Hydrocarbons and metals in waters and sediments of the Pertusillo lake, Italy

This paper discusses the results of preliminary analyses on the pollution of Lake Pertusillo (Basilicata, southern Italy), to promote awareness of this problem and to develop community activities that contribute to its solution. Lake Pertusillo is an artificial freshwater reservoir, located in an environmental protected area of the High Agri Valley (Basilicata, southern Italy), where a large inland oil field occurs. The lake, located in a national park but very near (2,5 km) to an oil refinery, provides waters intended for human consumption to Basilicata and Puglia regions. In the last three years the lake suffered serious pollution problems, with large fish kills (carps) and red algae infestation. After these episodes, local associations (EHPA and Radicali Lucani, with the collaboration of OIPA) analysed lake waters and sediments, finding them polluted by microbiological and chemical contaminants, compatible with oil industry and discharges of untreated agricultural and municipal sewage finding their way directly into the lake. Both waters and sediments showed fecal bacteria and significant amounts of hydrocarbons and metals as barium, aluminum, iron, manganese (and other metals), some of them exceeding the threshold values of Italian legislation (when present). Sediment analyses confirmed the anomalies of lake waters, with pollutant concentrations far superior to those of waters, so documenting lake conditions even more critical and unfavorable to the life of carps, fishes living mainly near the lake botto