River Esino: water quality assessment.

The AA have carried out a multidisciplinary survey on the quality of water in the River Esino one of the main watercourses in the Central Italy. Chemical, chemico-physical, bacteriological and biological techiniques have been adopted (biological mapping through a study of the benthic macroinvertebrate communities). Extensive stretches of the river were found to be seriously compromised, both in the mountains (below Esanatoglia and Fabriano), and in the inland-coastal parts (from Jesi) to the river mouth. This result was always apparent, indipendently of the techniques used. With regard to a survey carried out ca. 15 years ago, a worsening can be observed in the quality of waters, despite the setting up in the meantime of purification plants for household and industrial wastes. Further increase in the pollution level in some stretches of the river could determine the biological death of the watercourse.