane grid. Oil heating is becoming more and more expensive, requires frequent tank refill operations, and has high emissions of greenhouse gas (GHG) and air pollutants such as SOx. In addition, spills from oil underground storage tanks (USTs) represent a serious environmental threat to soil and groundwater quality. In this paper, we present a comprehensive analysis on technical alternatives to oil heating with reference to the Aosta Valley (NW Italy), where this fuel is still often used and numerous UST spills have been reported in the last 20 years. We assess operational issues, GHG and pollutant emissions, and unit costs of the heat produced for several techniques: LPG boilers, wood boilers (logs, chips, pellets) and heat pumps (air-source, geothermal closed-loop and open-loop systems). We examine the investment to implement such solutions in two typical cases, a detached house and a block of flats, deriving payback times of about 3–8 years. Wood log boilers turn out to be the most economically convenient solutions; however, heat pumps provide several benefits from the operational and environmental points of view. In addition, including solar thermal panels for domestic hot water or a photovoltaic plant would have payback times of about 6–9 years. The results highlight the economic feasibility and the multiple benefits of a rapid phase-out of oil heating in Italy.
Alessandro Casasso; Pietro Capodaglio; Fulvio Simonetto; Rajandrea Sethi. Environmental and Economic Benefits from the Phase-out of Residential Oil Heating: A Study from the Aosta Valley Region (Italy). Sustainability 2019, 11, 3633 .
AMA StyleAlessandro Casasso, Pietro Capodaglio, Fulvio Simonetto, Rajandrea Sethi. Environmental and Economic Benefits from the Phase-out of Residential Oil Heating: A Study from the Aosta Valley Region (Italy). Sustainability. 2019; 11 (13):3633.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAlessandro Casasso; Pietro Capodaglio; Fulvio Simonetto; Rajandrea Sethi. 2019. "Environmental and Economic Benefits from the Phase-out of Residential Oil Heating: A Study from the Aosta Valley Region (Italy)." Sustainability 11, no. 13: 3633.
Although fresh water availability in the Aosta Valley (north-western Italian Alps) is generally granted by glaciers and snow seasonal melting at high altitudes, hydrogeological conditions are not favorable everywhere. Most part of the territory is typically mountainous, with prevailing metamorphic rocks and, secondarily, glacial deposits. Relevant ground water bodies can be found only in the main bottom valley, where glacial excavation, fluvio-glacial and lacustrine sedimentation had maximum intensity, allowing the deposition of important thickness of porous materials. Nevertheless, the geological knowledge of the subsurface is here still poor. These groundwater bodies are monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency of the Aosta Valley Region (ARPA Valle d’Aosta), according to the Italian law (D.Lgs.30/09). This study deals with geophysical investigations in the Verrès plain aquifer (southern Aosta Valley). The main goal of the study has been the first evaluation of groundwater research in potential deep aquifers. Different geophysical methodologies were applied (ERT, TDEM, HVSR, and Re.Mi.), in order to identify the deep aquifer geometry and the rock basement depth.
Pietro Capodaglio; Mario Naldi; Fulvio Simonetto. Hydrogeological characterization throughout deep geophysical investigations in the Verrès plain (Aosta Valley, north-western Italian Alps). Acque Sotterranee - Italian Journal of Groundwater 2017, 6, 1 .
AMA StylePietro Capodaglio, Mario Naldi, Fulvio Simonetto. Hydrogeological characterization throughout deep geophysical investigations in the Verrès plain (Aosta Valley, north-western Italian Alps). Acque Sotterranee - Italian Journal of Groundwater. 2017; 6 (1):1.
Chicago/Turabian StylePietro Capodaglio; Mario Naldi; Fulvio Simonetto. 2017. "Hydrogeological characterization throughout deep geophysical investigations in the Verrès plain (Aosta Valley, north-western Italian Alps)." Acque Sotterranee - Italian Journal of Groundwater 6, no. 1: 1.
Marco Rotiroti; Letizia Fumagalli; Maria C. Frigerio; Gennaro A. Stefania; Fulvio Simonetto; Pietro Capodaglio; Tullia Bonomi. Natural background levels and threshold values of selected species in the alluvial aquifers in the Aosta Valley Region (N Italy). Rendiconti Online della Società Geologica Italiana 2015, 35, 256 -259.
