CNR ExploRA

Abstract in atti di convegno, 2019, ENG

EVALUATION OF AN INTERVENTION TO REDUCE ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION: THE CASE TARANTO

C. Mangia, A. Russo, M.Cervino, EAL Gianicolo

CNR

The present study focuses on the city of Taranto (Apulia Region, Italy). Taranto ( Figure 1) is one of the most industrialized areas in southern Italydue to the massive presence of industrial sites with environmentally impacting activities that include: steel production (one of the largest plants in Europe), oil refining, cement production, harbour activities. The steel plant covers a surface of 15 million square meters and hosts a large open air mineral deposit, whose dust strongly impact the Tamburi neighborhood, downwind of the plant with respect to northwesterly winds. Several epidemiological studies conducted in this neighborhood and other areas of the town have revealed several critical situations in terms of mortality excess and short-term health effects of outdoor air pollution both for men and for women. (Gianicolo et al 2016) In 2012 the Apulia Region enacted a law indicating some activity restrictions for the steel plant to be implemented during during particular meteorological situations characterised by northwesterly winds, called "wind-days" (wds). The aim of the wds intervention is to reduce the dispersion of PM from the mineral deposit. Aim of the work is to evaluate the overall effectiveness of the "wind days" intervention on air quality in the city of Taranto in view of an evaluation of the health of the intervention. Time-space statistical analysis of air quality data measured in the fixed monitoring network before and after the intervention in the so-called "wind days" is carried out. The analysis is performed for different meteorological conditions and different wind days characterizations. The results show that the effectiveness of the intervention depends on the different characteristics of the so-called "Wind days" concerns only some pollutants and some areas of the city (Figure 2) Conclusions Although the measures taken to limit the negative impacts of dust emissions during "windy days" are effective in some meteorological conditions and in some areas of the city, the results evidence the partiality of the intervention in the overall reduction of the impact of emissions on the air quality of the city. This calls for a more comprehensive on which it is necessary to intervene. Figure 1 Area of Study Figure 2 PM10 , NO2 SO2 ratios wds/nowds before and after the wind days intervention. Gianicolo, E. A., Mangia, C., & Cervino, M. (2016). Investigating mortality heterogeneity among neighbourhoods of a highly industrialised Italian city: a meta-regression approach. Int J Public Health, 61(7), 777-785. doi:10.1007/s00038-016-0868-y. Rich, D. Q. (2017). Accountability studies of air pollution and health effects: lessons learned and recommendations for future natural experiment opportunities. Environ Int, 100, 62-78. doi:10.1016/j.envint.2016.12.019

7th edition of the Iberian Meeting on Aerosol Science and Technology, RICTA 2019, LISBONA, 9-11 LUGLIO 2019