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Francesco Ciani
Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Firenze, Via G. La Pira 4, 50121 Firenze, ITALY

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Journal article
Published: 15 June 2021 in Toxics
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Museums air quality can be negatively affected by treatments with heavy metals compounds employed to prevent pest infestations. Among these, the past use of mercury dichloride (HgCl2) on herbaria artifacts currently produces high levels of indoor atmospheric gaseous mercury (Hg0) and possibly of particulate bound Hg (PBM), i.e., the particulate matter containing Hg. This study evaluates the PBM pollution in the Central Italian Herbarium (Natural History Museum of the University of Florence, Italy), characterizing the size range and chemical speciation with SEM-EDS microanalysis. The analysis of the total Hg concentration in the samples allowed to calculate the workers exposure risk to this pollutant. PBM is almost totally classifiable as fine particulate with a significant dimensional increase in a period of scarce attendance of the Herbarium rooms. The microanalysis indicates that Hg is essentially bound to S, highlighting the change of Hg speciation from the original association with Cl. The average Hg concentration reveals a potential health risk for workers as result of multiple Hg exposure pathways, mainly by ingestion. The study provides information for characterizing PBM pollution that could affect a workplace atmosphere and a useful basis to evaluate and correctly design solution strategies to reduce the contamination levels and protect workers’ health.

ACS Style

Francesco Ciani; Laura Chiarantini; Pilario Costagliola; Valentina Rimondi. Particle-Bound Mercury Characterization in the Central Italian Herbarium of the Natural History Museum of the University of Florence (Italy). Toxics 2021, 9, 141 .

AMA Style

Francesco Ciani, Laura Chiarantini, Pilario Costagliola, Valentina Rimondi. Particle-Bound Mercury Characterization in the Central Italian Herbarium of the Natural History Museum of the University of Florence (Italy). Toxics. 2021; 9 (6):141.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Francesco Ciani; Laura Chiarantini; Pilario Costagliola; Valentina Rimondi. 2021. "Particle-Bound Mercury Characterization in the Central Italian Herbarium of the Natural History Museum of the University of Florence (Italy)." Toxics 9, no. 6: 141.

Preprint content
Published: 04 March 2021
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The attention devoted to air quality is particularly important in workplaces, such as museums, where the health of visitors and workers must couple with the safeguard of collections. This especially holds for herbaria where, until the middle of the last century, the collections were protected using a solution of mercury dichloride (HgCl2) to prevent cryptogamic or animal infestations. The decomposition of HgCl2 causes the Hg reduction through a reaction pathway that is still poorly known, and the consequent release of Hg0 in the indoor atmosphere. Besides Hg0, Hg in air exists also as bound to particulate (PBM). In the museums’ atmosphere, this fraction may represent a non-negligible proportion of total atmospheric Hg and should be monitored.

This study aims to characterize the PBM in the Central Italian Herbarium of Firenze (University of Firenze, Italy), one of the largest herbaria worldwide. Here recent studies proved high levels of Hg0.

PBM sampling has been carried twice (2018 and 2020 soon after the lockdown period caused by the Covid-19), collecting the dust on a SEM-EDS stub from different surfaces (furniture, wall cornice, sample cabinet). Samples were roughly divided according to their deposition time between old (OD), almost-new (AD) and new dust (ND). The samples were analyzed using SEM-EDS to characterize the dimension and the chemical speciation of Hg particulate.

Hg-particles were detected in all the three types of dust collected in both the years: the mean dimension is 0.80±0.01 µm (3σ). The highest number of Hg-particles has been always reached in the AD, i.e. the dust collected directly on the packages containing herbarium specimens, with a strong increase in the 2020 sample. Additionally, the EDS microanalysis revealed that Hg-particles are now mainly associated with S (sometimes with O), suggesting the presence of sulphate or sulphide.

