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Monica Puccini
Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering, University of Pisa, Largo Lucio Lazzarino, 56122 Pisa, Italy

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Preprint content
Published: 16 July 2021
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ACS Style

Rosa Lo Frano; Monica Puccini; Eleonora Stefanelli. Feasibility Study of a New Fabrication Method for the Li4SiO4 Pebbles. 2021, 1 .

AMA Style

Rosa Lo Frano, Monica Puccini, Eleonora Stefanelli. Feasibility Study of a New Fabrication Method for the Li4SiO4 Pebbles. . 2021; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rosa Lo Frano; Monica Puccini; Eleonora Stefanelli. 2021. "Feasibility Study of a New Fabrication Method for the Li4SiO4 Pebbles." , no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 16 March 2021 in Sustainability
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The PARSIFAL project (Prandtlplane ARchitecture for the Sustainable Improvement of Future AirpLanes) aims to promote an innovative box-wing aircraft: the PrandtlPlane. Aircraft developed adopting this configuration are expected to achieve a payload capability higher than common single aisle analogues (e.g., Airbus 320 and Boeing 737 families), without any increase in the overall dimensions. We estimated the exhaust emissions from the PrandtlPlane and compared the corresponding impacts to those of a conventional reference aircraft, in terms of Global Warming Potential (GWP) and Global Temperature Potential (GTP), on two time-horizons and accounted for regional sensitivity. We considered carbon dioxide, carbonaceous and sulphate aerosols, nitrogen oxides and related ozone production, methane degradation and nitrate aerosols formation, contrails, and contrail cirrus. Overall, the introduction of the PrandtlPlane is expected to bring a considerable reduction of climate change in all the source regions considered, on both the time-horizons examined. Moreover, fuel consumption is expected to be reduced by 20%, as confirmed through high-fidelity Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations. Sensitivity of data, models, and metrics are detailed. Impact reduction and mitigation strategies are discussed, as well as the gaps to be addressed in order to develop a comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment on aircraft emissions.

ACS Style

Andrea Tasca; Vittorio Cipolla; Karim Abu Salem; Monica Puccini. Innovative Box-Wing Aircraft: Emissions and Climate Change. Sustainability 2021, 13, 3282 .

AMA Style

Andrea Tasca, Vittorio Cipolla, Karim Abu Salem, Monica Puccini. Innovative Box-Wing Aircraft: Emissions and Climate Change. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (6):3282.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andrea Tasca; Vittorio Cipolla; Karim Abu Salem; Monica Puccini. 2021. "Innovative Box-Wing Aircraft: Emissions and Climate Change." Sustainability 13, no. 6: 3282.

Journal article
Published: 01 December 2020 in Fusion Engineering and Design
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Open issues for fusion reactor technology are related to the breeder material to be used for the nuclear fusion reaction. Despite in the last decades several studies were carried out, the selection, characterization and reliability of breeder material are still open issues. In this study, the attention is focused on the production of lithium orthosilicate (Li4SiO4) by means of drip casting method. The feasibility of this method was verified using an experimental rig designed and constructed purposely at the Pisa University, Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering (DICI). The green pebbles were produced starting from a suspension of Li4SiO4 precursors (i.e. LiOH and Si(OCH2CH3)4) prepared by sol-gel method. These pebbles were dried at 40 °C for 4 h, and then sintered in air at 900 °C for 10 h. The morphological and physical properties of the obtained pebbles were analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray and compression tests. The X-ray results showed the main characteristic peaks of Li4SiO4 crystalline phase and small peaks attributable to calcium metasilicate, while the SEM analysis showed a homogeneous and uniform structure of the pebbles. The obtained preliminary results showed the feasibility of dripping at room temperature and provided further useful information for the optimization of the process.

ACS Style

Rosa Lo Frano; Eleonora Stefanelli; Monica Puccini. Feasibility of Li4SiO4 pebbles by drip casting and preliminary characterization. Fusion Engineering and Design 2020, 161, 111920 .

AMA Style

Rosa Lo Frano, Eleonora Stefanelli, Monica Puccini. Feasibility of Li4SiO4 pebbles by drip casting and preliminary characterization. Fusion Engineering and Design. 2020; 161 ():111920.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rosa Lo Frano; Eleonora Stefanelli; Monica Puccini. 2020. "Feasibility of Li4SiO4 pebbles by drip casting and preliminary characterization." Fusion Engineering and Design 161, no. : 111920.

