Heavy metals and environment: old/new questions and tentative answers

Laura Eleonora DeperoChem4Tech Lab

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What are HM? CH

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METALS

Where?CH

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PhaseChemical stateSizeShapeMatrices

Why are becoming so important?CH

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How much?CH

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Supply risk!

https://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/raw-materials/policy-strategy_it

HEAVY RARE EARTH ELEMENTS

LIGHT RARE EARTH ELEMENTS

Nb Sb

In

Cr

W

Platinum group metals

Au

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Medical  E-­‐waste  contains  valuable  resources  which  offer  opportuni7es  for  

urban  mining  and  job  crea7on  CHEM

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prof.  Elza  Bontempi

Fly ashChimney

Flue  gas  cleaning

Fly  ash

Furnace

Bo?om  ash

Energy  conversion

Solid  waste

Bottom ash

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The patent was trasferred to VELAWORKS

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTCl6EsLjzs

How to measure?

1 10-­‐3 ppm ppb ppt

1km2 10dam2 1m2 10cm2 1mm2

1000  yrs 1  yr ≈9  h     ≈31  s ≈31msCHEM

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XRF TECHNIQUES TO ASSESS THE ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION CH

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Total reflection X-ray Fluorescence (TXRF)in the lab...

in situ....

ppb and ppm range detection limits

Most of the environmental matrices can be measured!

CHAIR : Laura E. Depero

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Project Leader: Laura E. Depero

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Round robin tests on water samplesCH

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"Surface Chemical Analysis — Total Reflection X-Ray fluorescence

analysis of water samples”

Project Leader dr. Laura Borgese, ITALY (UNI)CH

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The monitoring of elemental content in foodstuff is of great importance for food manufacturing industry as well

as for consumers.

HEALTHsafety

ORIGINtraceability

FOOD & HEALTHCH

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  Beverages(Tea

LIQUIDS

SOLIDS

  Vegetables(&(Fruits(

  Cereals(

  Supplements(

Wine

Food Reference Materials

Tea leaves Pasta Rice Oat Barley

Chocolate

Hygiene and healthAuthenticity and originTechnological qualityCompliance to Laws

In collaboration with

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TXRF Analysis of WINE   Safety'&'Quality'

  Assessment'of'poten3ally'toxic'elements'content'  ''Vineyard'treatment'(Cu)''

  ''Produc3on'equipment'(Pb,'Ni,'Cr)''

  ''Partly'endogenous'(Zn)''

  Evaluate'TXRF'suitability'for'rou3ne'elemental'analysis'of'wine'CH

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General objective: to enhance scientific excellence in the field of food quality & safety by promoting metrology in food and nutrition.

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Different application fields: ✦ agrofood sustainable development, ✦ food quality and safety, ✦ food traceability and authenticity,✦ environmental safety, ✦ human health.

h?p://www.smartsoluMonsweb.it

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."

spin off founded in Sept. 2014 by researchers of Chem4Tech.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0l8DoMWB-IY

P.S. other projects related to materials and environmental analysis are just started and we will

be happy to discuss with you.

Thank you!

Welcome to visit our lab!

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