Analysis of the Po River Environmental Compatibility

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to examine water quality of the Po River in a small stretch in Piedmont region (northern Italy). In this stretch a large pollution load, derived from Turin’s metropolitan area (about 2 million population equivalent) is mainly treated in the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) located in Castiglione Torinese, and discharged in the Po River. The study quantified and modelled (using the tool of the mass balance) this load (in particular for the two parameters Total Nitrogen and Total Phosphorous) in order to understand the sources, destinations and effects of the emitted pollutants. The objective was to define the environmental impact produced by the Castiglione Torinese Wastewater Treatment Plant on the water quality of the river, based on various hydrological conditions and the possible interventions on the point and diffuse loads. The obtained results show that the environmental status of the Po River is only minimally influenced by the Castiglione Torinese WWTP discharge and so an intervention on the diffuse load is necessary.