title: Integrated environmental quality monitoring around an underground methane storage station.
abstract: The study reports an integrated environmental quality monitoring of a 100 km2 area in central Italy mostly occupied by an underground station of methane storage, working since 1982. The nitrogen oxides, ozone and isoprene concentration detached with a network monitoring of passive filters were compared with the results of lichens biomonitoring. Data from the two monitorings were in accordance: there was an inversely correlation between lichen biodiversity index (IBL) and NOx (-0.96) and ozone (-0.80), and a positive correlation between IBL and isoprene (0.67). IBL indicated that the area ranged between medium naturalness and medium alteration status, values fully compatible with the medium-high level of eutrophication, caused by intensive agriculture. Only two areas were in high alteration status, due to their proximity to glass factories and to a quarries area. Despite almost thirty years of activity, the environment quality of the area around the station did not show signs of declining.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Science, University of Bologna, Italy. Electronic address: linda.pieri2@unibo.it.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pieri
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Science, University of Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vignudelli
authors.affiliation: University of Camerino - Aquila, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bartolucci
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Science, University of Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Fiorenzo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Salvatorelli
authors.affiliation: PROGER S.p.A., Italy.
authors.forename: Cesare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Di Michele
authors.affiliation: Agronomist, Pescara, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tavano
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Science, University of Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Science, University of Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dinelli
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D058448:Biota / Q000187:drug effects*; D002070:Butadienes / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D045782:Hemiterpenes / Q000032:analysis; D007558:Italy; D008011:Lichens / Q000378:metabolism*; D008697:Methane / Q000032:analysis*; D009589:Nitrogen Oxides / Q000032:analysis; D010126:Ozone / Q000032:analysis; D010420:Pentanes / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D002070:Butadienes; D045782:Hemiterpenes; D009589:Nitrogen Oxides; D010420:Pentanes; C005059:isoprene; D010126:Ozone; D008697:Methane
keywords: Air quality; Biomonitoring; Italy; Lichens; Natural gas