Research article
Published: 12 November 2020 in ACS Applied Energy Materials
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For the effective reduction of global CO2 emissions, it is essential to develop and deploy efficient and cost-effective technologies for CO2 capture, especially from large point sources. We recently developed an electrochemically mediated amine regeneration (EMAR) system to replace traditional thermal desorption for the capture of CO2 from post-combustion flue gases. Despite EMAR effectiveness on a laboratory scale, concerns regarding the high gas-to-liquid ratio in the electrochemical cell and long-term instability of the electrodes need to be addressed before further scale-up of the process to a pilot plant and beyond can be entertained. Accordingly, we investigated the effect of using sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as an anionic surfactant and dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) as a cationic surfactant on the process operation. It was found that it is advantageous to use an anionic surfactant for a system such as EMAR that contains hydrophilic electrodes and a positively charged electrochemically active species. The overall cell resistance was notably reduced when SDS anionic surfactant was used. The precipitation of copper particles observed in the anode outlet when no surfactant was used was effectively avoided when SDS was added to the electrolyte, resulting in electrode stability. In addition, smaller gas bubbles were produced in the presence of the SDS surfactant, which resulted in less blockage of the electrode by the gas with a resultant lower cell potential under constant current conditions, driving more efficient CO2 desorption. This led to an ∼25% reduction in the electrochemical energy requirement, the lowest ever achieved experimentally for the EMAR process. Overall, the addition of a very low concentration of SDS resulted in the successful circumvention of the important problems faced by the EMAR system regarding further scale-up.

ACS Style

Mohammad Rahimi; Federico Zucchelli; Monica Puccini; T. Alan Hatton. Improved CO2 Capture Performance of Electrochemically Mediated Amine Regeneration Processes with Ionic Surfactant Additives. ACS Applied Energy Materials 2020, 3, 10823 -10830.

AMA Style

Mohammad Rahimi, Federico Zucchelli, Monica Puccini, T. Alan Hatton. Improved CO2 Capture Performance of Electrochemically Mediated Amine Regeneration Processes with Ionic Surfactant Additives. ACS Applied Energy Materials. 2020; 3 (11):10823-10830.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mohammad Rahimi; Federico Zucchelli; Monica Puccini; T. Alan Hatton. 2020. "Improved CO2 Capture Performance of Electrochemically Mediated Amine Regeneration Processes with Ionic Surfactant Additives." ACS Applied Energy Materials 3, no. 11: 10823-10830.

Research article
Published: 09 October 2020 in Journal of Environmental Health Science and Engineering
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Chlorpyrifos is an organophosphorus insecticide, acaricide and miticide used worldwide for the control of soil-borne insect pests. It must be considered as a substance of growing concern, given its use, toxicity, environmental occurrence, and potential for regional to long-range atmospheric transport. Considering the incomplete removal attained by conventional water treatment processes, we investigated the efficiency of electrolytic radicals production and sonoelectrolysis on the degradation of the pesticide. The treatment has been conducted in a novel electrochemical reactor, equipped with a boron-doped diamond anode and a solid polymer electrolyte (SPE). Different current intensity and times have been tested and coupled with sonication at 40 kHz. Up to 69% of chlorpyrifos was completely removed in 10 min by electrolysis operated at 0.1 mA, while 12.5% and 5.4% was converted into the treatment intermediates 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCP) and diethyl (3,5,6-trichloropyridin-2-yl) phosphate, respectively. Ultrasound irradiation did not enhance the removal efficiency, likely due to mass transport limitations, while the energy consumption increased from 8.68∙10− 6 to 9.34∙10− 4 kWh µg− 1 removed. Further research is encouraged, given the promising processing by the SPE technology of low conductivity solutions, as pharmaceuticals streams, as well as the potential for water and in-situ groundwater remediation from different emerging pollutants as phytosanitary and personal care products.

ACS Style

Andrea Luca Tasca; Davide Clematis; Marco Panizza; Sandra Vitolo; Monica Puccini. Chlorpyrifos removal: Nb/boron-doped diamond anode coupled with solid polymer electrolyte and ultrasound irradiation. Journal of Environmental Health Science and Engineering 2020, 18, 1391 -1399.

AMA Style

Andrea Luca Tasca, Davide Clematis, Marco Panizza, Sandra Vitolo, Monica Puccini. Chlorpyrifos removal: Nb/boron-doped diamond anode coupled with solid polymer electrolyte and ultrasound irradiation. Journal of Environmental Health Science and Engineering. 2020; 18 (2):1391-1399.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andrea Luca Tasca; Davide Clematis; Marco Panizza; Sandra Vitolo; Monica Puccini. 2020. "Chlorpyrifos removal: Nb/boron-doped diamond anode coupled with solid polymer electrolyte and ultrasound irradiation." Journal of Environmental Health Science and Engineering 18, no. 2: 1391-1399.

Journal article
Published: 09 October 2020 in Water Science and Technology
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Hydrothermal carbonization can play an innovative role in sewage sludge (SS) treatment and valorization, as well as in phosphorus recovery. In this study, leaching tests using nitric acid were performed on hydrochar from SS and the influence of pH (1–3.5), leaching time (30–240 min), and solid/liquid (S/L) ratio (5–20 wt%) was analyzed and optimized according to the Design of Experiments method, under the Response Surface Methodology approach. The highest phosphorus extraction yield (59.57%) was achieved at the lowest pH and the lowest S/L ratio, while an increase in temperature from 20 to 60 °C negatively affected the phosphorus recovery. Quadratic models, with the addition of semi-cubic terms, were found to best represent both phosphorus yield and ash content of the hydrochar after leaching. As observed by 3-dimensional surface responses, phosphorus yield increases as the pH decreases. The pH is the factor that most influences this response, while time has little influence. At pH 1, the yield increases as the S/L ratio decreases, while the S/L ratio only slightly affects the response at pH 3.5. At an S/L ratio of 12.5%, multi-objective optimization indicates that pH 1 and a leaching time of 135 min are the parameters that allow both maximum phosphorus yield and minimum ash content.

