Search

Abstract: The over time a knowledge of atmospheric aerosol composition near monuments has become an increasingly important issue in preservation strategies. Concerning the protection of outdoor monumental heritage against urban air pollution, scientific works have mainly focused on the composition of background urban aerosol. In the literature the importance of atmospheric pollutant monitoring close to monuments is not yet sufficiently emphasized. In order to fill this gap, the atmosphere in proximity of the Florence Baptistery was monitored throughout 2003. Aerosol samples were collected close to two of the three doors, characterized by different exposures to pollutant sources. The non-carbonate carbon and soluble ions in the total suspended matter were measured. The paper presents and discusses the comparison between the analytical data obtained from the different sampling sites on the same monument. The results obtained may provide a contribution to the formulation of guidelines for a suitable safeguard of cultural heritage. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The present work focuses on the impact of anthropogenic multi-pollutants on modern concrete buildings exposed in two different European urban areas: Centennial Hall in Wroclaw (Poland) and Casa Galleria Vichi in Florence (Italy). Through a range of analytical techniques the complete characterization of the damage layer collected from the buildings under study has been achieved for the first time, including quantitative measurements of the carbon content. The experimental results allow the identification and prioritization of the air pollutants responsible for the surface deterioration, finding gypsum to be the main damage product on surfaces sheltered from rain runoff, with embedded particulate matter, especially carbonaceous particles, responsible for darkening of the building walls. The discrimination of carbon fractions shows different concentrations of elemental and organic carbon within the damage layers, depending on the location of the buildings. This step is essential for identifying the anthropogenic sources causing deterioration on the buildings, including the aesthetic impairment of surfaces. The contribution of air pollutants is also reflected by the elements found in the damage layers, while the evaluation of the enrichment factors is useful for identifying the elements of anthropogenic origin. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A proper recognition of the pollutant sources in atmospheric deposit is a key problem for any action aiming at reducing their emission, being this an important issue with implications both on human health safeguard and on the cultural heritage conservation in urban sites. This work presents the results of a statistical approach application for the identification of pollutant sources in deposits and damage layers on monuments located in different European sites: Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence (Italy), Cologne Cathedral, Cologne (Germany), Ancient ramparts, Salè (Morocco), National Museum, Cracow (Poland) and National Gallery, Oslo (Norway). For this aim, the surface damage layers on monuments and historical buildings of the selected sites were collected and analyzed, in terms of ionic and elemental composition, through application of ion chromatography and induced coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy. The achieved results were processed by multivariate analyses such as correlation matrix and principal component analysis in order to identify the possible origin of pollutants affecting the state of conservation of the monuments. This allowed us to assume that in all case studies the traffic emission is the main pollutant source. In the case of Ancient ramparts, Salè (Morocco), and National Gallery, Oslo (Norway), the surfaces are also under influence of marine aerosols. Moreover, concerning the Cologne Cathedral, the strong impact of the pollutants emitted by railway station was also revealed., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

