FO3X (Ozone FACE – free air controlled exposure): un’infrastruttura innovativa per una valutazione realistica dell’impatto dell’ozono troposferico sulla vegetazione
Pubblicato 2025-05-06
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Copyright (c) 2025 Leonardo Lazzara, Elena Marra, Barbara Baesso Moura, Jacopo Manzini, Andrea Viviano, Cesare Garosi, Yasutomo Hoshika, Elena Paoletti

Questo lavoro è fornito con la licenza Creative Commons Attribuzione - Non commerciale 4.0 Internazionale.
Abstract
L’ozono troposferico (O3) è un inquinante atmosferico secondario che arreca stress ossidativo alle specie forestali. Per questo motivo, è essenziale sviluppare sistemi di esposizione all’O3 in grado di fornire prove empiriche in merito alla risposta delle piante a questo inquinante in condizioni ambientali reali. Il seguente articolo è incentrato sulla descrizione di un sistema di esposizione controllata in aria libera (FACE) all’O3, sviluppato in Italia (FO3X). Dal 2015, l’O3 FACE di ultima generazione, FO3X, è in funzione nell’Italia centrale presso gli orti sperimentali del CNR di Sesto Fiorentino. Si tratta di un impianto unico nell’Europa mediterranea ed è parte integrante della infrastruttura di ricerca europea AnaEE (Analisi e sperimentazione sugli ecosistemi). La struttura consente l’esposizione delle specie vegetali a tre livelli di concentrazioni di O3 (ambiente, 1,5 e 2,0 volte la concentrazione ambiente), monitorando in continuo le principali variabili ambientali. Il sistema FO3X assicura un rilascio costante di O3, offrendo un’esposizione affidabile con un impatto minimo sul microclima. Questo documento presenta anche le cinque strutture O3 FACE più moderne, attualmente in funzione a livello mondiale. Inoltre, l’articolo presenta gli sviluppi tecnologici e le prospettive future per implementare la struttura al fine di valutare anche le conseguenze connesse al cambiamento climatico.
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