ACS Style

Andrea Luca Tasca; Gemma Mannarino; Riccardo Gori; Sandra Vitolo; Monica Puccini. Phosphorus recovery from sewage sludge hydrochar: process optimization by response surface methodology. Water Science and Technology 2020, 82, 2331 -2343.

AMA Style

Andrea Luca Tasca, Gemma Mannarino, Riccardo Gori, Sandra Vitolo, Monica Puccini. Phosphorus recovery from sewage sludge hydrochar: process optimization by response surface methodology. Water Science and Technology. 2020; 82 (11):2331-2343.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andrea Luca Tasca; Gemma Mannarino; Riccardo Gori; Sandra Vitolo; Monica Puccini. 2020. "Phosphorus recovery from sewage sludge hydrochar: process optimization by response surface methodology." Water Science and Technology 82, no. 11: 2331-2343.

Research article
Published: 28 August 2020 in Chemical Engineering & Technology
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Hydrothermal carbonization of sewage sludge was carried out with the aim to evaluate the influence of process severity and initial solid content. Response surface methodology was applied to model yield and C yield responses. Enhanced dewaterability performance was recorded at mild processing conditions. The treatment promoted concentration and immobilization of Pb, Cd, Ni, Zn, and Cu. Variation of the solid content showed major influence than severity on average yield and C yield. Higher heating values (HHVs) and energy retention efficiencies (EREs) of hydrochars obtained at the lowest solid content displayed the lowest values. Hence, the energy requirements of a first dewatering step should be compared with the related improvement in terms of HHV and ERE when sludge is used as feedstock.

ACS Style

Andrea Luca Tasca; Eleonora Stefanelli; Anna Maria Raspolli Galletti; Riccardo Gori; Gemma Mannarino; Sandra Vitolo; Dr.-Ing. Monica Puccini. Hydrothermal Carbonization of Sewage Sludge: Analysis of Process Severity and Solid Content. Chemical Engineering & Technology 2020, 43, 2382 -2392.

AMA Style

Andrea Luca Tasca, Eleonora Stefanelli, Anna Maria Raspolli Galletti, Riccardo Gori, Gemma Mannarino, Sandra Vitolo, Dr.-Ing. Monica Puccini. Hydrothermal Carbonization of Sewage Sludge: Analysis of Process Severity and Solid Content. Chemical Engineering & Technology. 2020; 43 (12):2382-2392.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andrea Luca Tasca; Eleonora Stefanelli; Anna Maria Raspolli Galletti; Riccardo Gori; Gemma Mannarino; Sandra Vitolo; Dr.-Ing. Monica Puccini. 2020. "Hydrothermal Carbonization of Sewage Sludge: Analysis of Process Severity and Solid Content." Chemical Engineering & Technology 43, no. 12: 2382-2392.

Original article
Published: 06 May 2020 in Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management
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Hydrothermal carbonization offers the opportunity to reduce the issues related to the management of sewage sludge, enhancing dewaterability and avoiding thermal treatment prior landfill disposal or incineration, as water acts as a subcritical medium which catalyzes the process. The hydrochar obtained can find sustainable application as fuel, sorbent and soil amendment. Here, the effects of activation temperature (550–750 °C), time (1–4 h) and impregnation ratio potassium hydroxide: hydrochar (1–3), as well as their interactions, were investigated by Response Surface Methodology. The carbonaceous sorbent was then applied for the removal of terbuthylazine from aqueous solutions. Solid yields up to 32.31% were obtained, with corresponding ash content ranging from 13.05 to 35.06%. The combined effect of time and temperature significantly affects the ash content. An increase of impregnation ratio or temperature leads to low yields but high terbuthylazine adsorption, while the effect of the activation time on the pollutant removal is negligible. Up to 63.87% of the herbicide was adsorbed by the activated material, at terbuthylazine concentration of 2.5 mg L−1. The developed sorbent well fits the circular economy approach, offering a promising potential for sewage sludge management, as well as for water remediation.

ACS Style

Andrea Luca Tasca; Monica Puccini; Eleonora Stefanelli; Riccardo Gori; Anna Maria Raspolli Galletti; Sandra Vitolo. Investigating the activation of hydrochar from sewage sludge for the removal of terbuthylazine from aqueous solutions. Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management 2020, 22, 1539 -1551.

AMA Style

Andrea Luca Tasca, Monica Puccini, Eleonora Stefanelli, Riccardo Gori, Anna Maria Raspolli Galletti, Sandra Vitolo. Investigating the activation of hydrochar from sewage sludge for the removal of terbuthylazine from aqueous solutions. Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management. 2020; 22 (5):1539-1551.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andrea Luca Tasca; Monica Puccini; Eleonora Stefanelli; Riccardo Gori; Anna Maria Raspolli Galletti; Sandra Vitolo. 2020. "Investigating the activation of hydrochar from sewage sludge for the removal of terbuthylazine from aqueous solutions." Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management 22, no. 5: 1539-1551.

