For workplaces where significant diurnal variations in radon concentrations are likely, measurements to evaluate average radon concentration during working hours could be useful for planning an optimized protection of workers according to the 2013/59/Euratom Directive. However, very few studies on this subject, generally limited to periods of few weeks, have been published. Therefore, a study has been conducted to evaluate the actual long-term radon exposure during working hours for a sample of 33 workplaces of four different types (postal offices, shops, restaurants, municipal offices), mainly located at the ground floor, and with expected considerable air exchange rate occurring during working hours due to frequent entrance/exit of persons or mechanical ventilation. The results show that the difference between the average radon level during working hours and that one during the whole day is about 20% on average and ranges from 0 to 50%. These observed differences, generally smaller compared with those found in other similar studies, are nearly the same if the analysis is restricted to workplaces with annual radon level higher than 300 Bq m–3, and therefore natural or mechanical ventilation normally present during working hours of the monitored workplaces cannot be considered an effective mitigation measure. However, the costs and time-response characteristics of the active monitors, as those used for the present study, will probably allow using more frequently a similar measurement strategy in workplaces.

The purpose of this research was to assess the anthropic underwater noise caused by ships within the Cetacean Sanctuary, a wide area in the North Tyrrhenian Sea. Noise from low-frequency continuous sounds has been investigated within the 1/3-octave bands centered at 63 and 125 Hz. All the information about noise sources and sound attenuation have been organized in a database; a tool automatically extracts useful information from it and feeds a ray-tracing model to estimate noise levels. The results show average levels generally over the 100 dB re 1 μPa value.

Livorno Municipality and its seaport are requested to produce the strategic noise map according to the European Directive only in 2012. However Livorno Port Authority, following the principle of environmental sustainability and in coherence with its EMAS status, started the investigation about the interaction between the noise generated by port activities and the nearby city. This analysis has been carried out within the Life funded project NoMEPorts, whose goal is to develop and provide tools and expertise to European ports for implementing their strategic noise maps, by means of a collaborative mapping of 8 Port Authority technical representatives from all around Europe. The work presented outlines in detail the process followed in performing the noise mapping of the Livorno port area and the port-city interface area, focusing in the problems encountered in the data collection, in port noise model building steps and in the consequent solutions adopted. The paper also talks about the result obtained by showing the noise maps in six detail levels and reports about the action plan proposed. As a result this experience emphasises the importance of noise maps as a powerful tool for decision-makers in port planning.