Environmental Matrices

The project aims to develop green analytical methods for the determination of different classes of emerging pollutants in aqueous and solid environmental samples

Description

Development of analytical methods for the determination of different classes of emerging pollutants (steroid hormones, antimicrobials, perfluoroalkyl substances, algal and cyano- toxins, benzensulfonamides, benzo-triazoles, benzothiazoles) at low concentration in surface waters, wastewaters, soil, compost by extraction /preconcentration procedures followed by chromatographic techniques (HPLC-UV, HPLC-MS/MS, HPLC-FD, GC-FID, GC-MS).

The main tasks are:

Design, preparation, and application of various types of carbonaceous sorbents from circular economy bio-wastes (e.g., biochar from rice husk hash, beans, melon, orange and pumpkin peel) for solid-phase extraction (cartridge and innovative set up) in waters
Preparation and application of polymeric membranes for thin film microextraction (TF-ME) in aqueous samples
Green methodologies, e.g. ultrasound assisted extraction (USE) and microwave assisted extraction (MAE), for contaminants in compost and soil
Greenness assessment by means of the most recently proposed green-metrics, namely AGREEprep and sample preparation metric of sustainability (SPMS)

Publications

P. Bianchini, F. Merlo, V. Quarta, L. Ferrari, C. Milanese, A. Profumo, A. Speltini

Improving sample preparation by biochar-coated sampling tubes: proof-of-concept extraction of sex hormones from real waters

Published in: Advances in Sample Preparation 12 (2024) 100129

F. Merlo, E. Anticò, R. Merli, A. Cabrera-Codony, C. Fontàs, A. Speltini, A. Profumo

Biochar-based polymeric film as sustainable and efficient sorptive phase for preconcentration of steroid hormones in environmental waters and wastewaters

Published in: Analytica Chimica Acta 1308 (2024) 342658

F. Merlo, A. Profumo, A. Speltini

Sample treatment for the determination of steroid hormone contaminants in water samples: Analytical greenness assessment

Published in: TrAC - Trends in Analytical Chemistry 169 (2023) 117393

A. Speltini, F. Merlo, F. Maraschi, P. Bianchini, A. Mandri, A. Profumo

Multiclass ultrasound-assisted extraction, clean-up and high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry quantification of steroid hormone residues in compost

Published in: Journal of Chromatography A 1694 (2023) 463900

P. Bianchini, F. Merlo, F. Maraschi, R. Brescia, M. Prato, A. Profumo, A. Speltini

From Rice Husk Ash to Silica-Supported Carbon Nanomaterials: Characterization and Analytical Application for Pre-Concentration of Steroid Hormones from Environmental Waters

Published in: Molecules 28 (2023) 745

I. Quintanilla, C. Perelló, F. Merlo, A. Profumo, C. Fontàs, E. Anticó

Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Embedded in a Polymeric Matrix As a New Material for Thin Film Microextraction (TFME) in Organic Pollutant Monitoring

Published in: Polymers 15 (2023) 314

A. Speltini, G. Alberti, R. Rovida, C. Milanese, G. De Soricellis, F. Rinaldi, G. Massolini, A. Gallo, E. Calleri

Synthesis, characterization and application of a MIP-polyHIPE for selective extraction of angiotensin II receptor antagonists residues in natural waters

Published in: Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20, 4878

L. Ferrari, A. Speltini

HPLC-MS/MS multiclass determination of steroid hormones in environmental waters after preconcentration on the carbonaceous sorbent HA-C@silica

Published in: Arabian Journal of Chemistry 13 (2020) 4673-4680

S. Dugheri, G. Marrubini, A. Speltini, N. Mucci, G. Cappelli, G. Bartolucci, G. Arcangeli

Fully automated determination of trimellitic anhydride in saturated polyester resins using programmed temperature vaporization-large volume injection-gas chromatography previous aqueous derivatization with triethyloxonium tetrafluoroborate

Published in: Chromatographia 83 (2020) 601-613

TrACES