The Environmental Geochemistry Unit has been conducting research in the field of environmental geochemistry for about 30 years, mainly focused on the study of abundance, distribution and behavior of trace elements in the surface environment. These researches concern geomaterials such as soil, stream sediment, surface waters and groundwater, atmospheric particulate matter, as well as biotic materials (e.g., cultivated and wild plants, bioindicators) and food products (e.g., honey, wine).
1) Contamination by potentially toxic elements (e.g., As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Sb and Zn) in soils, stream sediments, surface waters and groundwater in urban areas and mining, industrial and agricultural sites.
2) Assessment of the natural background of potentially toxic elements in geomaterials such as soil and stream sediment.
3) Abundance, distribution and behavior of trace elements in the soil and soil-plant system with particular interest in their mobility and bioavailability in the soil and transfer to the biosphere in both natural settings and contaminated sites.
4) Geochemical characterization of rocks and mining, industrial and quarry wastes aimed at determining the levels of critical and strategic chemical elements (e.g., rare earth elements).
5) Assessment of air and soil quality by using bioindicators such as lichens, earthworms and isopods.
6) Chemical characteristics (concentration of macro and micronutrients and non-essential trace elements), quality and traceability of foods such as grapes, wine, honey and cereals.
7) Use of nanoparticles in environmental applications
- Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources, National Research Council (CNR)
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cagliari
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Florence
- Department of Earth Sciences, Environment and Resources, University of Naples “Federico II”
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Pisa
- Department of Earth, Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Urbino “Carlo Bo”
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Agro-Environmental Sciences, University of Pisa
- Agrobiology and Pedology Research Centre
- Agricultural Research Council (CRA)