The above evidences show that PBM constitutes a fraction of Hg pollution in the Herbarium that cannot be ignored. The number of particles strongly increased in a period of low attendance of the Herbarium rooms and consequently cleaning, due to the COVID-19 pandemic: despite this, almost all are still classifiable as fine particulate (i.e. ECD< 2.5 µm) particularly harmful for human health. The presence of sulphate/sulphide indicated the change of Hg speciation with time and its reaction with S and O. These compounds, although less bioavailable than Hg0, still represent a risk for both herbarium workers and visitors.

The results of the present study offer preliminary information on the abatement system to be installed in the museum halls, which should be supplied with filters to retain very fine particles (< 1 µm).

ACS Style

Francesco Ciani; Laura Chiarantini; Pilario Costagliola; Valentina Rimondi. Particulate bound mercury pollution in the Central Italian Herbarium (Firenze, Italy). 2021, 1 .

AMA Style

Francesco Ciani, Laura Chiarantini, Pilario Costagliola, Valentina Rimondi. Particulate bound mercury pollution in the Central Italian Herbarium (Firenze, Italy). . 2021; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Francesco Ciani; Laura Chiarantini; Pilario Costagliola; Valentina Rimondi. 2021. "Particulate bound mercury pollution in the Central Italian Herbarium (Firenze, Italy)." , no. : 1.

Preprint content
Published: 04 March 2021
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Urbanization is a striking phenomenon, responsible for the development of cities as complex and highly dynamic systems. One of the most pressing issues in urban areas is water cycle management, which directly influences the availability and the quality of this resource. Urban streams are highly vulnerable to the impacts resulting from the increasing urbanization and they have often lost most of their pristine, natural character.

We hereby present the preliminary results of the multidisciplinary StrEams urbaN Ecological City plAnning (SENECA) project, which is not only but mainly devoted to characterizing the chemical features of stream waters and sediments of the Mugnone Creek (MC). MC is a typical example of an urban stream, crossing the city of Florence (Italy) and eventually discharging to the Arno River, that has suffered an intense denaturation due to the urban sprawl, such as several diversions, canalizations and rectifications, alterations of the stream bed and riparian habitat, widespread concrete revetment of the banks and burial of short stream tracts.

Different sites along the 17-km long MC were investigated for water and sediment geochemistry from upstream of the Florence urban area (“blank” sites) to the MC outlet (Cascine Park), passing through variably urban-impacted areas, including sites located along traffic-congested roads, close to the new tramway construction sites and under the railway line. Stream waters were sampled twice a year (June and December 2019 and 2020) to account for seasonal variability. Stream discharge at three representative points was simultaneously determined during water sampling to allow mass load calculations of contaminants. In details, major dissolved ions (Ca, Mg, Na, K, HCO3, SO4, Cl, NO3) and reduced nitrogen (NH4), trace elements (TEs: Sb, As, Cu, Zn, Cd, Co, Ba, Li, Pb, Ni) and microplastics (MPs) in stream sediments and waters of MC were determined. Major dissolved ions and NH4 were analysed via acidimetric titration and IC. TEs were determined in both sediments and waters (0.45 μm filtered and unfiltered) by ICP-OES and ICP-MS, respectively. MPs (1 μm-5 mm) were identified in sediments and waters by HD binocular stereomicroscope.

Chemical composition (major element constituents) of water reflected both the seasonality and the progress of the water-rock interaction acting in MC from its spring toward the outlet. In addition, the pattern of abundances of Cu, Zn, Sb and Pb and especially their mass loads reflect the increasing anthropogenic impact on the water and sediments, even if is important to stress that the contents are within the limits defined by law, except for stream sediments at a few sites. For MPs, up to 109 particles, coming mainly from the NW side of Florence, are estimated to be discharged daily to the Arno River during the winter season, much higher than creeks with similar urbanization contexts worldwide. Increasing data collection will make it possible to identify and better understand what type of sources and processes are responsible for the anthropogenic impacts in the MC and could help in better safeguarding the creek within the framework of the urban social-ecological systems of Florence.

