Laura Borgese | University of Brescia (original) (raw)

Papers by Laura Borgese

A new method dedicated to sample preparation and storage is proposed. The method consist in sandw... more A new method dedicated to sample preparation and storage is proposed. The method consist in sandwiching the sample in two polymeric foils, allowing to protect it from external contamination, to avoid any material loss and to store it for further investigations. After preparation the samples can be directly analyzed by several non-destructive X-ray based techniques.

La green economy può essere considerata come una fase di transizione verso un nuovo modello di sv... more La green economy può essere considerata come una fase di transizione verso un nuovo modello di sviluppo basato sulla valorizzazione del capitale economico, sociale e ambientale nel quadro di uno sviluppo sostenibile. Questo passaggio presuppone un profondo cambiamento verso nuovi sistemi di produzione e di consumo (basati su una gestione sostenibile delle risorse e una riduzione di emissioni e conseguenti impatti) che deve essere accompagnato da un altrettanto profondo cambiamento culturale e di stili di vita. La green economy non può e non deve essere considerata semplicemente come la parte "verde" dell'economia, operante esclusivamente all'interno del settore della cosiddetta "industria ambientale", ma deve investire tutti i settori della produzione di beni e servizi.

Total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (TXRF) is a well established technique for eleme... more Total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (TXRF) is a well established technique for elemental analysis of environmental samples. The possibility to detect simultaneously many environmentally relevant elements, also in trace, present in samples makes TXRF a proper technique for screening. Moreover, quantitative analysis by means of internal standard addition is accurate and reproducible. In this work TXRF was successfully applied for the study of Pb accumulation in different parts of legumes plants. The determination of potentially toxic elements, such as Pb, in plants is very important both for environment and human health. Plants are able to accumulate elements from the environment and often they become food entering in the food chain. Beans and mung beans crops were germinated in controlled laboratory conditions adding different amount of soluble Pb. A significant reduction of germination with increasing Pb amount was observed. The content of Pb in different parts of the p...

Material characterization and metrology enable the development of new materials, structures, proc... more Material characterization and metrology enable the development of new materials, structures, processes, and technologies. Accurate metrology can reduce the cost of manufacturing and the time-to-market for new products through better characterization of fabrication tools and their processes. As instrumentation for improved measurement methods is developed, there is a parallel need for the development of methodologies in order to utilize these tools to their maximum advantage. The development of new standards based on a broad international effort is desirable to develop the required measurement methods that can be diffused through the largest community of users is particularly useful in the case of pre-normative research whose results may be used for further developments such as the establishment of protocols and standards. The Versailles Project on Advanced Materials and Standards (www.VAMAS.org) is an international organization supporting trade in products using advanced materials t...

Food is one of the main sources of essential major and trace elements in human nutrition. However... more Food is one of the main sources of essential major and trace elements in human nutrition. However, also potentially toxic elements (e.g., As, Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb) can contaminate food chain from the environment or during processing and storage. Analysis of elements in samples of food is a complicated process, mainly dependent on the property of the sample matrix and nowadays fast and sensitive analytical techniques are desirable as a result of the increasing demand on multi-elemental information. Total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) is a powerful analytical technique with respect to multi-elemental analysis capability, simplicity of quantification, detection limits and relatively short analysis time. Due to its benefits, TXRF is gaining acceptance in the field of food safety and traceability. In this work, TXRF was employed in the determination of major and trace elements in different Reference Materials (RMs) prepared by ENEA: strawberries, mushroom and peeled tomatoes. Accuracy a...

Journal of Environmental Management, 2015

The Stabilization of heavy metals from municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly ash by rice ... more The Stabilization of heavy metals from municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly ash by rice husk ash (RHA) is under intense study as an effective strategy to recover and reuse industrial and agricultural waste together. We compare the metal entrapment performances of RHA from different Asian rice sources – namely from Japonica rice grown in Italy and Indica rice grown in India – Physicochemical and morphological characterization of the final stabilized material show that the same thermal treatment may result in marked structural differences in the silica contained in the two RHA. Remarkably, one of them displays a crystalline silica content, although obtained by a thermal treatment below 800 °C. We also find that the presence of an alkali metal ion (potassium) in the rice husk plays a crucial role in the attainment of the final silica phase. These physicochemical differences are mirrored by different stabilization yields by the two RHA.

