As part of the IMPACT project, ISPRA – Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale – evaluates the effects of port activities on the marine protected areas, by measuring the presence of organic and inorganic contaminants.
On Friday 8th November, ISPRA researchers took samples of surface sediment, on board of the Astrea ship. They worked near the Palmaria Island (close to La Spezia port), which is included in the marine protected area of Parco Naturale Regionale di Porto Venere.
They used a box corer to take samples of sediment, an oceanographic tool which reduces the loss of finer materials and seals sampled water.
It was also possible the sub-sampling of the surface layers of not perturbed sediment, and at the same time of deeper layers, able to supply information about past contamination.
Samples collected will enable evaluation in the laboratory on the concentration level of pollutants coming from port activities, such as polychlorinated biphenyl, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and heavy metals.