ACS Style

Gabriele Bicocchi; Stefania Venturi; Alessio Monnanni; Tania Martellini; David Chelazzi; Eleonora De Beni; Alessandra Cincinelli; Guia Morelli; Pierfranco Lattanzi; Silvia Fornasaro; Francesco Ciani; Pilario Costagliola; Valentina Rimondi. Anthropogenic impact on urban rivers: insights from the Mugnone Creek (Florence, Italy) waters and sediments characterization in the framework of the multidisciplinary SENECA project. 2021, 1 .

AMA Style

Gabriele Bicocchi, Stefania Venturi, Alessio Monnanni, Tania Martellini, David Chelazzi, Eleonora De Beni, Alessandra Cincinelli, Guia Morelli, Pierfranco Lattanzi, Silvia Fornasaro, Francesco Ciani, Pilario Costagliola, Valentina Rimondi. Anthropogenic impact on urban rivers: insights from the Mugnone Creek (Florence, Italy) waters and sediments characterization in the framework of the multidisciplinary SENECA project. . 2021; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Gabriele Bicocchi; Stefania Venturi; Alessio Monnanni; Tania Martellini; David Chelazzi; Eleonora De Beni; Alessandra Cincinelli; Guia Morelli; Pierfranco Lattanzi; Silvia Fornasaro; Francesco Ciani; Pilario Costagliola; Valentina Rimondi. 2021. "Anthropogenic impact on urban rivers: insights from the Mugnone Creek (Florence, Italy) waters and sediments characterization in the framework of the multidisciplinary SENECA project." , no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 14 February 2021 in Urban Forestry & Urban Greening
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Urban green areas can improve people’s quality of life, although airborne pollen may provoke allergic disease. The record of the pollen rain in different sites within a city can be useful to understand the distance reached by the pollen of different plants and its amount. Moss cushions are natural gravimetric pollen traps and represent a useful and economic tool for this kind of survey. Moss samples were collected from 16 sites in Florence at the distance of a decade. To test the effects of urban green areas on pollen records, the land cover was analyzed in buffers drawn around each sampling site. Pollen frequencies were correlated with the extension of the green spaces and with the number of trees inside the buffers. Pollen concentration maps were drawn to plot the pollen deposition at the different sites of the city center. The pollen records at ground level displayed an uneven concentration across the city and a strong prevalence of arboreal pollen. The greatest statistical correlation between pollen frequencies and arboreal land cover was shown for the larger buffers. The influence of Cupressaceae and Quercus was noteworthy at great distances. Some of the common ornamental trees growing along the main roads, such as Celtis and Tilia, showed a strictly local influence on pollen rain. The results of the study highlight the utility of a network of records inside cities for evaluating the actual contributions of the plants to pollen accumulation at the height where people walk. They may provide a useful indication for the planning of urban green areas in order to reduce health risks for citizens.

ACS Style

Francesco Ciani; Lorella Dell’Olmo; Bruno Foggi; Marta Mariotti Lippi. The effect of urban green areas on pollen concentrations at ground level: a study in the city of Florence (Italy). Urban Forestry & Urban Greening 2021, 60, 127045 .

AMA Style

Francesco Ciani, Lorella Dell’Olmo, Bruno Foggi, Marta Mariotti Lippi. The effect of urban green areas on pollen concentrations at ground level: a study in the city of Florence (Italy). Urban Forestry & Urban Greening. 2021; 60 ():127045.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Francesco Ciani; Lorella Dell’Olmo; Bruno Foggi; Marta Mariotti Lippi. 2021. "The effect of urban green areas on pollen concentrations at ground level: a study in the city of Florence (Italy)." Urban Forestry & Urban Greening 60, no. : 127045.