Journal article
Published: 10 December 2019 in Journal of Water Process Engineering
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Ciprofloxacin (CIP) is a broad-spectrum antibiotic of the fluoroquinolone group. The low biodegradability of this compound enhances its accumulation in the environment, with associated interference on non-target pathogens, photosynthesis of plants, alterations in the structure of algae and increasing risk of resistant bacteria development. Production plants and hospitals are the main sources of water contamination. Hence, the development of efficient technologies for the treatment of wastewaters is recommended. Here, ultrasound irradiation coupled with the electrochemical generation of hydroxyl radicals by Nb/BDD anode were investigated to remove CIP from aqueous solutions. A solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) was used to overcome the low conductivity of the solution treated. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was applied with the aim to evaluate the effects of electric current, ultrasound irradiation and stirring rate on the removal and the energy requirements associated to the treatment. Up to 91.36 % of CIP disappearance was attained within 20 min. at 1.16 A and 520 rpm. Ultrasound irradiation at 40 kHz enhanced the removal of the compound only at low current intensity, while strongly affected the energy demand. A treatment time of 30 min. at 0.642 A and 660 rpm has been suggested to minimize the specific energy consumption, estimated to be <1.91 10−3 kWh mg−1. Further research is encouraged, given the promising potential of a zero-discharge removal of several emerging pollutants as phytosanitary, pharmaceuticals and personal care products.

ACS Style

Andrea Luca Tasca; Davide Clematis; Eleonora Stefanelli; Marco Panizza; Monica Puccini. Ciprofloxacin removal: BDD anode coupled with solid polymer electrolyte and ultrasound irradiation. Journal of Water Process Engineering 2019, 33, 101074 .

AMA Style

Andrea Luca Tasca, Davide Clematis, Eleonora Stefanelli, Marco Panizza, Monica Puccini. Ciprofloxacin removal: BDD anode coupled with solid polymer electrolyte and ultrasound irradiation. Journal of Water Process Engineering. 2019; 33 ():101074.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andrea Luca Tasca; Davide Clematis; Eleonora Stefanelli; Marco Panizza; Monica Puccini. 2019. "Ciprofloxacin removal: BDD anode coupled with solid polymer electrolyte and ultrasound irradiation." Journal of Water Process Engineering 33, no. : 101074.

Journal article
Published: 20 July 2019 in Chemical Engineering Journal
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The present study investigated the CO2 sorption mechanism on lithium orthosilicate (Li4SiO4) doped with potassium carbonate (K2CO3) in form of powders and macroporous pellets. The CO2 sorption performance was studied under different temperatures (540–580 °C) and CO2 partial pressures (0.04–0.50 atm). The results showed that the addition of K2CO3 improved the CO2 uptake rate and capacity, mainly at low-moderate CO2 partial pressures, owing to an increase of diffusion rate through the product layer. Moreover, a modified shrinking core model was developed to explain the mechanisms that occur during the sorption introducing a CO2 diffusion coefficient through the product layer depending on the Li4SiO4 conversion. The results showed an excellent fitting of the modified shrinking core model to the experimental data obtained in the tested sorption temperature and CO2 partial pressure range, both for the sorbent in powder and pellet form. Thus, the proposed model could be employed to well simulate the CO2 sorption kinetic behavior on K2CO3 doped Li4SiO4-based sorbents.

ACS Style

Eleonora Stefanelli; Monica Puccini; Sandra Vitolo; Maurizia Seggiani. CO2 sorption kinetic study and modeling on doped-Li4SiO4 under different temperatures and CO2 partial pressures. Chemical Engineering Journal 2019, 379, 122307 .

AMA Style

Eleonora Stefanelli, Monica Puccini, Sandra Vitolo, Maurizia Seggiani. CO2 sorption kinetic study and modeling on doped-Li4SiO4 under different temperatures and CO2 partial pressures. Chemical Engineering Journal. 2019; 379 ():122307.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Eleonora Stefanelli; Monica Puccini; Sandra Vitolo; Maurizia Seggiani. 2019. "CO2 sorption kinetic study and modeling on doped-Li4SiO4 under different temperatures and CO2 partial pressures." Chemical Engineering Journal 379, no. : 122307.

Research article
Published: 05 June 2019 in Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research
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Two supply chains for of biomethane are here analyzed and modeled: gasification of Short Rotation Forestry (SRF) poplar wood chips and anaerobic digestion of two species of microalgae, Chlorella vulgaris and Nannochloropsis gaditana. Mass and energy balances are carried out along the whole systems, from the cultivation step to the stages of upgrading and injection into gas grid. A simulation model is employed to obtain gasification and upgrading parameters, energy requirements and CO2 emission. Harvesting of microalgae requires high inputs of energy and fertilizers, while syngas upgrading is more demanding than biogas treatment, as high volumes of water and CO2 must be separated. Yields of the supply chains are very different: 7:1 biomethane:syngas ratio and 2:1 biomethane:biogas ratio have been estimated. Both the supply chains could be optimized by using heat recovery methods. The highest removal of CO2 and steam can be attained through absorption by triethylene and monoethanolamine solution, respectively.

