Search results for "Black crust"

Environmental impact assessment on the Monza cathedral (Italy): A multi-analytical approach

2020

This research deals with the characterization of black crusts collected from the Dome of Monza (Milan, Italy). Air pollution is responsible for the degradation of historical buildings surfaces. In urban and industrial areas, the degradation process is accelerated, due to carbonaceous particles and heavy metals emitted by combustion processes which contribute to the formation of black crust (BCs). In this study the characterization of BC was performed using different analytical techniques such as: HRSEM-EDX, IC, LA-ICP/MS and digital image analysis. In particular, the research focused on the study of "heavy metals" which contribute to the identify the main sources of pollution responsible fo…

Environmental impact on historical monuments: The black crusts of the Venice lagoon

2020

Black crusts are typical decay forms on calcareous rocks in polluted urban environments. Their origin is due to “sulphation” reaction of calcium carbonate substrates (CaCO3), as a consequence of pH value decrease caused by SO2 in the polluted atmosphere. They can be therefore defined as a passive air pollution sampler. For the purpose of this work, samples from the historic center of Venice were analyzed. The city of Venice suffers in particular maritime and industrial pollution (Marghera industrial zone). By means of minero-petrographic and geochemical analyses, it was possible to obtain information on the mineralogy of the crust and its interaction with the underlying substrates, other th…

Natural and anthropogenic sources of total suspended particulate and their contribution to the formation of black crusts on building stone materials …

2012

Blackening and disaggregation of exposed surfaces of stone monuments are well-known effects of stone decay taking place in polluted urban environments all over the world. This paper aims to assess the contribution of natural and anthropogenic sources of total suspended particulate (TSP) causing permanent damage (black crusts) to the stone monuments of Catania (Sicily), one of the most popular ‘‘cities of art’’ of southern Italy. Atmospheric pollution of Catania, a typical Mediterranean coastal town, is mainly contributed by vehicle exhaust emissions rather than industrial ones. Episodically, the city also suffers gaseous and ash emissions (plumes) from the nearby Mount Etna volcano. Thus, t…

The growth of “black crusts” on calcareous building stones in Palermo (Sicily): a first appraisal of anthropogenic and natural sulphur sources

2008

Chemical, mineralogical and isotopic composition (34S/32S) analyses were carried out on “black crusts” developed on the old buildings of Palermo (Sicily) with the aim to distinguish between natural and anthropogenic sulphur sources. Furthermore individual samples of total suspended particulate (TSP) were collected and analysed in order to estimate the influence of air pollution on the decay process of calcareous stones in a typical southern Mediterranean coastal environment. SEM/EDS analysis, X-ray diffractometry, IR spectroscopy and liquid chromatography led to the compositional characterization of “black crusts” and airborne particulate matter in the city. Sulphur isotopic compositions of…

Contribution of fly ash and TSP to the formation of decay layers on building materials in urban environments of Sicily (Italy)

2009

Multi O- and S-isotopes as tracers of black crusts formation under volcanic and non-volcanic atmospheric conditions in Sicily (Italy)

2020

International audience; The deterioration of monument or building stone materials is mostly due to the growth of black crusts that cause blackening and disaggregation of the exposed surface. This study reports on new oxygen (δ17O, δ18O and Δ17O) and sulphur (δ33S, δ34S, δ36S, Δ33S and Δ36S) isotopic analyses of black crust sulphates formed on building stones in Sicily (Southern Italy). The measurements are used to identify the possible influence of volcanic emissions on black crust formation. Black crusts were mostly sampled on carbonate stone substrate in different locations subject to various sulphur emission sources (marine, anthropogenic and volcanic). Unlike atmospheric sulphate aeroso…

A multi-analytical approach for the characterization of black crusts on the facade of an historical cathedral

2020

Abstract This study focuses on the characterization of black crusts collected from the Monza cathedral located in the homonymous city (N Italy), a hot spot from the point of view of the atmospheric pollution. Black crusts and substrate marble specimens were analyzed by a multi-analytical approach including X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform-Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Stereomicroscopy (SM), Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM), High Resolution Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (HRSEM-EDX) and Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP/MS). The characterization of the carbon fraction (organic carbon, OC, and element…

Chemical, mineralogical and isotopic characterization of black crusts and airborne particulate matter in the historical urban area of Palermo

2009

The environmental impact of air pollution on the built heritage of historic Cairo (Egypt)

2020

In the last decades, many researchers investigated the relation between environmental pollution and the degradation phenomena on the built heritage, because of their rapid increase and growing harmfulness. Consequently, the identification of the main pollution sources has become essential to define mitigation actions against degradation and alteration phenomena of the stone materials. In this way, the present paper is focused on the study of the effect of air pollution on archaeological buildings in Historic Cairo. A multi-methodological approach was used to obtain information about the chemical composition of examined black crusts and to clarify their correlation with the air pollution, sp…

Identification of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the black crusts of Sicilian stone monuments: distribution and sources

2004

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons are a family of compounds with known carcinogenic potential; their properties of lipophilicity, low water solubility and adsorption to particles and sediments make them a potentially dangerous group of chemicals and a threat to the environment and its bio-resources. The concentrations of total Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and 19 individual compounds in 8 black crusts sampled from historical building of Palermo (Italy) were analyzed, by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) in selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode. PAH concentrations ranged from 78 to 9798 g/Kg of dry matrix. The resulting distributions and molecular ratios of specific compo…