IL NUOVO CIMENTO Gennaio-Febbraio 1998 VOL. 21 C, N. 1 Background level of heavy-metals soil concentrations in an industrial area of Basilicata region (Southern Italy) R. CAGGIANO ( 1 ), M. MACCHIATO ( 2 ) and M. RAGOSTA ( 3 ) ( 1 ) Istituto di Metodologie Avanzate di Analisi Ambientale, CNR - Tito Scalo, Potenza, Italy ( 2 ) Istituto Nazionale per la Fisica della Materia, Unità di Napoli - Napoli, Italy Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, Università “Federico II” - Napoli, Italy ( 3 ) Istituto Nazionale per la Fisica della Materia, Unità di Napoli - Napoli, Italy Dipartimento di Ingegneria e Fisica dell’ Ambiente, Università degli Studi della Basilicata Potenza, Italy (ricevuto il 13 Dicembre 1996; approvato il 25 Luglio 1997) Summary. — In the framework of Basilicata region air quality monitoring, we are investigating the industrial area of Melfi town. This area has been chosen as test site to evaluate the environmental impact of anthropic activities on a rather unpolluted agricultural area. In this paper we discuss the procedure to characterize the back- ground level of heavy-metals soil concentrations. The topsoil bioavailable fraction of eight elements (Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) has been collected in two annual surveys (1993 and 1994) on a georeferenced grid, translated in GIS informative layer. Statistical analysis of spatial and temporal patterns is shown in detail. PACS 92.60.Sz – Air quality and air pollution. 1. – Introduction In the last few years a new approach to the evaluation of environmental impact of the anthropic activities has been developed. The monitoring is regarded not only as a tool for data acquisition and landscape control but as the first step to describe the relationships between anthropic activities and environment. Integrated methodologies, which allow to interface databases and models output, have to be developed, in order to compare different biotic and abiotic variables, to update databases, to suggest and to correct resort strategies, by evaluating their effects [1-3]. In the framework of regional environmental planning for Basilicata region (Southern Italy), a protocol for air quality monitoring has been developed [4, 5]. Particularly, we are investigating the industrial area of Melfi town as a test site, located in an agricultural zone, in which an automotive plant operates from 1993 and an incinerator will operate before the end of 1997 (SATA-FENICE project). Therefore this area is a good test site for evaluating the environmental impact of a big industrial plant in a rather unpolluted agricultural area with few urban and industrial sites. The G Società Italiana di Fisica 49