Research article
Published: 27 May 2020 in Grana
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In Italy, aerobiological monitoring is usually carried out by the regional agencies for environmental protection (ARPA [Agenzia Regionale per la Protezione Ambientale]) using volumetric samplers. Another widespread method for the study of airborne pollen is the analysis of moss cushions, generally used to relate pollen rain to flora and vegetation. In this study, we compare the data coming from these two pollen monitoring methods: volumetric samplers and moss cushions. The study was carried out in the city of Florence (Italy) and took into consideration two different spans of time. The two pollen monitoring methods show quantitative and qualitative differences. The main discrepancy seems to be the direct consequence of the different preservation time of the grains in the moss cushions depending on the features of the pollen grains. The study also provides an estimate of the period of pollen accumulation and preservation in moss cushions, which turned out to be more than five years. The two sampling methods furnish complementary information; volumetric samplers especially suited for aerobiological studies and moss cushions for environmental and palaeobotanical research.

ACS Style

Francesco Ciani; Michele Pampaloni; Bruno Foggi; Marta Mariotti Lippi. Comparing pollen data from moss cushions and a volumetric sampler: the study in the city of Florence (Italy). Grana 2020, 59, 366 -376.

AMA Style

Francesco Ciani, Michele Pampaloni, Bruno Foggi, Marta Mariotti Lippi. Comparing pollen data from moss cushions and a volumetric sampler: the study in the city of Florence (Italy). Grana. 2020; 59 (5):366-376.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Francesco Ciani; Michele Pampaloni; Bruno Foggi; Marta Mariotti Lippi. 2020. "Comparing pollen data from moss cushions and a volumetric sampler: the study in the city of Florence (Italy)." Grana 59, no. 5: 366-376.

Original paper
Published: 03 March 2020 in Aerobiologia
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Airborne pollen assemblage depends on the land cover of the area surrounding the volumetric trap and the flow of air masses. In urban contexts, the amount of airborne pollen is the result of the contribution of both local green areas and extra-urban vegetation, in addition to wind direction and speed. The present study focused on the combined effects of land cover and wind on the airborne pollen recorded in Florence over a 5-year period, in order to identify the area from where most of the pollen comes to the city. The study revealed that Cupressaceae, Olea and Quercus pollen display a positive correlation among their pollen concentrations and the geographical distribution of their sources. The overall influence of maximum wind speed is greater than the number of calm wind days. The latter is appreciable only for the pollen of Cupressaceae and Olea, whose trees are located in the proximity of the urban area, in the southern part of the city. The results showed that the land cover configuration strongly influences the airborne pollen captured by volumetric traps; despite the prevalent wind directions, the vegetation of the reliefs surrounding the city can be considered as the greatest area of pollen contribution.

ACS Style

Francesco Ciani; Giovanna Marchi; Lorella Dell’Olmo; Bruno Foggi; Marta Mariotti Lippi. Contribution of land cover and wind to the airborne pollen recorded in a South European urban area. Aerobiologia 2020, 36, 325 -340.

AMA Style

Francesco Ciani, Giovanna Marchi, Lorella Dell’Olmo, Bruno Foggi, Marta Mariotti Lippi. Contribution of land cover and wind to the airborne pollen recorded in a South European urban area. Aerobiologia. 2020; 36 (3):325-340.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Francesco Ciani; Giovanna Marchi; Lorella Dell’Olmo; Bruno Foggi; Marta Mariotti Lippi. 2020. "Contribution of land cover and wind to the airborne pollen recorded in a South European urban area." Aerobiologia 36, no. 3: 325-340.

Articles
Published: 21 February 2020 in Plant Biosystems - An International Journal Dealing with all Aspects of Plant Biology
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Cupressaceae is one of the most widespread families in the Mediterranean region, widely used as ornamental trees both in cities and in extra urban areas. The family is also known to produce a considerable amount of pollen grains. Nevertheless, Cupressaceae pollen is generally scarce in sediments and it is attested to be one of the most underrepresented pollen in ancient spectra. Cupressaceae pollen diffusion was detected by means of two sampling methods: moss cushions, which are able to accumulate pollen grains for several successive years, and volumetric sampler, which records the airborne pollen day by day. The study was conducted in the city of Florence (Italy), repeating moss samplings at the same sites for three times. The comparison between the two sampling methods revealed the low preservation of this pollen type and suggested that even low quantities of this pollen may indicate the local presence of the source plants. In order to test the contribution of the local pollen sources to the background of the airborne pollen, the pollen content of moss cushions was also related to the number of Cupressaceae plants surroundings each sampling site. The results indicate a noticeable influence of the plants growing in a short-range distance.

