Ricerc@Sapienza

Drinking water is scarce in Djibouti because of the hot desert climate. Moreover, seawater intrusion or fossil saltwater contamination of the limited number of freshwater aquifers due to groundwater overexploitation affect those who live close to the coastline (~ 80% of the population). Despite this, the geothermal potential of the country's plentiful hot springs could resolve the increasing electricity demand. Strontium isotopes (87Sr/86Sr) are routinely used to determine sources and mixing relationships in geochemical studies.

Understanding natural variations of Rn (222Rn) concentrations is the fundamental
prerequisite of using this radioactive gas as a tracer, or even precursor, of natural processes, including
earthquakes. In this work, Rn concentrations in groundwater were continuously measured over
a seven-month period, during 2017, in the Giardino Spring, Italy, together with groundwater levels
in a nearby well installed into a fractured regional aquifer. Data were processed to reduce noise,

The structure, status, and processes of the groundwater system, which can only be acquired through scientific research efforts, are critical aspects of water resource management. Isotope hydrology and hydrogeology is a genuinely interdisciplinary science. It developed from the application of methods evolved in physics (analytical techniques) to problems of Earth and the environmental sciences since around the 1950s. In this regard, starting from hydrogeochemical data, stable and radioactive isotope data provide essential tools in support of water resource management.

Anomalies in Radon (222Rn) concentrations prior to earthquakes have been widely documented in seismogenic areas worldwide, but questions about their predictability remain largely unanswered. Even if it is not universally accepted, the analysis of the high-resolution time series of Rn (222Rn) concentrations in groundwater, air and soil has been proposed as a suitable method to identify seismic precursors.

Chemical and physical responses of groundwater to seismicity have been documented for thousands of years. Among the waves produced by earthquakes, Rayleigh waves can spread to great distances and produce hydrogeological perturbations in response to their passage. In this work, the groundwater level, which was continuously recorded in a monitoring well in Central Italy between July 2014 and December 2019, exhibited evident responses to dynamic crustal stress. In detail, 18 sharp variations of the groundwater level due to worldwide Mw ≥ 6.5 earthquakes were observed.

The aim of the present experimental study was to perform a technical-economic evaluation of a combined treatment system, consisting of coagulation-flocculation or rapid sand filtration as pre-treatment followed by column adsorption, for reducing the arsenic concentration from approximately 1 mg/L to below the limit set for groundwater remediation and drinking water, i.e., 0.01 mg/L, according to the legislation in force. A wide number of operating conditions were experimentally evaluated in the different tests.

Concentrations of trace elements in drinking water affect its safety and acceptability for use. Potentially toxic element (PTE) contaminations are considered extremely hazardous because of toxicity, persistence, and bioaccumulative behaviour. Many areas in the Southern African Development Community are data poor and have poor accessibility. The results of our previous research identified the presence of fossil waters in southern Limpopo National Park. Groundwater and river water are the only sources of drinking water for the villages in the study area.

Metaproteomic analysis of aquifer systems provides valuable information on the microbial populations, their influence on drinking water quality, and the effect on human health. In the present paper, an extraction and enrichment method by C18 extra-wide pore cartridge was developed, optimized, and applied for the first time to the metaproteomic characterization of dissolved organic matter in groundwater samples. In particular, three elution procedures were tested and compared on water spiked with a yeast protein extract to maximize the recovery of proteins from a complex matrix.

Legionellae are opportunistic bacteria that cause various conditions after exposure to contaminated aerosols, ranging from a serious type of pneumonia to a mild case of an influenza-like illness. Despite the risks of exposure, little is known about the occurrence of Legionella in natural environments and, even though studies have shown that there is a potential risk of transmission via inhalation, it does not have to be detected in groundwater that is used for irrigation.

In this paper, data on the second case in Europe of hypogean environment invasion by the crayfish Procambarus clarkii (Girard, 1852) (Crustacea Cambaridae) are reported. Sixteen specimens were collected and measured during spring and late summer 2017 and other numerous specimens were observed from the entrance until 500 meters inside the cave. The presence of at least two shelter tunnels dug on the clayey stream bank suggests a stable colonization of the cave. Many individuals collected were characterized by bluish chaele indicating sexual activity.