Title: Study of the waste disposal effect on air quality: the Italian case study

Authors: Nicoletta Lotrecchiano; Renato Ciampa; Aristide Giuliano; Daniele Sofia

Addresses: DIIN – Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, Fisciano, SA, Italy ' Research and Development Department, Centro Diagnostico Baronia, Frigento, AV, Italy ' Laboratory Biorefineries and Green Chemistry, Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, ENEA, S.S. 106 Ionica, km 419+500, Rotondella, MT, Italy ' DIIN – Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, Fisciano, SA, Italy; Research and Development Department, Sense Square, Corso Garibaldi 33, Salerno, SA, Italy

Abstract: The environmental status is defined by the combination of information about air pollution and waste production and management. This paper aims to compare the percentage of waste disposal in Italy with air quality. For each Italian region, the percentage of waste disposal and air quality were analysed. For some more interesting regions like Trentino South-Tyrol, Piedmont, Veneto, Lombardy, Lazio, Marche, Umbria, Abruzzo, Campania, Basilicata, Apulia, and Sicily relationship were highlighted taking into account citizens' concerns about air quality. It is clear, after analysing the data, that in 2012-2017 the environmental awareness of the Italian population has increased with a consequent increase in the percentage of waste disposal and with the improvement of air quality.

Keywords: Italy; waste disposal; air quality; environment; particulate matter; NO2.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESD.2022.126085

International Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development, 2022 Vol.21 No.4, pp.474 - 495

Accepted: 16 May 2021
Published online: 11 Oct 2022 *

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