AMA StyleMarco Rotiroti, Letizia Fumagalli, Maria C. Frigerio, Gennaro A. Stefania, Fulvio Simonetto, Pietro Capodaglio, Tullia Bonomi. Natural background levels and threshold values of selected species in the alluvial aquifers in the Aosta Valley Region (N Italy). Rendiconti Online della Società Geologica Italiana. 2015; 35 ():256-259.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMarco Rotiroti; Letizia Fumagalli; Maria C. Frigerio; Gennaro A. Stefania; Fulvio Simonetto; Pietro Capodaglio; Tullia Bonomi. 2015. "Natural background levels and threshold values of selected species in the alluvial aquifers in the Aosta Valley Region (N Italy)." Rendiconti Online della Società Geologica Italiana 35, no. : 256-259.
Tullia Bonomi; Letizia Fumagalli; Gennaro A. Stefania; Marco Rotiroti; Federica Pellicioli; Fulvio Simonetto; Pietro Capodaglio. Groundwater contamination by Cr(VI) in the Aosta Plain (northern Italy): characterization and preliminary modeling. Rendiconti Online della Società Geologica Italiana 2015, 35, 21 -24.
AMA StyleTullia Bonomi, Letizia Fumagalli, Gennaro A. Stefania, Marco Rotiroti, Federica Pellicioli, Fulvio Simonetto, Pietro Capodaglio. Groundwater contamination by Cr(VI) in the Aosta Plain (northern Italy): characterization and preliminary modeling. Rendiconti Online della Società Geologica Italiana. 2015; 35 ():21-24.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTullia Bonomi; Letizia Fumagalli; Gennaro A. Stefania; Marco Rotiroti; Federica Pellicioli; Fulvio Simonetto; Pietro Capodaglio. 2015. "Groundwater contamination by Cr(VI) in the Aosta Plain (northern Italy): characterization and preliminary modeling." Rendiconti Online della Società Geologica Italiana 35, no. : 21-24.
The study is developed through scientific cooperation between the University of Milano-Bicocca and the Regional Agency for Environmental Protection (ARPA) of the Valle d’Aosta Region. Its aim is to produce a decision-support tool to help the Public Administration’manage groundwater and public water supply. The study area is the plain of Aosta, between the cities of Aymavilles and Brissogne; in this area groundwater represents the main source of public water supply. The valley is oriented east-west, along the Baltea for a length of 13.1 km and a width of 4.6 km. The textural and hydrogeological properties of the deposits are strictly connected to glacial deposition and to the subsequent sedimentary processes which took place in glacial, lacustrine and fluvial systems. The study is based on available well information in the Aosta plain - including water wells (133) and piezometers (121) - which have been coded and stored in the well database TANGRAM,. The database facilitates interpretation of the well data, and it allows three-dimensional mapping of subsurface hydrogeological characteristics through database codification and ordinary kriging interpolation. The study is designed to achieve two objectives. The first is to provide the Aosta Public Authorities with a well database in order to simplify groundwater management. The second is to provide Public Authorities with a groundwater flow model of the local aquifer. The model integrates surface and subsurface flows in order to fully account for all important stresses, both natural and anthropogenic, on the groundwater system. It provides a tool for testing hypotheses (such as the impact of new wells) and thereby allows science-based management of the aquifer resource.
Tullia Bonomi; Letizia Fumagalli; Valeria Benastini; Marco Rotiroti; Pietro Capodaglio; Fulvio Simonetto. Preliminary groundwater modelling by considering the interaction with superficial water: Aosta plain case (northern Italy). Acque Sotterranee - Italian Journal of Groundwater 2013, 2, 1 .
AMA StyleTullia Bonomi, Letizia Fumagalli, Valeria Benastini, Marco Rotiroti, Pietro Capodaglio, Fulvio Simonetto. Preliminary groundwater modelling by considering the interaction with superficial water: Aosta plain case (northern Italy). Acque Sotterranee - Italian Journal of Groundwater. 2013; 2 (1):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTullia Bonomi; Letizia Fumagalli; Valeria Benastini; Marco Rotiroti; Pietro Capodaglio; Fulvio Simonetto. 2013. "Preliminary groundwater modelling by considering the interaction with superficial water: Aosta plain case (northern Italy)." Acque Sotterranee - Italian Journal of Groundwater 2, no. 1: 1.