Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
nutrients from agriculture are closely linked to hydrological processes as they are conveyed
during rainfall in the catchment and load significant amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus
supplied to the soil with fertilizers. Due to their patterns of adsorption and release from the
soil nitrogen is mainly present as N-NO
3
-
ion when reach the lagoon system, whereas P is
tied to the particle in suspension.
4.2.2 Industry
Besides its environmental and natural significance, the lagoon hosts some important socio-
economic activities. Two industrial sites are located in San Giorgio di Nogaro and
Torviscosa, whereas a commercial harbour sited in “Porto Nogaro” is connected to the
lagoon by mean of channel along the Ausa-Corno River. The industrial plants of the Aussa-
Corno (ZIAC) industrial includes 87 factories and about 2500 persons are actually
employed. Two separate districts are placed in the whole area. The largest area (498 ha)
extends in San Giorgio di Nogaro municipality along 6,5 km of the Aussa river up to
Marano and Grado lagoon. An area lies at the confluence between Aussa and Corno rivers; a
part is located near the Ausa river. A second area is in Torviscosa municipality and is
occupied by “Caffaro” industries (130 ha). There are 320 ha not yet occupied. The “Porto
Nogaro” serves the industrial area and moves about 1,500,000 tons/year. Categories,
employees and area of the factories in the ZIAC are reported in the following table (from:
http://www.dest.uniud.it/dest/eventi/watergeography/lagoon_of_marano_tesis.pdf).
Category
N° employees
Area (m
2
)
Mechanical engineering
176
93,297
Iron and steel (production)
41
164,269
Iron and steel
(manufacturing)
554
890,238
Chemical (production)
508
1,255,359
Chemical (articles)
555
674,056
Textile
66
45,340
Food
141
148,457
Naval/nautical
116
336,821
Wood
20
17,240
Stone processing
41
32,570
Total
2218
3,657,647
Table 1. Categories, employees and area of the factories in the ZIAC
The Torviscosa site still represents the main source of pollutants in the area. The consequent
contamination regards both soils (manly the upper meter) and groundwater (Menchini et
al., 2009). The main concern is mercury (Hg), due to the chlor-alkali plant that became
operative in 1949 and that actually is not-operative. Moreover, the occurrence of other
contaminants cannot be neglected. The presence of heavy metals (Cd, Zn, As, Pb, Cu),
polychlorinated dibenzodioxins (PCDDs) and furans (PCDFs), hydrocarbons, polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), is closely related to the location of the different chemical
productions that took place in the industrial site. San Giorgio di Nogaro shows a less critical
situation with soil contamination related to waste disposal and industrial processes, mainly
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