SPECIAL SESSION #07

Silvia Nava

Department of Physics and Astronomy at UNIFI and INFN- Firenze, Italy

• silvia.nava@unifi.it

Giulia Calzolai

National Institute of Nuclear Physics - Firenze Section, Italy

• calzolai@fi.infn.it

Massimo Chiari

National Institute of Nuclear Physics - Firenze Section, Italy

• chiari@fi.infn.it

Fabio Giardi

National Institute of Nuclear Physics - Firenze Section, Italy

• giardi@fi.infn.it

This session explores the role of nuclear physics in addressing environmental issues, promoting sustainability and contributing to a greener future. Technologies developed for research in nuclear physics may be applied in key sectors for sustainability, such as environmental monitoring, climate study, energy efficiency, radioactive waste management, etc.

The discussion encompasses a broad spectrum of applications where nuclear techniques are applied to enhance methodologies for measurement and control of pollution. A particular focus will be on the study of atmospheric particulate matter using Ion Beam Analysis (IBA), Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) and X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) techniques. These studies are of interest both from the point of view of air quality (effects on health and ecosystems) and from that of climate change (including paleoclimatic studies by ice core sample analysis), and they also allow the identification of emission sources.

Silvia Nava is professor at the Physics Department of the University of Florence. Her research activity, carried out at the LABEC-INFN laboratory (Laboratory for the Environment and Cultural Heritage) in Florence, focuses on the development and application of Ion Beam Analysis (IBA) techniques, in particular for environmental applications concerning the study of atmospheric aerosols in anthropized and remote areas. She is currently principle investigator for the PNRA (National Antarctic Research Program) project “SIDDARTA: Source IDentification of (mineral) Dust to AntaRcTicA”.

Giulia Calzolai is a senior researcher at the National Institute for Nuclear Physics, she focuses on the application of ion beam analysis techniques to samples of environmental interest at the LABEC (Laboratory of Nuclear Techniques for the Environment and Cultural Heritage) laboratory of the INFN Section in Florence. She has conducted studies and campaigns in many locations in Europe and Asia, and in the Arctic. She has been principal investigator of several projects, e.g. the PRIN project GAIA (New integrated experimental and modelling tools for Georeferenced source apportionment of Aerosol climate-relevant parameters from the Mediterranean area till the Arctic).

Massimo Chiari is senior researcher at INFN accelerator laboratory LABEC in Florence. His activity is mainly based on the development and the implementation of Ion Beam Analysis for interdisciplinary applications, in particular for the study of atmospheric aerosols and for cultural heritage. He has been the Head of LABEC; he is the Head of the European Mass Calibration Centre facility of ACTRIS (The Aerosol, Clouds and Trace Gases Research Infrastructure) European research Infrastructure consortium.

Fabio Giardi is a researcher at the Laboratory of Nuclear Techniques for the Environment and Cultural Heritage (LABEC) of the Florence Section of the National Institute for Nuclear Physics. He conducts studies on urban and remote-site aerosols, where he has participated in sampling campaigns several times. He focuses on source apportionment and pollution studies in polar areas.