ACS Style

Francesco Ciani; Bruno Foggi; Marta Mariotti Lippi. Cupressaceae pollen: new data about diffusion, record and preservation. Plant Biosystems - An International Journal Dealing with all Aspects of Plant Biology 2020, 1 -6.

AMA Style

Francesco Ciani, Bruno Foggi, Marta Mariotti Lippi. Cupressaceae pollen: new data about diffusion, record and preservation. Plant Biosystems - An International Journal Dealing with all Aspects of Plant Biology. 2020; ():1-6.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Francesco Ciani; Bruno Foggi; Marta Mariotti Lippi. 2020. "Cupressaceae pollen: new data about diffusion, record and preservation." Plant Biosystems - An International Journal Dealing with all Aspects of Plant Biology , no. : 1-6.

Journal article
Published: 21 June 2019 in Journal of Human Evolution
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A paleosurface with a concentration of wooden-, bone-, and stone-tools interspersed among an accumulation of fossil bones, largely belonging to the straight-tusked elephant Palaeoloxodon antiquus, was found at the bottom of a pool, fed by hot springs, that was excavated at Poggetti Vecchi, near Grosseto (Tuscany, Italy). The site is radiometrically dated to the late Middle Pleistocene, around 171,000 years BP. Notable is the association of the artifacts with the elephant bones, and in particular the presence of digging sticks made from boxwood (Buxus sp.). Although stone tools show evidence of use mainly on animal tissues, indicating some form of interaction between hominins and animals, the precise use of the sticks is unclear. Here we discuss about the role played by the hominins at the site: paleobiological and taphonomic evidence indicates that the elephants died by a natural cause and were butchered soon after their death. The associated paleontological and archeological evidence from this site provides fresh insights into the behavior of early Neanderthals in Central Italy. The discovery of Poggetti Vecchi shows how opportunistically flexible Neanderthals were in response to environmental contingencies.

ACS Style

Biancamaria Aranguren; Stefano Grimaldi; Marco Benvenuti; Chiara Capalbo; Floriano Cavanna; Fabio Cavulli; Francesco Ciani; Giacomo Comencini; Claudia Giuliani; Giuditta Grandinetti; Marta Mariotti Lippi; Federico Masini; Paul Peter Anthony Mazza; Pasquino Pallecchi; Fabio Santaniello; Andrea Savorelli; Anna Revedin. Poggetti Vecchi (Tuscany, Italy): A late Middle Pleistocene case of human–elephant interaction. Journal of Human Evolution 2019, 133, 32 -60.

AMA Style

Biancamaria Aranguren, Stefano Grimaldi, Marco Benvenuti, Chiara Capalbo, Floriano Cavanna, Fabio Cavulli, Francesco Ciani, Giacomo Comencini, Claudia Giuliani, Giuditta Grandinetti, Marta Mariotti Lippi, Federico Masini, Paul Peter Anthony Mazza, Pasquino Pallecchi, Fabio Santaniello, Andrea Savorelli, Anna Revedin. Poggetti Vecchi (Tuscany, Italy): A late Middle Pleistocene case of human–elephant interaction. Journal of Human Evolution. 2019; 133 ():32-60.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Biancamaria Aranguren; Stefano Grimaldi; Marco Benvenuti; Chiara Capalbo; Floriano Cavanna; Fabio Cavulli; Francesco Ciani; Giacomo Comencini; Claudia Giuliani; Giuditta Grandinetti; Marta Mariotti Lippi; Federico Masini; Paul Peter Anthony Mazza; Pasquino Pallecchi; Fabio Santaniello; Andrea Savorelli; Anna Revedin. 2019. "Poggetti Vecchi (Tuscany, Italy): A late Middle Pleistocene case of human–elephant interaction." Journal of Human Evolution 133, no. : 32-60.

