Environmental Monitoring

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Environmental monitoring is a complex process of investigation that combines the observation and measurement, protracted over time, of certain chemical-physical and biological parameters that characterise the environment in order to detect changes in them. It is of particular importance in all projects undergoing EIA procedures, where the activity is always prescribed along with the transmission of data for verification by the Ministry of Ecological Transition and by Arpa.

The Environmental Monitoring division, composed of personnel highly qualified in the management of monitoring activities of individual environmental matrices, is able to provide adequate technical support for the resolution of critical issues that emerge during measurements at the construction site, the timely verification of any anomalies, and the management of communication with control bodies. It has high-precision technical instrumentation for the insource execution of acoustical, atmospheric and vibration measurements. Activities are mainly aimed at verifying the impacts produced directly and/or indirectly by construction sites, roads and railways, as well as assessing the effectiveness of containment works.

Italferr carries out field surveys aimed at characterising convoy emissions and the pre-existing acoustic climate as well as acoustic testing of mitigation works. It performs detailed simulations in the different scenarios following the realisation of the railway structure (before and after mitigation) according to the most accurate basic data available and carries out the design of mitigation interventions in all the design phases.

MEASURES IMPLEMENTED

Monitoring of construction site activities, transportation infrastructure and industrial facilities
Characterisation of sound sources, with special reference to transport infrastructure, systems and construction site equipment
Testing of noise barriers and more generally of all noise mitigation systems
Measurements in living and working environments, including "solid" noise measurements
Acoustic inspections of buildings and in-situ verification of their passive acoustic requirements.

Acoustic monitoring extends to the rail, road and industrial sectors, including assessments of impacts in both outdoor and confined environments. In the field of building acoustics, acoustic testing of buildings, in-situ verifications of passive acoustic requirements and of vibrations are carried out.

As regards vibrations produced by rail transit, Italferr adopts methodologies for the proper assessment of the disturbance to people in the living environment and for a prediction of structural damage on buildings. Vibration monitoring extends to the rail, road and industrial sectors, including assessments of impact on the outdoor as well as the indoor environment.

Measurement of the main parameters related to air pollution, particulate matter and gaseous pollutants using fixed or mobile control units and laboratories for the different sources of impact (in terms of diffuse, ducted and fugitive emissions), in relation to construction activities, to road transport infrastructure, to industrial systems and to work environments.

Analysis of surface water and groundwater (expeditious field parameters and analytical determinations) as well as marine water monitoring.

Control of agro-productive quality and fertility of soils as well as characterisation and landfill admissibility of wastes.

Monitoring social perception (desk research, social media monitoring, key stakeholder interviews, focus groups) and media (press, radio, television, social media and the web).

Monitoring of phytocoenosis mosaics, of populations of highly diagnostic wildlife species, and of vegetative vigour status of plant species that have been planted.

Measurement of Electro-Magnetic Fields - EMFs near power lines and electrical substations.