Improving air quality in cities is a social challenge related to human health. Nature-based Solutions (NbS) have been shown to effectively remove air pollutants such as particulate matter (PM) from the atmosphere, with the PM removal capacity appearing to be largely dependent on the species morphological traits. However, other factors, such as chemical interactions and atmospheric and microclimatic parameters, can also affect the PM removal efficiency. To test this hypothesis, we compared the PM accumulation in five plant species with different morphological traits (Chlorophytum comosum, Hedera helix, Monstera deliciosa, Nephrolepis exaltata, Tradescantia zebrina) upon their installation in three different green walls (GWs) located outdoor (OGW), indoor (IGW), and in a closed chamber with a forced ventilation (active green wall - AGW). Leaf surfaces were analysed through Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to characterise their micromorphological features associated with PM accumulation. The deposited PM load was estimated by combining gravimetric and conductimetric approaches, and the PM chemical composition was assessed by Microwave Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (MP-AES). Statistical differences between species in PM capture were observed. Species exhibited distinct PM accumulation patterns across the green walls, with notable species-specific affinities for certain potentially toxic elements, demonstrating that PM retention is not driven by leaf morphology alone. Among species, Chlorophytum comosum best performed in OGW and IGW while Tradescantia zebrina in AGW. In AGW, the presence of the plants reduced PM concentration by approximately 50% and high humidity enhanced wet deposition and increased fine-particle capture, confirming the relevance of microclimatic factors for air-purification.

Ground-mounted photovoltaic systems are expanding rapidly to meet decarbonisation targets, but their growth raises concerns about land take, farmland conversion, and biodiversity impacts. Addressing the lack of tools to monitor local land-use change across Italian municipalities, this study presents an open-access application developed on Google Earth Engine. Through an interactive interface, users can select an Italian municipality, define the year and compositing method for Sentinel-2 imagery, draw training and validation polygons, and choose among three classifiers to generate land-cover maps. The tool automatically evaluates classification accuracy, filters pixels, and converts the photovoltaic class into vector polygons. Users can then select the dataset (CORINE Land Cover + Backbone or EUCropMap) and reference year to reconstruct previous land cover and agricultural use. All results, including classified maps, photovoltaic polygons, summary tables, and charts, can be exported. Developed for Montalto di Castro (Lazio), the workflow achieved 91.05% overall accuracy and mapped 762.14 ha of installations, covering 4.02% of the entire municipal territory. Results show that most installations replaced herbaceous farmland. The workflow was successfully tested in the municipality of Guillena (Andaluc & iacute;a, Spain), confirming its adaptability. The application offers a practical, scalable solution for quantifying photovoltaic expansion and supporting spatial planning in Italy and across Europe.

Indoor green walls (IGWs) are innovative Nature-based Solutions to enhance air quality and thermal comfort in indoor spaces through bio-friendly design. At the same time, they can promote the improvement of human cognitive performance and socio-psychological wellbeing. A case study was developed and implemented in a primary school in Turin (Italy), through a collaborative process involving people from school, municipality, and academia, to prove the environmental and socio-psychological benefits of IGWs, based on impact assessment. The performance of IGW on air quality and human well-being was monitored, showing a positive impact of the IGW on indoor air quality through particulate matter (PM) removal, also highlighting interesting correlations between plant species, PM size fractions and their chemical composition. On the contrary, a low impact on the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) concentration was observed. Regarding the socio-psychological impact, despite the undoubtedly importance of the collaboration between various sectors of the public administration and of the use of IGW as a training tool for students, the impact evaluated by measuring changes in pupils’ pro-environmental attitude and behaviour was positive but lower than expected. In conclusion, this real-life case study provides results to be further used for evidence-based decision making about the implementation of IGWs in schools. However, the study also revealed some limitations and barriers in the effective implementation of impact monitoring in living context, such as primary schools. These challenges could provide valuable lessons learned for the implementation of similar projects in the future.

Nature-based solutions, such as urban parks, play a crucial role in mitigating air pollution in cities while offering significant health benefits. However, a knowledge gap remains in understanding how vegetation-mediated pollutant removal translates into city-scale air quality improvements and health outcomes. This study uses a green area in Turin, Italy, as a case study, applying different approaches to assess the ecosystem services it provides. Different approaches based on, or inspired to, i-Tree Eco model were used to estimate the amount of particulate matter (PM) removed by trees, while scanning electron microscopy with X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX) was employed to measure PM deposition on leaves. Based on these findings, the air quality improvement was evaluated under different scenarios. The corresponding reduction in disease burden -including conditions such as stroke and type 2 diabetes- at the city level was quantified using the Urban and Transport Planning Health Impact Assessment (UTOPHIA) tool. Results showed that while modelling and experimental approaches produced comparable estimates for fine particulate matter (PM2.5), discrepancies were observed for coarse particles (PM10), influencing the projected health outcomes. A detailed analysis of the applied methodologies, including parameter interdependencies, provides valuable insights into their influence on estimated outcomes. These findings can contribute to improving future approaches for translating local air quality data into city-scale policy decisions.

