Environmental problems related to old mining and new industrial settlement

The paper concerns the environmental pollution of the Boi-Cerbus basin (quite a lagoon), situated in the East Coast of Sardinia, near the industrial settlement of Portovesme, close to old mines and metallurgical plants. As a consequence of industrial and mine tailings contribution (from recent and old plants) from surrounding regions, a pollution of heavy metals has been revealed. Chemical analysis of samples collected in the Boi-Cerbus basin evidence in particular lead, zinc, and cadmium contamination of the sediments. Furthermore, high level of contamination has been detected in the submarine vegetation (micro-algae) implanted around the roots of the lagoon vegetation (reed). The contamination area has been outlined and a strategy for decontaminating the sediments has been designed