ACS Style

Riccardo Bacci di Capaci; Andrea Luca Tasca; Gabriele Pannocchia; Claudio Scali; Leonardo Tognotti; Elisabetta Brunazzi; Cristiano Nicolella; Monica Puccini. Biomethane Production: Mass and Energy Balances of Alternative Supply Chains. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research 2019, 58, 10951 -10962.

AMA Style

Riccardo Bacci di Capaci, Andrea Luca Tasca, Gabriele Pannocchia, Claudio Scali, Leonardo Tognotti, Elisabetta Brunazzi, Cristiano Nicolella, Monica Puccini. Biomethane Production: Mass and Energy Balances of Alternative Supply Chains. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research. 2019; 58 (25):10951-10962.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Riccardo Bacci di Capaci; Andrea Luca Tasca; Gabriele Pannocchia; Claudio Scali; Leonardo Tognotti; Elisabetta Brunazzi; Cristiano Nicolella; Monica Puccini. 2019. "Biomethane Production: Mass and Energy Balances of Alternative Supply Chains." Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research 58, no. 25: 10951-10962.

Journal article
Published: 26 May 2019 in Coatings
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Increasing environmental awareness is pushing towards sustainable approaches to the design and management of transport infrastructures. A life cycle assessment of low noise pavements is carried out here, with the aim to evaluate and compare the use of warm mix asphalts containing crumb rubber (CR) from end-of-life tires (ELTs) and reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP). Different scenarios have been considered, taking into account production, construction, maintenance activities, and end-of-life of the pavement, according to a cradle to grave approach. Hot mix asphalt (HMA) was used as a reference wearing course. Results show that the simultaneous implementation of warm asphalt technologies and recycled materials can lead to a 50% reduction of the environmental burdens, compared to the standard scenario. The difference is mainly ascribed to the material depletion, the energy consumption, and the emissions associated with the frequency of maintenance of the wearing course. The use of asphalt rubber is environmentally advantageous, if compared to polymer modified binders (PMB); moreover, rubberized open-graded mixtures require the lowest bitumen content and maintenance. The findings of this research support the use of recycled materials and warm technologies as a way to improve the environmental sustainability of low noise pavements.

ACS Style

Monica Puccini; Pietro Leandri; Andrea Luca Tasca; Lavinia Pistonesi; Massimo Losa. Improving the Environmental Sustainability of Low Noise Pavements: Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Reclaimed Asphalt and Crumb Rubber Based Warm Mix Technologies. Coatings 2019, 9, 343 .

AMA Style

Monica Puccini, Pietro Leandri, Andrea Luca Tasca, Lavinia Pistonesi, Massimo Losa. Improving the Environmental Sustainability of Low Noise Pavements: Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Reclaimed Asphalt and Crumb Rubber Based Warm Mix Technologies. Coatings. 2019; 9 (5):343.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Monica Puccini; Pietro Leandri; Andrea Luca Tasca; Lavinia Pistonesi; Massimo Losa. 2019. "Improving the Environmental Sustainability of Low Noise Pavements: Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Reclaimed Asphalt and Crumb Rubber Based Warm Mix Technologies." Coatings 9, no. 5: 343.

Review article
Published: 20 May 2019 in Waste Management
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Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of sewage sludge reduces the waste volume and can be source of energy and valuable products. Furthermore, HTC offers several advantages over conventional dry-thermal pre-treatments, as no prior drying is requested, and the high quality of the char produced promotes applications as energy production and storage, wastewater remediation, and soil amendment. Relationships between char yields, physicochemical properties and process parameters are here analysed, with the aim to provide insight into the choice of the process severity required to fit the desired application. Moreover, presence and fate of heavy metals and organic contaminants are discussed. The highest reaction temperature is the main parameter affecting the physicochemical characteristics of the char produced, while the heating rate governs the heat mass transfer and the rate of intermediates formation. Depolymerization of the biomass results in a reduction of the oxygen to carbon ratio and, therefore, in augmented high heating values, further increased by deposition of 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural. Recirculation of process water may enhance dehydration reactions and the deposition of degraded polymers, increasing dewaterability and yield, but field trials are recommended to assess the feasibility of this option. An overuse of chars for energy generation purposes would be deleterious for the environmental life cycle. Further research is encouraged to assess the pollutants abatement and their degradation pathways when incorporated in the carbonaceous product, to promote the application of hydrochars as soil amendment, as well as for environmental remediation purposes.

ACS Style

Andrea Luca Tasca; Monica Puccini; Riccardo Gori; Ilaria Corsi; Anna Maria Raspolli Galletti; Sandra Vitolo. Hydrothermal carbonization of sewage sludge: A critical analysis of process severity, hydrochar properties and environmental implications. Waste Management 2019, 93, 1 -13.

