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The limited scientific knowledge on relationship between exposure and health effects in relation to geothermal activity motivated an epidemiologic investigation in Tuscan geothermal area. The study aims to describe the health status of populations living in Tuscany municipalities where concessions for exploitation of geothermal resources were granted.This is an ecological study, so it is not useful to produce evidence to sustain a judgment on the cause-effect link. The major limits of this type of study are the use of the residence at municipal level as a proxy of exposure to both environmental and socioeconomic factors and the use of aggregated data of health outcomes that can lead to the well-known ecological fallacy.Sixteen municipalities were included in the study area: eight are part of the so-called "traditional" geothermal area, defined as Northern Geothermal Area (NGA) and eight located in the Amiata Mountain defined as Southern Geothermal Area (SGA). In 2000-2006, the average resident population in the overall area was approximately 43,000 inhabitants. Thirty-one geothermal power plants were active, with a production capacity of 811 MW, 5 of them with 88 MW located in the SGA. Statistical analyses on the entire geothermal area, NGA and SGA subareas, and the sixteen municipalities were performed.Mortality data were obtained from Tuscany Regional Mortality Registry for the 1971-2006 period, analysing 60 causes of death, of interest for population health status or consistent with "Project SENTIERI" criteria. Hospital discharge records of residents in Tuscany Region in 2004-2006, anywhere admitted to hospital, were analyzed considering only the main diagnosis, excluding repeated admissions for the same cause. The causes taken into account are the same analysed for mortality were considered. Age-standardized mortality rates (TSDM) and the temporal trends of TSDM for four periods (1971-1979, 1980-1989, 1990-1999, 2000-2006) were computed. Age-standardized mortality/hospitalization ratios (SMR/SHR), with and without adjustment for the deprivation index based on 2001 census data, were calculated: mortality in the years 2000-2006 and hospitalization in 2004-2006. The expected number of events were computed using rates of residents in neighbouring municipalities (municipalities included in 50 km radius circle centred on the study area). Bayesian estimates of mortality/hospitalization ratios (BMR/BHR) at municipal level only and relating maps of the Bayesian risk estimators were elaborated. Congenital malformations (MC) were analysed using data from Tuscan Registry of Birth Defect in 1992-2006 period, relative to outcomes of pregnancies in women resident in the municipalities of study area, wherever the birth or termination of pregnancy occurred. The ratio between observed and expected cases (O/A), with expected defined according to regional rate, were calculated and O/A Bayesian estimates (BMR) are showed only at municipal level. The low weight and the males/females ratio at birth were analysed using data from Tuscany Birth Certificates, covering period 2001-2007, excluding births occurred in facilities outside Tuscany Region. For Low birth weight ( 64 years). Among females resident in SGA a mortality excess from digestive system diseases was observed (72 observed, 55 expected). The hospitalization in the overall Geothermal Area did not show any excess for all causes and all tumours in both genders. Statistically significant excesses for hospital admission from stomach cancer among males (49 observed, 38 expected) and females (42 observed, 28 expected), and from lymphohematopoietic tumours among females, particularly from lymphatic leukaemia (15 observed, 5 expected), were observed. As mortality analysis highlighted, also hospital admissions by geothermal areas and gender showed a worst picture in SGA than in NGA. In the latter, a significant excess of hospital admissions from all causes among females (1,357 observed, 1,284 expected) but not among males (1,193 observed, 1,141 expected) and an excess - close to statistical significance - from all tumours only among females (297 observed; 272 expected) were observed. Furthermore, statistically significant excesses of hospital admissions from digestive system diseases in both genders (M: 392 observed, 350 expected; F: 300 observed, 268 expected), from dementias (16 observed, 8 expected) and from lympho hematopoietic cancers among females, particularly from lymphatic leukaemia (9 observed, 2 expected), were observed. In the SGA, statistically significant excesses of hospital admissions for stomach cancer (M: 32 observed, 21 expected, not significant after adjusting by DI; F: 29 observed, 18 expected), for respiratory diseases (M: 408 observed, 351 expected; F: 339 observed, 277 expected) and for renal failure (M: 61 observed, 41 expected; F: 52 observed, 34 expected) were observed in both genders. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED)

The research moves from the current global and local context and from shared development strategies. From the observation and the analysis of contemporary environmental and energy issues and redefined directions of growth of human activity, it is addressing the question of environmental sustainability and energy conservation of building hospital systems. The work has developed a field survey relating the specific topic of energy saving and efficiency of the Park Hospital in the Italian Lombardy Region. This has been articulated in a diagnosis of technology and efficiency of regional hospitals, implemented through a census, and in a subsequent identification of interventional cases, in order to show its economic, environmental and health performance of the energy efficiency consumption and the environmentally sound.

