Biopolymers as stone protectives

In the last decades, natural organic products have been substituted by synthetic products in the field of Conservation of Cultural Heritage. Unfortunately synthesized products have sometimes some drawbacks, due to the fact that they have high costs of synthesis, or they are soluble in toxic solvents for man or environment, or they become irreversible once applied on the substrate. As a consequence, it appears clear that the use of new polymers derived from natural sources as protectives for lapideous materials would be very welcome. Lactic acid is produced starting from 100% annually renewable resources. Moreover, under appropriate conditions, polymers of lactic acid can be completely biodegraded. They are widely used in packaging and medical devices, and in this work they were proposed as stone protectives. They were tested on samples of two Apuan Marbles having different conservation state: one of them was specifically quarried for this experimentation, while the other one was obtained by an ancient front quarry, probably used in Roman Age. Samples of the two marbles were characterised and treated with an homopolymer of lactic acid and two co-polymers between lactic acid and Fluorolink D-10H, a low weight perfluoropolyether, with the aim to improve hydrorepellence properties. Treated materials were subjected to artificial ageing, both with thermohygrometric cycles and UV exposure. Colour changes and protective efficacy were evaluated after treatment and monitored during the artificial ageing cycles

Ingested microplastic as a two-way transporter for PBDEs in Talitrus saltator

The presence and accumulation of plastic waste into the marine environment are well known environmental issues. Microplastics (MPs) end up in sea waters and, due to their hydrophobicity and high surface/volume ratio, POPs tend to sorb and accumulate to their surface. The supralittoral amphipod Talitrus saltator (T. saltator) was selected to study the role of MPs in the transfer of organic pollutants and to investigate if ingested MPs could either transfer contaminants to biota or clean it adsorbing pollutants taken from the diet. T. saltator is an established POPs (Persistent Organic Pollutants) biomonitor in coastal environments and it is able to swallow microplastics in natural condition. Two laboratory experiments were performed and T. saltator was exposed to a labelled polybrominated diphenyl ether (13C-labelled BDE-47) to investigate the opposite gradient role of MPs. X Ray Micro-CT (Micro-Computed Tomography) analyses were also performed on sandhopper samples to evaluate the uptake of MPs via digestive tract. The results showed that MPs ingestion could whether transfer and remove contaminants from T. saltator, indicating a partial balance among positive and negative effects. This study has underlined MP potential double role demonstrating that MP can act both as a carrier and scavenger for the bioaccumulation of organic pollutants (i.e. PBDEs), suggesting that chemicals leaching from MPs could have a limited impact to biota

The Reference Site Collaborative Network of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing.

International audienc

The reference site collaborative network of the european innovation partnership on active and healthy ageing

Seventy four Reference Sites of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EIP on AHA) have been recognised by the European Commission in 2016 for their commitment to excellence in investing and scaling up innovative solutions for active and healthy ageing. The Reference Site Collaborative Network (RSCN) brings together the EIP on AHA Reference Sites awarded by the European Commission, and Candidate Reference Sites into a single forum. The overarching goals are to promote cooperation, share and transfer good practice and solutions in the development and scaling up of health and care strategies, policies and service delivery models, while at the same time supporting the action groups in their work. The RSCN aspires to be recognized by the EU Commission as the principal forum and authority representing all EIP on AHA Reference Sites. The RSCN will contribute to achieve the goals of the EIP on AHA by improving health and care outcomes for citizens across Europe, and the development of sustainable economic growth and the creation of jobs

The Reference Site Collaborative Network of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing.

International audienceSeventy four Reference Sites of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EIP on AHA) have been recognised by the European Commission in 2016 for their commitment to excellence in investing and scaling up innovative solutions for active and healthy ageing. The Reference Site Collaborative Network (RSCN) brings together the EIP on AHA Reference Sites awarded by the European Commission, and Candidate Reference Sites into a single forum. The overarching goals are to promote cooperation, share and transfer good practice and solutions in the development and scaling up of health and care strategies, policies and service delivery models, while at the same time supporting the action groups in their work. The RSCN aspires to be recognized by the EU Commission as the principal forum and authority representing all EIP on AHA Reference Sites. The RSCN will contribute to achieve the goals of the EIP on AHA by improving health and care outcomes for citizens across Europe, and the development of sustainable economic growth and the creation of jobs