Author(s): Stefano Biondi; Francesca Sambo; Marco Eulogi; Alessandro Rossi; Clara Zaninotto
Linked Author(s): Stefano Biondi
Keywords: Monitoring systems microplastics real-time control highways heavy metals
Abstract: The effects of climate change, the environmental disasters caused by increasingly demanding human activities that generate pollution, and the worsening scarcity of drinking water exacerbated by climate conditions, call for new actions to address these challenges. This necessitates the combine efforts of research and the engineering of new technologies to manage water issues, specifically stormwater runoff, which, in this context, can be transformed from a primary source of contamination into a valuable resource in the water system. This abstract demonstrates how the collaboration and interaction between stakeholders and regulatory authorities can lead to the development of new technologies that facilitate effective solutions to these problems, resulting in significant improvements in stormwater management and the removal of pollutants such as microplastics, heavy metals, and others, as well as in the remote monitoring of treatment facilities at highways. Two case studies concerning a remote and automated management of water treatment systems, coupled with advancements in monitoring sensor technology applied to sections of Italian highways, capable of estimating plant efficiency in treating stormwater runoff, are here discussed. Case studies clearly show the benefits of this integrative knowledge approach in stormwater management, based on continuous and real-time monitoring of public infrastructures, and how these technologies can establish a more extensive network for environmental monitoring.
Year: 2025