Measuring the effectiveness of an intervention for atmospheric pollution abatement: the case study of Taranto

Background and aimTaranto is one of the most industrialized cities in southern Italy. Environmentally impacting activities include: steel production, oil refining, cement production, harbour activities. The steel plant hosts an openair huge mineral storage piles whose dusts strongly impact the Tamburi neighborhood, downwind the plant with northwestely winds. Epidemiological studies have revealed adverse health effects related to air pollution both in this neighborhood and other areas of the city.In 2012 the Apulia Region promulgated a law aiming to reduce PM10 coming from the piles. The intervention indicated steel plant activity restrictions to be adopted during days with forecasted strong northwesterly winds, so called "wind-days" ( wds). Aim of this work is to evaluate the effectiveness of the "wds " intervention on air quality in the city of Taranto, in view of an epidemiological study. MethodsStatistical analysis of air quality data measured in the monitoring network before (2009-2012) and after (2013-2016) the intervention is carried out. The analysis is performed for different meteorological conditions, different wds characteristics (strong/low wind persistence), saharan dust intrusions, hour of the day. ResultsWe observe a reduction for PM10 difference between wds and no-wds before (8.9 ?g/m3) and after (1.6 ?g/m3) the intervention at the Tamburi site. The tendency is not uniform over the city and for other pollutants, and show a different behaviour with reference to strong/low wind persistence as well as the hour of the day in wds or no-wds.ConclusionsAlthough some aimed intervention effectiveness (to limit the wds dust emissions and their impact) is reached in some meteorological conditions and in some city areas, the overall emissions impact on the air quality of the city still calls for further detailed measures on other sources/substances likely at different meterological condition than wds.