AMA Style

Andrea Luca Tasca, Monica Puccini, Riccardo Gori, Ilaria Corsi, Anna Maria Raspolli Galletti, Sandra Vitolo. Hydrothermal carbonization of sewage sludge: A critical analysis of process severity, hydrochar properties and environmental implications. Waste Management. 2019; 93 ():1-13.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andrea Luca Tasca; Monica Puccini; Riccardo Gori; Ilaria Corsi; Anna Maria Raspolli Galletti; Sandra Vitolo. 2019. "Hydrothermal carbonization of sewage sludge: A critical analysis of process severity, hydrochar properties and environmental implications." Waste Management 93, no. : 1-13.

Journal article
Published: 03 May 2019 in Environmental Pollution
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Terbuthylazine (TBA) has replaced atrazine in many EU countries, becoming one of the most frequently detected pesticides in natural waters. TBA is a compound of emerging concern, due to its persistence, toxicity and proven endocrine disruption activity to wildlife and humans. Techniques applied in water treatment plants remove only partially this herbicide and poor attention is given to the generation and fate of by-products, although some of them have demonstrated an estrogenic activity comparable to atrazine. This paper summarizes the environmental occurrence of TBA and its main metabolite desethylterbuthylazine and reports the performance of an innovative electrochemical cell equipped with a solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) sandwiched between a Ti/RuO2 cathode and a Boron-Doped Diamond anode, operating at constant current, in the treatment of an aqueous solution of TBA. The herbicide removal in the first 30 min of treatment increases from 42% to 92% as the applied current is increased from 100 to 500 mA. The rate of degradation at 500 mA decreases between 30 and 60 min, with a final abatement of 97%. An 89% removal was reached at 100 mA when the initial TBA concentration was raised from 0.1 to 4 mg L−1 and less than 1% of the herbicide was converted in desethylterbuthylazine and minor metabolites. No chemicals are needed, no sludge is produced. Further research is encouraged, as this technology may be promising for the achievement of a zero-discharge removal of different emerging pollutants as pesticides, pharmaceuticals and personal care products.

ACS Style

Andrea Luca Tasca; Monica Puccini; Davide Clematis; Marco Panizza. Electrochemical removal of Terbuthylazine:Boron-Doped Diamond anode coupled with solid polymer electrolyte. Environmental Pollution 2019, 251, 285 -291.

AMA Style

Andrea Luca Tasca, Monica Puccini, Davide Clematis, Marco Panizza. Electrochemical removal of Terbuthylazine:Boron-Doped Diamond anode coupled with solid polymer electrolyte. Environmental Pollution. 2019; 251 ():285-291.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andrea Luca Tasca; Monica Puccini; Davide Clematis; Marco Panizza. 2019. "Electrochemical removal of Terbuthylazine:Boron-Doped Diamond anode coupled with solid polymer electrolyte." Environmental Pollution 251, no. : 285-291.

Journal article
Published: 04 April 2019 in Journal of Cleaner Production
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Tanneries boost the local economic development, but lead to severe environmental pollution; hence, improving the environmental assessment of this sector is essential. In this paper, the Life Cycle Assessment method was applied to estimate impacts on the environment and human health of retanning, fatliquoring and dyeing. The analysis was performed from a “gate to gate” perspective. Moreover, sulpho chlorinated paraffin and epoxidized vegetable oil have been evaluated as alternative fatliquoring agents. The production of electricity required for the rotation of drums gives the main contribute to most of the impact categories, followed by the azo-dye production. Emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, manganese, vanadium and nickel associated to power plants are the main sources of terrestrial acidification and particulate matter formation, as well as of human and marine toxicity (4.48·10−1 and 1.09·10−2 kg of 1,4-DBeq kg−1 crust leather, respectively). Nitrate loads from wastewater treatment and oxidative treatments affect heavily marine eutrophication (6.9·10−1 g N eq kg−1 crust leather). The use of epoxidized vegetable oil would affect human toxicity, ecosystem, metal and water resources depletion more than the use of sulpho chlorinated paraffin, mainly due to pesticides distribution and other cultivation practices. Phosphate and nitrate releases due to fertilization determine the high impact on the categories freshwater and marine eutrophication. Progress in increasing the conversion efficiency is demanded, but overall focus must be made on the substitution of fossil fuels with cleaner alternatives. The transition towards a circular economy is encouraged; increasing rates of reduction, reuse, recycle and recover of solid waste and tannery effluents are recommended. Agricultural practices with a reduced consumption of phytosanitary products and mineral fertilizers, alternative to conventional farming, would strongly contribute to increase the sustainability of epoxidized vegetable oil as alternative fatliquoring agent.

ACS Style

Andrea Luca Tasca; Monica Puccini. Leather tanning: Life cycle assessment of retanning, fatliquoring and dyeing. Journal of Cleaner Production 2019, 226, 720 -729.

AMA Style

Andrea Luca Tasca, Monica Puccini. Leather tanning: Life cycle assessment of retanning, fatliquoring and dyeing. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2019; 226 ():720-729.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andrea Luca Tasca; Monica Puccini. 2019. "Leather tanning: Life cycle assessment of retanning, fatliquoring and dyeing." Journal of Cleaner Production 226, no. : 720-729.