Journal article
Published: 30 August 2017 in Quaternary Research
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Work on thermal pools at Poggetti Vecchi in Grosseto, Italy, exposed an up to 3-meter-thick succession of seven sedimentary units. Unit 2 in the lower portion of the succession contained vertebrate bones, mostly of the straight-tusked elephant, Palaeoloxodon antiquus, commingled with stone, bone, and wooden tools. Thermal carbonates overlying Unit 2 are radiometrically dated to the latter part of the middle Pleistocene. This time span indicates that early Neanderthals produced the human artifacts from Poggetti Vecchi. The elephant bones belong to seven individuals of different ages. Sedimentary facies analysis and paleoecological evidence suggest a narrow lacustrine-palustrine embayment affected by water-level fluctuations and, at times, by hydrothermal water. Cyclic lake-level variations were predominantly forced by the rapid climatic fluctuations that occurred at Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 6–7 transition and throughout the MIS 6. Possibly an abrupt, intense, and protracted cold episode during the onset of MIS 6 led to the sudden death of the elephants, which formed an unexpected food resource for the humans of the area. The Poggetti Vecchi site adds new information on the behavioral plasticity and food procurement strategies that early Neanderthals were able to develop in Italy during the middle to the late Pleistocene transition.

ACS Style

Marco Benvenuti; Jean-Jacques Bahain; Chiara Capalbo; Chiara Capretti; Francesco Ciani; Carmine D’Amico; Daniela Esu; Gianna Giachi; Claudia Giuliani; Elsa Gliozzi; Simona Lazzeri; Nicola Macchioni; Marta Mariotti Lippi; Federico Masini; Paul Mazza; Pasquino Pallecchi; Anna Revedin; Andrea Savorelli; Marco Spadi; Lorena Sozzi; Amina Vietti; Mario Voltaggio; Biancamaria Aranguren. Paleoenvironmental context of the early Neanderthals of Poggetti Vecchi for the late middle Pleistocene of Central Italy. Quaternary Research 2017, 88, 327 -344.

AMA Style

Marco Benvenuti, Jean-Jacques Bahain, Chiara Capalbo, Chiara Capretti, Francesco Ciani, Carmine D’Amico, Daniela Esu, Gianna Giachi, Claudia Giuliani, Elsa Gliozzi, Simona Lazzeri, Nicola Macchioni, Marta Mariotti Lippi, Federico Masini, Paul Mazza, Pasquino Pallecchi, Anna Revedin, Andrea Savorelli, Marco Spadi, Lorena Sozzi, Amina Vietti, Mario Voltaggio, Biancamaria Aranguren. Paleoenvironmental context of the early Neanderthals of Poggetti Vecchi for the late middle Pleistocene of Central Italy. Quaternary Research. 2017; 88 (2):327-344.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Marco Benvenuti; Jean-Jacques Bahain; Chiara Capalbo; Chiara Capretti; Francesco Ciani; Carmine D’Amico; Daniela Esu; Gianna Giachi; Claudia Giuliani; Elsa Gliozzi; Simona Lazzeri; Nicola Macchioni; Marta Mariotti Lippi; Federico Masini; Paul Mazza; Pasquino Pallecchi; Anna Revedin; Andrea Savorelli; Marco Spadi; Lorena Sozzi; Amina Vietti; Mario Voltaggio; Biancamaria Aranguren. 2017. "Paleoenvironmental context of the early Neanderthals of Poggetti Vecchi for the late middle Pleistocene of Central Italy." Quaternary Research 88, no. 2: 327-344.