International Journal of Environmental Analytical Chemistry, 2015

ABSTRACT This work was performed to highlight the advantages of total reflection X-ray fluorescen... more ABSTRACT This work was performed to highlight the advantages of total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (TXRF) for multi-elemental qualitative and quantitative analysis of wine. Indeed the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV) selected some potentially toxic elements and proposed limit values for their concentration in wines. Direct TXRF analysis of nine wine samples from Emilia Romagna region of Italy was performed in two different laboratories: Italy and Japan. Wine dehydration was also evaluated as sample conservation mean. Traces of Fe, Cu, Zn and Pb are present in all the analysed samples, with concentrations lower than the limits established by the OIV. The target hazard quotients (THQs) were also calculated for seven elements (Cl, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn and Sr) to determine their potential detrimental effects. The results show that TXRF is a fast, simple and accurate analytical technique for trace element analysis of wine. Moreover, dehydration is an effective way to store wine samples for further elemental analysis.

Journal of Chemistry, 2015

This paper is devoted to the chemical analysis of contaminated soils of India and the rice grown ... more This paper is devoted to the chemical analysis of contaminated soils of India and the rice grown in the same area. Total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy is a well-established technique for elemental chemical analysis of environmental samples, and it can be a useful tool to assess food safety. Metals uptake in rice crop grown in soils from different areas was studied. In this work soil, rice husk and rice samples were analyzed after complete solubilization of samples by microwave acid digestion. Heavy metals concentration detected in rice samples decreases in the following order: Mn > Zn > Cu > Ni > Pb > Cr. The metal content in rice husk was higher than in rice. This study suggests, for the first time, a possible role of heavy metals filter played by rice husk. The knowledge of metals sequestration capability of rice husk may promote some new management practices for rice cultivation to preserve it from pollution.

ABSTRACT Ti–Zn mixed oxide thin films, with thickness less than 50 nm, were grown with atomic lay... more ABSTRACT Ti–Zn mixed oxide thin films, with thickness less than 50 nm, were grown with atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique at low temperature (90 °C) varying the composition. ALD is a powerful chemical technique to deposit thin films with thickness of few atomic layers. ALD oxide material growth is achieved by dosing sequentially the metal precursor and the oxidizing agent. Thanks to ALD nature of layer by layer growth it was possible to realize mixed metal, Ti and Zn, oxide thin films with controlled composition, simply by changing the number of cycles of each metal oxide layer. Structural and electrical properties of the prepared thin films were studied as a function of their composition. Synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction technique was used to follow thin film crystallization during sample annealing, performed in situ. It was observed that the onset temperature of crystallization raises with Ti content, and sample structure was Zn2TiO4 phase. Electrical resistivity measurements were performed on crystalline samples, annealed at 600 °C, revealing an increase in resistivity with Ti content.

A new method dedicated to sample preparation and storage is proposed. The method consist in sandw... more A new method dedicated to sample preparation and storage is proposed. The method consist in sandwiching the sample in two polymeric foils, allowing to protect it from external contamination, to avoid any material loss and to store it for further investigations. After preparation the samples can be directly analyzed by several non-destructive X-ray based techniques.

La green economy può essere considerata come una fase di transizione verso un nuovo modello di sv... more La green economy può essere considerata come una fase di transizione verso un nuovo modello di sviluppo basato sulla valorizzazione del capitale economico, sociale e ambientale nel quadro di uno sviluppo sostenibile. Questo passaggio presuppone un profondo cambiamento verso nuovi sistemi di produzione e di consumo (basati su una gestione sostenibile delle risorse e una riduzione di emissioni e conseguenti impatti) che deve essere accompagnato da un altrettanto profondo cambiamento culturale e di stili di vita. La green economy non può e non deve essere considerata semplicemente come la parte "verde" dell'economia, operante esclusivamente all'interno del settore della cosiddetta "industria ambientale", ma deve investire tutti i settori della produzione di beni e servizi.

Total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (TXRF) is a well established technique for eleme... more Total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (TXRF) is a well established technique for elemental analysis of environmental samples. The possibility to detect simultaneously many environmentally relevant elements, also in trace, present in samples makes TXRF a proper technique for screening. Moreover, quantitative analysis by means of internal standard addition is accurate and reproducible. In this work TXRF was successfully applied for the study of Pb accumulation in different parts of legumes plants. The determination of potentially toxic elements, such as Pb, in plants is very important both for environment and human health. Plants are able to accumulate elements from the environment and often they become food entering in the food chain. Beans and mung beans crops were germinated in controlled laboratory conditions adding different amount of soluble Pb. A significant reduction of germination with increasing Pb amount was observed. The content of Pb in different parts of the p...

Material characterization and metrology enable the development of new materials, structures, proc... more Material characterization and metrology enable the development of new materials, structures, processes, and technologies. Accurate metrology can reduce the cost of manufacturing and the time-to-market for new products through better characterization of fabrication tools and their processes. As instrumentation for improved measurement methods is developed, there is a parallel need for the development of methodologies in order to utilize these tools to their maximum advantage. The development of new standards based on a broad international effort is desirable to develop the required measurement methods that can be diffused through the largest community of users is particularly useful in the case of pre-normative research whose results may be used for further developments such as the establishment of protocols and standards. The Versailles Project on Advanced Materials and Standards (www.VAMAS.org) is an international organization supporting trade in products using advanced materials t...

