title: Effectiveness of a physical barrier for contaminant control in an unconfined coastal plain aquifer: the case study of the former industrial site of Bagnoli (Naples, southern Italy).
abstract: A vertical engineered barrier (VEB) coupled with a water treatment plant was surveyed in the framework of a vast remedial action at the brownfield site of the former ILVA of Bagnoli steel making facility located in western Naples, Italy. The VEB was put in place to minimize contaminant migration from the brownfield site toward the sea at the shorelines sites of Bagnoli and Coroglio. The efficiency of the VEB was monitored through 12 piezometers, 8 at the Bagnoli shoreline and 4 at the Coroglio shoreline. Concentrations of inorganic and organic pollutants were examined in upstream and downstream groundwater relative to the VEB. The mean levels of Al, As, Fe, and Mn largely exceeded the legal limits, 10-15-fold, whereas that of Hg was up to 3-fold the rules. The VEB decreased the outlet concentrations only at certain specific location of the barrier, four times for Al, 6-fold for Hg, and by 20% for Mn with means largely exceeding the rules. At the other sites, the downstream water showed marked increases of the pollutants up to 3-fold. Outstanding levels of the hydrocarbons > 12 were detected in the inlet water with means of some hundred times the limits at both sites. Likewise most of screened inorganic pollutants, the downstream water showed marked increases of the hydrocarbons up to ~113%. The treatment plant was very effective, with removal efficiencies >80% for As, Al, Fe, and Mn. The study evidenced the need to put alternative groundwater remedial actions.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, dell'Ambiente e delle Risorse, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Via Mezzocannone 8, 80134, Naples, Italy. michele.arienzo@unina.it.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arienzo
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, dell'Ambiente e delle Risorse, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Via Mezzocannone 8, 80134, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Allocca
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, dell'Ambiente e delle Risorse, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Via Mezzocannone 8, 80134, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Ferdinando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Manna
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Complesso Universitario Montesantangelo, via Cintia, 80126, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Trifuoggi
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Complesso Universitario Montesantangelo, via Cintia, 80126, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ferrara
mesh_terms: D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005374:Filtration; D005843:Geography; D060587:Groundwater; D007558:Italy; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000032:analysis; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis; D011786:Quality Control; D014872:Water Movements; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls
keywords: Bagnoli steel plant; Coastal plain aquifer; Groundwater remediation; Heavy metals; PAHs; PCBs; Physical barrier; Pollution