An original high-performance liquid chromatographic method coupled to microextraction by packed sorbent (MEPS) was developed for the therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of psychiatric patients treated with the recent atypical antipsychotic ziprasidone. The chromatographic separation was achieved on a RP C18 column, using an isocratic mobile phase and setting the wavelength at 320nm. The analyte was extracted from human plasma by means of a fast and feasible innovative MEPS procedure, optimised on C2 sorbent and requiring only 100μL of biological sample. A second pre-treatment procedure, based on solid phase extraction (SPE), has been also developed for comparison. The availability of different pre-treatment procedures allows the choice of the one best suiting the specific clinical, economic and scientific needs. The extraction yield values were always higher than 90% and sensitivity was also good, with a limit of quantitation (LOQ) of 1ng/mL. The method was successfully applied to plasma samples from ten subjects undergoing therapy with ziprasidone, thus confirming its suitability for the TDM of psychiatric patients, in order to personalise their pharmacological treatments., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The development and validation of a bioanalytical assay for the simultaneous determination of cortisol, cortisone and corticosterone levels in several matrices, such as saliva, plasma, blood and urine samples have been described. The method is based on a rapid test which combines a microextraction by packed sorbent procedure and liquid chromatography-diode array technique. Chromatographic separation of the analytes (cortisol, cortisone and corticosterone) and the internal standard (methylprednisolone) was achieved in less than 10min on a reversed-phase pentafluorophenyl column using a mobile phase composed of phosphate buffer and acetonitrile. The assay was performed after an innovative microextraction procedure by means of C8 sorbent which guaranteed good clean-up of the matrices and satisfactory extraction yield of the analytes. Moreover, the method gave linear results over a range of 5-100ngmL(-1) and showed good selectivity and precision. This method was successfully applied for quantifying corticosteroids in specific matrices derived from some healthy volunteers in comparison to two socially diversified groups, namely former heroin addicts undergoing opioid replacement therapy and poly-drug abusers., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The combustion of crude oil produces a wide range of pollutants, including gases, volatile organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, acid compounds (e.g., sulfuric acid), and soot. Several of these pollutants have been linked with the deterioration and blackening of monuments. The paper reports the results of an investigation on the causes of the soiling of cultural remains at important archaeological sites in the provinces of Khuzestan and Fars, in southern Iran, assumed to be an effect of the Persian Gulf oil well fires of 1991. Different analytical techniques were applied to characterize the mineralogical composition of the damage layers, investigate the deposition of atmospheric particles, measure the anion concentrations, and identify and quantify the carbon components. The results showed that the black deposits on the surfaces of the Iranian monuments considered are mainly microbiotic crusts produced by cyanobacterial growth. No evidence was found of the deposition of particulate matter (smoke) produced by the Kuwait oil fires during the Gulf War.

The issue of environment protection, including the conservation of the monumental heritage worldwide, is related to atmospheric pollution, and its future therefore depends on air pollutant reduction. Carbonaceous particles emitted by combustion processes are the main factors responsible for the blackening of buildings. The identification and evaluation of the carbon species constituting the noncarbonate fraction of total carbon in damage layers, particularly in urban areas, are required in orderto investigate atmospheric deposition on building surfaces. Since noncarbonate carbon contains organic and elemental carbon originating from various human activities, its measurement and speciation are crucial to the protection and conservation of monuments and ancient masonry, playing an important role both in the proposal of mitigation strategies and in the definition of conservation treatments. The availability of a correct, accurate, and reproducible analytical method for a complete carbon balance is essential in studying the effects of atmospheric pollutants on the environment, including those affecting cultural heritage. A chemical-thermal methodology was set up, and its sensitivity, accuracy, repeatability, and reproducibility were tested on appropriate standard samples of composition similar to the black crusts on stones and mortars. The results indicate thatthe technique satisfactorily distinguishes among carbon species, particularly those of anthropogenic origin, allowing a reliable evaluation of their quantities in damage layers. In view of the difficulties encountered in applying the thermo-optical methods adopted for the measurement of carbon filters, the proposed methodology contributes to filling the current gap in suitable and reliable analytical procedures in the field of cultural heritage protection.

The in vitro antimicrobial activity of the title polymers is described. Iodoethylation leads to a sensible improvement of activity only when the amino groups present in the main backbone of the polymers are connected by a long aliphatic chain.

The optically active stereomers of some 3-(fluoro-, chloro-, bromophenyl)-2-biphenylyl-3-hydroxypropionic acids were prepared and tested for antiinflammatory activity. Surprisingly, the four bromo-isomers were the most active ones, particularly in the threo configuration.

As a part of wider research project on chiral anti-inflammatory arylacanoic acids, the 3-(o- and m-)-(methyl and methoxy)-phenyl-2-biphenylyl-3-hydroxypropionic acids 3a-d were synthesized and resolved in their optically active erythro and threo stereomers, which were submitted to the carrageenan induced rat paw edema test. With respect to the p-isomers, only the threo p-methoxy substitution enhances the anti-inflammatory activity. Some conclusions on structure-activity relationship are discussed.

As part of a wider research project on structure-activity relationships of chiral arylalkanoic acids, stereomeric aryl- biphenylyl-hydroxypropionic acids 3a-d have been prepared and their antiinflammatory activity evaluated. Diastereomeric racemic erythro- and threo-acids have been synthesized by reaction of alpha-lithiated biphenylyl-acetic acid salts with the appropriate aldehyde. They were separated, and after attribution of their relative configuration by 1H-NMR analysis, resolved. The antiinflammatory activities of the enantiomeric potassium salts were determined by the carrageenan test.