Food is one of the main sources of essential major and trace elements in human nutrition. However... more Food is one of the main sources of essential major and trace elements in human nutrition. However, also potentially toxic elements (e.g., As, Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb) can contaminate food chain from the environment or during processing and storage. Analysis of elements in samples of food is a complicated process, mainly dependent on the property of the sample matrix and nowadays fast and sensitive analytical techniques are desirable as a result of the increasing demand on multi-elemental information. Total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) is a powerful analytical technique with respect to multi-elemental analysis capability, simplicity of quantification, detection limits and relatively short analysis time. Due to its benefits, TXRF is gaining acceptance in the field of food safety and traceability. In this work, TXRF was employed in the determination of major and trace elements in different Reference Materials (RMs) prepared by ENEA: strawberries, mushroom and peeled tomatoes. Accuracy a...

Journal of Environmental Management, 2015

The Stabilization of heavy metals from municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly ash by rice ... more The Stabilization of heavy metals from municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly ash by rice husk ash (RHA) is under intense study as an effective strategy to recover and reuse industrial and agricultural waste together. We compare the metal entrapment performances of RHA from different Asian rice sources – namely from Japonica rice grown in Italy and Indica rice grown in India – Physicochemical and morphological characterization of the final stabilized material show that the same thermal treatment may result in marked structural differences in the silica contained in the two RHA. Remarkably, one of them displays a crystalline silica content, although obtained by a thermal treatment below 800 °C. We also find that the presence of an alkali metal ion (potassium) in the rice husk plays a crucial role in the attainment of the final silica phase. These physicochemical differences are mirrored by different stabilization yields by the two RHA.

International Journal of Environmental Analytical Chemistry, 2015

ABSTRACT This work was performed to highlight the advantages of total reflection X-ray fluorescen... more ABSTRACT This work was performed to highlight the advantages of total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (TXRF) for multi-elemental qualitative and quantitative analysis of wine. Indeed the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV) selected some potentially toxic elements and proposed limit values for their concentration in wines. Direct TXRF analysis of nine wine samples from Emilia Romagna region of Italy was performed in two different laboratories: Italy and Japan. Wine dehydration was also evaluated as sample conservation mean. Traces of Fe, Cu, Zn and Pb are present in all the analysed samples, with concentrations lower than the limits established by the OIV. The target hazard quotients (THQs) were also calculated for seven elements (Cl, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn and Sr) to determine their potential detrimental effects. The results show that TXRF is a fast, simple and accurate analytical technique for trace element analysis of wine. Moreover, dehydration is an effective way to store wine samples for further elemental analysis.

Journal of Chemistry, 2015

This paper is devoted to the chemical analysis of contaminated soils of India and the rice grown ... more This paper is devoted to the chemical analysis of contaminated soils of India and the rice grown in the same area. Total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy is a well-established technique for elemental chemical analysis of environmental samples, and it can be a useful tool to assess food safety. Metals uptake in rice crop grown in soils from different areas was studied. In this work soil, rice husk and rice samples were analyzed after complete solubilization of samples by microwave acid digestion. Heavy metals concentration detected in rice samples decreases in the following order: Mn > Zn > Cu > Ni > Pb > Cr. The metal content in rice husk was higher than in rice. This study suggests, for the first time, a possible role of heavy metals filter played by rice husk. The knowledge of metals sequestration capability of rice husk may promote some new management practices for rice cultivation to preserve it from pollution.

ABSTRACT Ti–Zn mixed oxide thin films, with thickness less than 50 nm, were grown with atomic lay... more ABSTRACT Ti–Zn mixed oxide thin films, with thickness less than 50 nm, were grown with atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique at low temperature (90 °C) varying the composition. ALD is a powerful chemical technique to deposit thin films with thickness of few atomic layers. ALD oxide material growth is achieved by dosing sequentially the metal precursor and the oxidizing agent. Thanks to ALD nature of layer by layer growth it was possible to realize mixed metal, Ti and Zn, oxide thin films with controlled composition, simply by changing the number of cycles of each metal oxide layer. Structural and electrical properties of the prepared thin films were studied as a function of their composition. Synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction technique was used to follow thin film crystallization during sample annealing, performed in situ. It was observed that the onset temperature of crystallization raises with Ti content, and sample structure was Zn2TiO4 phase. Electrical resistivity measurements were performed on crystalline samples, annealed at 600 °C, revealing an increase in resistivity with Ti content.