Journal article
Published: 10 November 2018 in Bioresource Technology
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Gasification of Short Rotation Forestry (SRF) poplar wood chips and anaerobic digestion of the microalga Chlorella vulgaris have been analyzed as alternative supply chains for the production of biomethane. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was performed from the biomass cultivation to the upgrading stages. Process simulation of gasification and upgrading was carried out, environmental impacts of the entire supply chains have been estimated and discussed. The highest CO2 removal has been reached by absorption on monoethanolamine. Electricity requirements heavily affect the SRF chain, while productions of carbon dioxide and fertilizers are the main sources of impact of the microalgae cultivation. The recycle of non-absorbed fertilizers, as well as integration of microalgae digestion in wastewater plants, are recommended. Capture and re-injection of the CO2 lost during the upgrading stages would result, simultaneously, in an 8.53% reduction of the atmospheric emission, and in a minor demand to promote algal growth.

ACS Style

Andrea Luca Tasca; Riccardo Bacci di Capaci; Leonardo Tognotti; Monica Puccini. Biomethane from Short Rotation Forestry and Microalgal Open Ponds: System Modeling and Life Cycle Assessment. Bioresource Technology 2018, 273, 468 -477.

AMA Style

Andrea Luca Tasca, Riccardo Bacci di Capaci, Leonardo Tognotti, Monica Puccini. Biomethane from Short Rotation Forestry and Microalgal Open Ponds: System Modeling and Life Cycle Assessment. Bioresource Technology. 2018; 273 ():468-477.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andrea Luca Tasca; Riccardo Bacci di Capaci; Leonardo Tognotti; Monica Puccini. 2018. "Biomethane from Short Rotation Forestry and Microalgal Open Ponds: System Modeling and Life Cycle Assessment." Bioresource Technology 273, no. : 468-477.

Article
Published: 02 July 2018 in Water, Air, & Soil Pollution
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Thallium is an emerging contaminant, which can be retained in scale encrustation within the pipeline and then released to drinking water. It is included in the Priority Pollutant List of the U.S. EPA. In this study, a sample from the water pipeline of Pietrasanta (Italy), affected by the contamination of thallium, is characterized by SEM-EDS, TGA, and FT-IR. Fluorescence spectroscopy is then proposed as the optimal technique for the detection of the contaminant. The functionality of a previously reported fluorescent calix[4]arene-based chemosensor is verified first on a standard solution of thallium nitrate and then on the sample under investigation. The quenching of the fluorescence of the sensor during the complexation of thallium is confirmed, identifying an ON-OFF sensor with high sensitivity, able to detect concentrations as low as 10−6 M and with high potential of development for the in situ and fast monitoring of the pollutant in the water network.

ACS Style

Monica Puccini; Lorenzo Guazzelli; Andrea Luca Tasca; Andrea Mezzetta; Christian Silvio Pomelli. Development of a Chemosensor for the In Situ Monitoring of Thallium in the Water Network. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution 2018, 229, 239 .

AMA Style

Monica Puccini, Lorenzo Guazzelli, Andrea Luca Tasca, Andrea Mezzetta, Christian Silvio Pomelli. Development of a Chemosensor for the In Situ Monitoring of Thallium in the Water Network. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution. 2018; 229 (7):239.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Monica Puccini; Lorenzo Guazzelli; Andrea Luca Tasca; Andrea Mezzetta; Christian Silvio Pomelli. 2018. "Development of a Chemosensor for the In Situ Monitoring of Thallium in the Water Network." Water, Air, & Soil Pollution 229, no. 7: 239.

Review
Published: 01 July 2018 in Chemosphere
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The herbicide terbuthylazine (TBA) has displaced atrazine in most of EU countries, becoming one of the most regularly used pesticides and, therefore, frequently detected in natural waters. The affinity of TBA for soil organic matter suggests prolonged contamination; degradation leads to the release of the metabolite desethylterbuthylazine (DET), which has higher water solubility and binds more weakly to organic matter compared to the parent compound, resulting in higher associated risk for contamination of groundwater resources. Additionally, TBA and DET are chemicals of emerging concern because of their persistence and toxicity towards aquatic organisms; moreover, they are known to have significant endocrine disruption capacity to wildlife and humans. Conventional treatments applied during drinking water production do not lead to the complete removal of these chemicals; activated carbon provides the greatest efficiency, whereas ozonation can generate by-products with comparable oestrogenic activity to atrazine. Hydrogen peroxide alone is ineffective to degrade TBA, while UV/H2O2 advanced oxidation and photocatalysis are the most effective processes for oxidation of TBA. It has been determined that direct photolysis gives the highest degradation efficiency of all UV/H2O2 treatments, while most of the photocatalytic degradation is attributed to OH radicals, and TiO2 solar-photocatalytic ozonation can lead to almost complete TBA removal in ∼30 min. Constructed wetlands provide a valuable buffer capacity, protecting downstream surface waters from contaminated runoff. TBA and DET occurrence are summarized and removal techniques are critically evaluated and compared, to provide the reader with a comprehensive guide to state-of-the-art TBA removal and potential future treatments.

ACS Style

Andrea Luca Tasca; Monica Puccini; Ashleigh Fletcher. Terbuthylazine and desethylterbuthylazine: Recent occurrence, mobility and removal techniques. Chemosphere 2018, 202, 94 -104.

AMA Style

Andrea Luca Tasca, Monica Puccini, Ashleigh Fletcher. Terbuthylazine and desethylterbuthylazine: Recent occurrence, mobility and removal techniques. Chemosphere. 2018; 202 ():94-104.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andrea Luca Tasca; Monica Puccini; Ashleigh Fletcher. 2018. "Terbuthylazine and desethylterbuthylazine: Recent occurrence, mobility and removal techniques." Chemosphere 202, no. : 94-104.

Journal article
Published: 02 May 2018 in Materials
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An open issue for the fusion power reactor is the choice of breeding blanket material. The possible use of Helium-Cooled Pebble Breeder ceramic material in the form of pebble beds is of great interest worldwide as demonstrated by the numerous studies and research on this subject. Lithium orthosilicate (Li4SiO4) is a promising breeding material investigated in this present study because the neutron capture of Li-6 allows the production of tritium, 6Li (n, t) 4He. Furthermore, lithium orthosilicate has the advantages of low activation characteristics, low thermal expansion coefficient, high thermal conductivity, high density and stability. Even if they are far from the industrial standard, a variety of industrial processes have been proposed for making orthosilicate pebbles with diameters of 0.1–1 mm. However, some manufacturing problems have been observed, such as in the chemical stability (agglomeration phenomena). The aim of this study is to provide a new methodology for the production of pebbles based on the drip casting method, which was jointly developed by the DICI-University of Pisa and Industrie Bitossi. Using this new (and alternative) manufacturing technology, in the field of fusion reactors, appropriately sized ceramic pebbles could be produced for use as tritium breeders.

ACS Style

Rosa Lo Frano; Monica Puccini; Eleonora Stefanelli; Daniele Del Serra; Stefano Malquori. Manufacturing Technology of Ceramic Pebbles for Breeding Blanket. Materials 2018, 11, 718 .

AMA Style

Rosa Lo Frano, Monica Puccini, Eleonora Stefanelli, Daniele Del Serra, Stefano Malquori. Manufacturing Technology of Ceramic Pebbles for Breeding Blanket. Materials. 2018; 11 (5):718.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rosa Lo Frano; Monica Puccini; Eleonora Stefanelli; Daniele Del Serra; Stefano Malquori. 2018. "Manufacturing Technology of Ceramic Pebbles for Breeding Blanket." Materials 11, no. 5: 718.

Journal article
Published: 16 March 2018 in Sustainability
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In this study, we investigate the suitability of hydrochar, produced at industrial scale by hydrothermal carbonization of municipal woody and herbaceous prunings, to be used as soil amendment and peat substitute in organic growth medium for horticulture. Fresh hydrochar and the products of two different hydrochar post-treatments (i.e., washing and aging) were compared in terms of potential phytotoxicity throughout physicochemical characterization and germination tests, performed with a sensitive species (Lactuca sativa). The results showed that the fresh hydrochar obtained from municipal green wastes complies with the Italian regulated parameters for the use as soil amendment. Moreover, hydrochar exhibits biological activity and a high content in organic C, Ca, and other micronutrients (Mg, Zn, Cu, Na, Cl). On the other hand, post-treatments are needed before application of hydrochar as peat substitute in potting mix, since appreciable phytotoxic effects on lettuce seed germination and radicle length of plantlets were observed (e.g., germination percentage of 56% and 54%, with 5 and 10 wt % of hydrochar in the blend, respectively). The inhibition of germination could be mainly attributed to the presence of polyphenols (tannins) and volatile fatty acids, which were most effectively removed through the aging post-treatment.

ACS Style

Monica Puccini; Lucia Ceccarini; Daniele Antichi; Maurizia Seggiani; Silvia Tavarini; Marisa Hernandez Latorre; Sandra Vitolo. Hydrothermal Carbonization of Municipal Woody and Herbaceous Prunings: Hydrochar Valorisation as Soil Amendment and Growth Medium for Horticulture. Sustainability 2018, 10, 846 .

AMA Style

Monica Puccini, Lucia Ceccarini, Daniele Antichi, Maurizia Seggiani, Silvia Tavarini, Marisa Hernandez Latorre, Sandra Vitolo. Hydrothermal Carbonization of Municipal Woody and Herbaceous Prunings: Hydrochar Valorisation as Soil Amendment and Growth Medium for Horticulture. Sustainability. 2018; 10 (3):846.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Monica Puccini; Lucia Ceccarini; Daniele Antichi; Maurizia Seggiani; Silvia Tavarini; Marisa Hernandez Latorre; Sandra Vitolo. 2018. "Hydrothermal Carbonization of Municipal Woody and Herbaceous Prunings: Hydrochar Valorisation as Soil Amendment and Growth Medium for Horticulture." Sustainability 10, no. 3: 846.