BackgroundThe use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is on the increase globally with a high prevalence in children and adults with chronic illnesses. Many studies have...Full Text Available
The previous judgment of eutrophic state, once proposed for the Trasimeno Lake (Umbria region, Italy), has been revised. According to Vollenweider-OECD classification criterion, the lake waters are at present to be classified as mesotrophic waters, with phosphorus limitation. However this level of moderate productivity results to be conditioned by the hydrochemical characteristics of the lake waters, that control phosphorus concentrations independently from the loading coming from the basin, and prevent dangerous and massive algal blooms. Different processes of chemical nature, regulating the phosphorus amount in the lake waters, are then reviewed: adsorption of P/P0(4) onto suspended materials, particularly clay mineral particles, and direct precipitation as hydroxylapatite or co-precipitation with carbonates, are found to be the principal mechanisms that determine chemical removal of phosphorus from the water column. A preliminary mass balance of phosphorus subtracted from the system ...