# DPSIR Model Applied to the Remediation of Contaminated Sites. A Case Study: Mar Piccolo of Taranto
## 9 Discussion  
The Mar Piccolo ecosystem is undoubtedly unique on the world scene, as derived from the extensive literature previously described. It is a paradigmatic example of how economic activities affect the environment over time. The available information described above represents the starting point for planning suitable remediation actions. The first level of discussion concerns the comparison of the results of our study with those of similar cases reported in the literature. By reviewing other case studies affected by severe contamination, as shown in Table 8, the critical situation of the Mar Piccolo of Taranto is evident. Pb, As and Hg, together with the organic pollutants, appear with a severe concentration, especially in sediments. The comparison of our DPSIR approach with those present in the literature, as shown in Table 9, shows a level of response based on a qualitative pre-treatment survey. Only the Sarno River case is similar. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c} \hline \hline
**Site and Reference** & **Environmental** & **Total PAHs** & **Total PCBs** & **Metals** \\  & **Mattices** & & & \\ \hline Mecocain Lake & water & 0.3–2.8 ug/L & - & - \\ Estuarine, Mexico [100] & sediments & 0.1–36 mg/kg & 0.1–59 ug/kg & Cu (0.1 mg/kg), Zn (12 mg/kg) \\ Venice lagoon, Italy & water & 19.6–178.9 ng/L & 1.2–10.5 ng/L & As (–1121 mg/kg), Cd (0.01–3 mg/kg), Co (1–30 mg/kg), Cr (7–1798 mg/kg), \\ Naples harbor, Italy & sediments & 9–31,774 ng/g & 1–899 ng/g & Cu (12–5743 mg/kg), Pb (19–3083 mg/kg), Ni (4–362 mg/kg), Hg \\  & & & (0.01–139 mg/kg), V (37–211 mg/kg) and Zn (17–7234 mg/kg). \\ Gaúnica Bay, Puerto Rico [103] & sediments & 9.637–4663.143 ng/g & 0.11–3059.9 ng/g & As (1.28–1280 mg/kg), Cd (0.01–11 mg/kg), Cd (348–100 mg/kg), Cu (0.01–10 mg/kg), Hg (0.09–102 mg/kg), Hg (0.19 mg/kg), Ni (488–790 mg/kg), Pb (0.02–31.90 mg/kg) and Zn (2.21–153 mg/kg). \\ Lake Chabuh, China & sediments & - & 672 \(\pm\) 1293 pg/g & Cd (0.966 \(\pm\) 0.481 mg/kg), Cd (0.30 mg/kg), Hg (0.570 \(\pm\) 0.510 mg/kg), \\  & [104] & sediments & - & 672 \(\pm\) 1293 pg/g & Cd (0.966 \(\pm\) 0.481 mg/kg), Cd (0.30 mg/kg), Hg (0.570 \(\pm\) 0.510 mg/kg), \\ Our study & [31] & water & \(>\)0.2 pg/L & 4652 pg/L & Cd (\(<\)0.3 ug/l), Cr (\(<\)0.3 ug/l) and Pb (\(>\)7.2 ug/l). \\ Mar Picolo of & [46] & sediments & 56–36,370 ug/kg & 20–9391 ug/kg & As (3.7–48 mg/kg), Cd (0.1–5.9 mg/l), Cd (9.1–7.2 mg/kg), Hg (25.67–95.61 mg/kg), Zn (38.51–602.89 mg/kg). \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 8: Comparative sediment and water concentrations of PAHs, PCBs and Metals in marine basins worldwide. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c} \hline \hline
**Site and Reference** & **Driving Forces** & **Pressures** & **States** & **Impacts** & **Responses** \\ \hline Sarno river, Italy & - Demography & - Water consumption and wastewater & - Contamination of matrices & - Risk to trophic chain, - Risk to trophic chain, management \\ [11] & - Agricultural land use & - Waste production & - High concentration & horticultural products, and nasal fed & - Waste management \\  & - Industrial development & - Air pollution & nutrients & - Air pollution prevention \\  & & & - Presence of illicit drugs & - Change in consumption \\  & & - Wastewater discharge & & - Human health risks & and production \\ Asian cities (Bangkok, & - Oil leakage & - Chemical contamination & - Impacts on organisms & - Improve sanitation and waste disposal \\ Jakarta, Manila, Osaka, & - Population growth & - lactate from landfills & - Microbial contamination & - Land subsidence & - Alternative source of water \\ Seoul, Taipei, and Tokyo) & - Industrialization & - Water demand & - Salinity & - Flooding & water \\
[15] & - Groundwater use & - Decrease GW levels & - Damage to infrastructure & - Improve water quality \\  & & - Land use change & - Decrease GW recharge & - Control pumping areas & - Flood control \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 9: Comparative DPSIR frameworks in literature.