The European Interreg Italy-France 2014-2020 Maritime Project SPlasH! (Stop to Plastics in H 2 O!) focused on the study of microplastics (MPs) in the marine port environment to evaluate their presence, abundance, and mechanisms of diffusion to the open sea. In the framework of this project, a worldwide review of 74 studies was carried out, providing an overview of MP investigation techniques, focusing on sampling strategies, laboratory methodologies, and identification of MPs collected in seawater, and specifically evaluating their applicability to the marine port environment. Nets were the most commonly used device for MP surface sampling, but their use can be difficult in narrow spaces within the port basins, and they must be coupled to discrete sampling devices to cover all port basins. In the laboratory, density separation (NaCl, ZnCl 2 , NaI, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS)), filtration (polycarbonate, polyamide, glass, cellulose, ANOPORE inorganic membrane filters), sieving, visual sorting, and digestion methods (acidic, enzymatic, alkaline, oxidative) were used to separate MPs from seawater. Digestion becomes essential with water samples with great inorganic and organic loads as deriving from a port. Although many studies are based only on visual MP identification under a microscope, analytical identification techniques unequivocally determine the particle nature and the identity of the plastic polymers and are necessary to validate the visual sorting of MPs. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) is the most used analytical identification technique.

No abstract

No abstract

In this study we have examined the currents and hydrological characteristics of the water column off the mouth of the Gromolo Torrent (north-western Italy) in relation to the grain-size, mineralogical characteristics and metal distribution in the marine sediment sampled. Our purpose was to quantify and map the contamination that was carried out to sea from the abandoned Libiola Fe-Cu sulphide mine that has heavily impacted the torrent. Our results show high concentrations of Cu and Zn, and relatively high concentrations of Cd and Ni inside the bay into which the Gromolo Torrent flows. However, high concentrations of As, Cr, Hg, Mn, Pb, and V found in the northern and/or eastern parts of the study area originated from other sources. The subdivision of study stations in terms of metal and mineral contents in the bottom sediments highlighted the clear influence of the currents on their dispersion and distribution in the area.

In the context of the environmental monitoring of the Concordia wreck removal\ud project, measurements of currents, winds and sea level height were made along the eastern coast\ud of the Giglio Island, Tyrrhenian Sea (Italy), during 2012—2013. The aim of the study was to\ud investigate the effect of atmospheric forcing and periodic sea-level changes on the coastal\ud currents. Normalised Cross-Correlation Function analysis allowed us to correlate these observations.\ud A marked inter-seasonal variability was found in both current and local wind velocity\ud observations but a significant level of correlation between the data was only found during strong\ud wind events. Current and wind directions appeared to be uncorrelated and current measurements\ud showed a predominant NW—SE direction, presumably linked to the shape and orientation of Giglio\ud Island itself. During strong winds from the SSE, current\ud flow was towards the NNW but it suddenly\ud switched from the NNW to the SE at the end of wind events. The results show that, at Giglio Island,\ud currents are principally dominated by the general cyclonic Tyrrhenian circulation, and, secondly,\ud by strong wind events. The sea level had no effects on the current regime

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract