Giuseppe Bonifazi

Sapienza University of Rome | la sapienza · Department of Chemical Materials, Environmental Engineering DICMA

During an earthquake, a large amount of waste was generated, and many Asbestos-Containing Materials (ACM) were unintentionally destroyed. ACM is a mixture of cement matrix and asbestos fiber, widely used in construction materials, that causes serious diseases such as lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis, as a consequence of inhalation of the as...

This paper reported a study based on the application of SWIR (shortwave infrared) spectroscopy to assess the presence of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in plastic scraps coming from an e-waste stream composed by CRT (i.e., cathode-ray tube) monitors and televisions. An X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis was performed on plastic scraps to determi...

The goal of this study was to evaluate the degradation of plastic packaging waste in seawater and under simulated solar radiation by different spectroscopic techniques in view of their potential recycling. Selected packaging products made of polypropylene (PP), high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polystyrene (PS) were weathered in a Solar Box for...

Asbestos has been widely used in many applications for its technical properties (i.e. resistance to abrasion, heat and chemicals). Despite its properties, asbestos is recognized as a hazardous material to human health. In this paper a study, based on multivariate analysis, was carried out to verify the possibilities to utilize the hyperspectral ima...

The life cycle of textiles (i.e., fabrics and apparel products) generates many environmental impacts, such as resource consumption, water, soil, and air pollution through the dispersion of chemical substances and greenhouse gases. For these reasons, in 2019, textiles were identified as a “priority product category for the circular economy” by the E...

In this review the main standard and novel analytical techniques and methods for sampling, sample preparation, detection and quantification of asbestos in soil and water are described, compared and discussed in terms of advantages and limitations. An overview of common analytical methods applied for identification and quantification of airborne asb...

The design and adoption of suitable treatments for contaminated/uncontaminated fractions contained in excavated soils is usually carried out in order to reduce resource consumption and waste disposal. In this work, an ad-hoc designed process for separating asbestos-cement fragments from excavated soils and earths is proposed. It is based on a seque...

In this study, benchtop micro-X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (µXRF) was evaluated as a green and cost-effective multielemental analytical technique for P. vittata. Here, we compare the arsenic (As) content values obtained from the same samples by µXRF and inductively coupled plasma-optical emissions spectrometry (ICP–OES). To obtain samples with d...

In this work, freshwater microplastic samples collected from four different stations along the Italian Po river were characterized in terms of abundance, distribution, category, morphological and morphometrical features, and polymer type. The correlation between microplastic category and polymer type was also evaluated. Polymer identification was c...

In this work, arsenic (As) accumulation and distribution over time in Pteris vittata young fronds from adult plants and in whole plantlets, grown on a highly contaminated As-soil, was determined by μ-XRF. A linear increase in As content up to 60 days was found in young fronds at different times, and a progressive distribution from the apex to the b...

In the last few decades, the procedure for identifying, classifying and mapping the asbestos-containing materials (ACMs), and contaminated areas, is considered one of the most important aspects for the purpose of remediation. This task, carried out by skilled workers, can be very long and difficult to perform, and it can also increase the risk of i...

The proposed study was carried out to develop a fast and efficient strategy for plastic waste sensor-based sorting in recycling plants, based on hyperspectral imaging (HSI), combined with variable selection methods, to produce a high-quality recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) flakes stream. Variable selection techniques were applied in order...

Discovered more than 40 years ago, microplastics have become a major environmental issue. With increasing global plastic production, microplastics are of growing concern. Landfills have been pinpointed as primary sources of microplastics to surface waters and they have, in fact, been identified and quantified as such. Due to their small size, diffe...

Detection of brominated plastics from e-waste by short wave infrared spectroscopy

In this study, effective solutions for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recycling based on hyperspectral imaging (HSI) coupled with variable selection method, were developed and optimized. Hyperspectral images of post-consumer plastic flakes, composed by PET and small quantities of other polymers, considered as contaminants, were acquired in the sh...

In this paper, a methodological approach based on hyperspectral imaging (HSI) working in the shortwave infrared range (1000-2500 nm) was developed and applied for the recycling-oriented characterization of post-earthquake building waste. In more detail, the presence of residual cement mortar on the surface of tile fragments that can be recycled as...

In post-stroke hemiparesis, neural impairment alters muscle control, causing abnormal movement and posture in the affected limbs. A decrease in voluntary use of the paretic arm and flexed posture during rest also induce secondary tissue transformation in the upper limb muscles. To obtain a specific, accurate, and reproducible marker of the current...

In this work, the application of Short-Wave Infrared (SWIR: 1000–2500 nm) spectroscopy was evaluated to identify plastic waste containing brominated flame retardants (BFRs) using two different technologies: a portable spectroradiometer, providing spectra of single spots, and a hyperspectral imaging (HSI) platform, acquiring spectral images. X-ray F...

Plastics are very valuable material for their desirable characteristics being one of them, their durability. But this characteristic turns plastics into an environmental problem when they end in the environment, and they become one source of contamination that can last for centuries. Thus, the first step for effective recycling is to identify corre...

Multispectral imaging is a preliminary screening technique for the study of paintings. Although it permits the identification of several mineral pigments by their spectral behavior, it is considered less performing concerning hyperspectral imaging, since a limited number of wavelengths are selected. In this work, we propose an optimized method to m...

This paper reports the results of particle size analysis and colour measurements concerning yellow powders, synthesised in our laboratories according to ancient recipes aiming at producing pigments for paintings, ceramics, and glasses. These pigments are based on lead and antimony as chemical elements, that, combined in different proportions and fi...

The aim of the present work is to investigate the surface properties and the effect of a water-based coating on chestnut wood (Castanea sativa Mill.), both untreated and thermally treated. Chestnut is very common throughout the Mediterranean region and its wood is widely used as timber, especially in Central Italy, to build window fixtures and door...

Recycling of post-consumer packaging wastes involves a complex chain of activities, usually based on three main stages, that is: i) collection from households or recovery from Municipal solid waste (MSW), ii) sorting and, finally, iii) mechanical recycling. The systematic identification of impurities inside plastic packaging waste streams, and the...

In this paper different multivariate classification methods applied to hyperspectral images acquired in the short-wave infrared range (SWIR: 1000-2500 nm) were evaluated for quality control of pistachio nuts. In more detail, the detection of contaminants in edible pistachio products was assessed. Six material classes (i.e. edible and inedible pista...

A micro X-ray fluorescence-based approach for the chemical characterization of spent printed circuit boards (PCBSPCBSS) from mobile phones was applied. More in detail, twelve spent mobile phones were grouped into three clusters according to brands, models and year of release, and a study to evaluate the technological evolution of PCBSs over time wa...

Reflectance Visible (Vis) and Short Wave Infrared (SWIR) spectra of pre-cooked pasta products were collected in a non-invasive way by using an ASD FieldSpec® 4 Standard–Res portable spectrophotoradiometer (350–2500 nm). Vis-SWIR data were collected on 6 samples of Pennette 72 and 6 samples of Mezze Penne with different salting levels with the aid o...

Advancement of technology and device miniaturization have made near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) techniques cost–effective, small–sized, simple, and ready to use. We applied NIRS to analyze healthy human muscles in vivo, and we found that this technique produces reliable and reproducible spectral “fingerprints” of individual muscles, that can be su...

The number of flat monitors from televisions, notebooks and tablets has increased dramatically in recent years, thus resulting in a corresponding rise in Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). This fact is linked to the production of new high-performance electronic devices. Taking into account a future volume growth trend of WEEE, t...

In this report, the energy consumption of 25 agricultural companies, which produce milk for the Soresina consortium, was evaluated.The purpose was to determine a Standard Energy Diagnosis Procedure (SEDP), for the agricultural sector. In the case of study below, the farm company has decided to adhere to a process of technological renewal, able to r...

Optical based characterization techniques and related analytical methodologies, originally utilized in the mineral sector, can be profitably applied to solid waste streams products as resulting from different recycling processes. This approach, when supported by digital tools allows to perform a full characterization of compositional and textural a...

Asbestos was largely used in the past by several countries all over the world. From 1900 to 1990 asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) were produced in large amounts and mainly utilized to produce insulation, flame retardant materials, as well as to improve the mechanical and the chemical characteristics of construction materials. Its extensive use...

The “Digital Fresco” is an innovative decorating technique that involves transferring digital images on wall surfaces through a transfer paper with solvent-based ink and fixative resulting in a final effect very similar to fresco painting. For this reason it is called “digital fresco”. The technique, patented by Graphic Report, with the name of Tat...

L’“Affresco Digitale” è un’innovativa tecnica di decorazione che utilizza immagini elaborate al computer e trasferite su superfici di qualsiasi natura e dimensioni; consiste ell’effettivo trasferimento del colore direttamente sulla superficie desiderata con un “effetto affresco”. La tecnica brevettata dalla Graphic Report, con il nome di Tattoo Wal...

This paper reports the results of a preliminary investigation aimed at testing the stability of a new functionalized nano-silica based protective, named Silo N7, in comparison to traditional commercial products, i.e. poly-siloxane and fluorinated elastomer. The product has been applied on an igneous rock known as Sperone stone, widely used in the s...

This research concerns the application of micro X-ray fluorescence (µXRF) mapping to the investigation of a group of selected metal objects from the archaeological site of Ferento, a Roman and then medieval town in Central Italy. Specifically, attention was focused on two test pits, named IV and V, in which metal objects were found, mainly pertaini...

The technological innovation and the relentless marketing of new electronic products with improved performance generate increasing quantities of Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). In this scenario, End-Of-Life (EOL) flat monitors and screens represent a category generating, as a consequence of the rapid change in technology, an...

Plastic is one of the materials mostly used in many industrial sectors, as those of packaging, construction, agriculture, etc. Furthermore, polymers are also extensively used in electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) manufacturing. Plastic waste originating from EEE (WEEE) is a challenge for recycling due to presence of various hazardous element...

Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are used in different types of products such as plastic, textiles and electronic circuits with the aim to increase fire resistance and to avoid or to delay the propagation of accidental combustion. However, high concentrations of bromine in waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) hinder the possibili...

This work aimed to develop and propose methods for evaluating the metal degree of liberation to characterize the metal deportment/concentration and liberation/association of mechanically processed waste Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) that hold the complex and heterogeneity structure and metal distribution/association. Waste PCBs passed through a ser...

Asbestos-Containing Materials (ACMs) are hazardous and prohibited to be sold or used as recycled materials. In the past, asbestos was widely used, together with cement, to produce "asbestos cement-based" products. During the recycling process of Construction and Demolition waste (C&DW), ACM must be collected and deposited separately from other wast...

The main purpose of this contribution is to report some first preliminary analyses of a new and never investigated decorative technique named Tattoo Wall®, especially the possible changes due to ageing artificially induced by extreme humidity conditions in view of a possible application in crypts, churches or outside wall paintings. This innovative...

Recent advances in materials and fabrication techniques provided portable, performant, sensing optical spectrometers readily operated by user-friendly cabled or wireless systems. Such systems allow rapid, non-invasive, and not destructive quantitative analysis of human tissues. This proof-of-principle investigation tested whether infrared spectrosc...

The need to develop and deploy increasingly effective, fast and robust sensing techniques capable of detecting, characterising and sorting solid waste products and materials represents one of the most challenging aspects in the industrial recycling sector. Most waste is of low value, so innovative technologies must be costeffective and, at the same...

Asbestos recognition, inside different matrices (i.e. Asbestos Containing Materials: ACMs), is of great importance both “in situ” and in the further analysis at lab scale. Among the industrial sectors utilizing asbestos, the building and construction sector is the most important, especially with reference to all the constructions built before the ‘...

The aim of this work is to present the utilization of Hyperspectral Imaging for studying the stability of painting samples to simulated solar radiation, in order to evaluate their use in the restoration field. In particular, ready-to-use commercial watercolours and powder pigments were tested, with these last ones being prepared for the experimenta...

A novel approach, based on micro X-ray fluorescence (μXRF), was developed to define an efficient and fast automatic recognition procedure finalized to detect and topologically assess the presence of the different elements in waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). More specifically, selected end-of-life (EOL) iPhone printed circuit boards...

In this study, a methodological approach based on micro X-ray fluorescence (micro-XRF) was developed in order to characterize end-of-life (EOL) printed circuit boards (PCB) from smartphones. An in-depth recognition of chemical elements on the PCB allows to set up an optimal processing strategy for recycling purposes. Moreover, a good knowledge of P...

The production of end-of-life (EOL) polymer waste has dramatically increased over the last 60 years. The most important polymers used in industry are: low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polyamide (PA), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polyoxymethylene (POM), polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl chloride (...

The aim of this work was to recognize different polymer flakes from mixed plastic waste through an innovative hierarchical classification strategy based on hyperspectral imaging, with particular reference to low density polyethylene (LDPE) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE). A plastic waste composition assessment, including also LDPE and HDPE ide...

The aim of this work is to investigate the stability to simulated solar radiation of some paintings samples through a new methodological approach adopting non-invasive spectroscopic techniques. In particular, commercial watercolours and iron oxide based pigments were used, these last ones being prepared for the experimental by gum Arabic in order t...

An innovative approach, based on HyperSpectral Imaging (HSI), was developed in order to set up an efficient method to analyze marine microplastic litter. HSI was applied to samples collected by surface-trawling plankton nets from several parts of the world (i.e. Arctic, Mediterranean, South Atlantic and North Pacific). Reliable information on abund...