The paper reports the results of the experimental activities carried out within a Nationa Research Project to evaluate the agronomic, envoronmental and energy sustainability of the biomass production by no-food crops irrigated with different kinds of treated wastewater. Four different research units monitored the same four main herbaceous species. physical and chemical analyses were carried out on wastewater samples. Bio-agronomical analysis on the species placed on fields were made with the goal to evaluate the main parameters sich as the productivity and the heating values. The analysis of the combustion efficiency, the amount of ash, and the environmental impact of the combustion residual was executed ina small boiler. The results highlight attractive biomass yield and an interesting crop energy capability by using treated wastewater for irrigation.

The seriousness of the environmental crisis and the current debate on ecological problems are at the basis of this survey, which intends to take a frontline position in this theoretical research in an attempt to reduce the epistemological and philosophical vacuum surrounding the foundations of the ecological idea and its possible evolutionary pathways. Compared to movimentist environmentalism that seeks concrete solutions and is often challenged by the urgency of all the issues massed together in the current circumstances, a more deeply pondered theoretical approach should fully develop a systemic-relational vision, both with respect to scientific investigations on the physical-biological origins of the tangle of life, and to ethical-political perspectives in order to design projects for the future. The purpose of this thesis is to analyse the ecological issue in the light of the recent developments of sciences that study the behaviour and evolution of complex systems and that place the investigation in the web of interconnections to which the dynamics of life and evolution can be ascribed. Having ascertained how the prevailing models in modern tradition are inadequate in addressing the environmental emergency, an ecological vision of complexity restores the essential character of interdependent unity to the ecological systems. This is a major contribution not only for superseding the purely utilitarian objectives that currently prevail in economics and politics, but also for basing human development on values of social justice and collective solidarity that could redirect the course of future history along more desirable pathways. Despite the implausibility of supporting any direct applicability of the models of natural sciences to the social, political and economic ambits, an in-depth analysis of the natural lifecycles could help us open up to the prospect of a more realistic positioning and integration of the human species in the cosmos. In this regard, the horizon of complexity - understood as gathering together, connecting, placing in relation - could reawaken a systemic awareness capable of generating more sustainable and liveable social-economic balances.

Introduction The momentum towards the green economy; strongly focused on innovation; highlights the urgent need to anticipate the new and emerging health and safety risks in green jobs with a view to ensuring adequate; safe and healthy working conditions. The present study has conducted a survey among relevant stakeholders; social partners; institutions and green companies to collect their perceptions of potential effects of green jobs on occupational health and safety; with particular regard to the renewable energy sector. Methods An online questionnaire posted on the "Research Activity" section of the INAIL website was used to conduct the survey. It involved a sample of 61 stakeholders including institutions (11); trade unions (11); employers associations (13); companies (11); research (15). Questionnaire results have been uploaded to a database in Microsoft Excel format and analysed using SPSS version 16.0 for Windows. Results Most of respondents claim that the green transition poses new risks that can be managed with current risk management procedures (38;2% of responses) or think that renewables entail the same types of risks as other forms of energy but new risk management procedures are required (27;3% of responses). As regards the occupational health and safety risks associated with the production of sustainable energy sources; this study shows that wind; photovoltaic and solar thermal energy (41;2%) entail low health and safety risks. Medium risks have been identified in geothermal (47;1%); hydro power (44;1%) and biomass (38;2%). Discussion This study provides an objective analysis of green experts' perception of emerging and poorly investigated issues concerning the potential implications of green technologies in the field of occupational health and safety. The poor perception of workers' health and safety protection brought to light by the survey is due to a delay of the Italian political; scientific and industrial world in the assessment of potential risks for workers' health and safety posed by the introduction of new green technologies.