Green infrastructure (GI) is increasingly popular in solving urban environmental challenges and enhancing ecosystem services. Yet the research status and challenges of GI planning have not been comprehensively benchmarked to date. We explored the GI types, actions, goals, and spatiotemporal characteristics of GI planning cases worldwide based on the available literature. The challenges of GI planning were also investigated by the cases included in this manuscript. Additionally, the urban governance solutions to address these challenges were proposed. We found that multi-type GI planning is the most popular. Data sharing, stakeholder participation, economic benefits and research funding for GI planning research were generally inadequate, although they have improved trend over time. Multiple-goal GI planning frequently has higher levels of data sharing, stakeholder participation and economic benefits than GI planning that just takes into account one purpose. We conclude that the future transformation of GI planning requires efficient data sharing mechanisms, effective co-design among stakeholders, systematic business models, and available research funding.

Using regenerated soils as a planting substrate in newly implemented green infrastructure is considered a circular economy-oriented strategy alternative to traditional ways of depriving fertile soils from agricultural lands, and/or applying fertilizers and soil conditioners. However, knowledge on the environmental footprint of regenerating and applying such excavation soils on urban brownfields is quite fragmented. This study aims to illustrate a coupled application of life cycle assessment (LCA) and business modelling to a pilot nature-based solution (NbS) implemented on a post-industrial area in Turin, Italy. This NbS is configured as urban afforestation intervention on 1,200 sqm where trees and shrubs are planted on a layer of excavation soil augmented with organic compost, zeolite powder and biostimulants, called “New Soil”. The rationale of combining LCA with a strategic management Business Model Canvas (BMC) is to identify the most relevant socioeconomic and environmental synergies and trade-offs associated with the potential upscaling of a New Soil NbS intervention in the market. On one hand, the use of LCA allowed to estimate the detrimental impacts generated along the entire supply-chain of the NbS implementation, as well as its environmental performances in comparison with hypothetical business-us-usual scenarios. On the other hand, results from expertbased surveys formulated with BMC provided the necessary (and complementary) knowledge for prospecting a sustainable pathway associated with the NbS deployment. It was observed that both life cycle upstream and downstream strategies of reducing environmental impacts can be implemented, which may help saving in between ~70% to more than 100% the environmental footprint compared to conventional resource consumption streams. The outcomes of this study are useful to prospect strengths and challenges that land managers need to address for possible deployment of New Soil NbS at large territorial scales.

The particulate matter (PM) is a key health risk factor in urban areas. Different approaches have been developed worldwide to deal with PM pollution, including nature-based solutions (NBSs). This study presents the results of the geochemical characterization of a green barrier established between a kindergarten and a street. In 2018 and 2019, PM deposits on green barrier and tree leaves were investigated to reveal particle size distribution and geochemical composition. In addition, the contents of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) found in kindergarten outdoor and street dust were determined to assess the imposed health risk. The results showed that based on the chemical composition, the studied PM deposits had grouped into two clusters of major elements: carbonates and aluminosilicates clustered with Fe oxides/hydroxides. However, the presence of several PTE, including Mo, Cu, Mn, Cr and Ba was also highlighted. The efficiency of the green barrier in impeding Cu-containing particles diffusion was proven, since street dust Cu contents increased during the study period, while the Cu content in kindergarten outdoor dust displayed a decreasing trend. The non-carcinogenic risk associated to PTE in the street and outdoor dust suggested that the multi-elemental risk level in the study area was above the allowable limit, with the highest share in risk level attributed to Cr which had the tendency to decrease due to the presence of the barrier. The results of this study can serve as a basis for green barrier PM capturing efficiency monitoring and securing a healthy environment for kindergarten children.

The evaluation of ecosystem services (ESs) provided by Nature-based Solution (NbS) interventions is crucial to assess their efficiency and plan their management. This study focuses on atmospheric pollutants abatement and carbon mitigation potential of tree species (S. alba L., R. pseudoacacia L., C. betulus L., A. campestre L., B. pendula Roth, T. cordata MILL., S. aucuparia L.) located in a restored landfill in Dortmund (DE). Leaves from different species were analysed by Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy, obtaining density, elemental composition and weight of leaf deposited particulate matter (PM) as a function of size fraction and tree species. Experimental PM2.5 removal is compared with that obtained by the i-Tree Eco model. Modelled removals of O3, SO2 and NO2 are also presented, as well as carbon uptake, from the single tree to the intervention scale. Thus, our study evaluates the provision of ESs for air quality and climate change mitigation by the same NbS intervention, at different scales, and compares experimental and modelling approaches, to highlight limitations and strength points. This represents an important step for the developing of NbS benefits evaluation standards, also providing helpful knowledge for stakeholders and landscape planners in terms of species mitigation efficiency.

This paper presents, for the first time, a method for the rapid quantification of β-carotene in olive oil by Raman spectroscopy. Using a 532 nm Raman laser source, our procedure requires only one drop (100 µL) of oil, for β-carotene content to be determined. Results show that β-carotene content is associated with the lutein/β-carotene ratio, a parameter whose value describes how healthy the olives were before processing, specifically whether an olive fly attack occurred. Since olive fly attacks are not always visible to the oil producers, this method gives them the means to control the validity of the prevention strategies they adopted.

Carotenoids play an important role in the stability, freshness, and nutritional value of extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO). However, the carotenoid content in EVOO changes over time as a function of olive ripening and degrading events. A reliable quality marker is the ratio between the two most abundant carotenoids, namely lutein and β-carotene, since the second degrades more rapidly. Thus, to obtain a fast quantification of the lutein/β-carotene ratio in olive oil could deserve a certain interest. Resonant Raman spectroscopy is a rapid and non-destructive technique, widely applied for food chemical characterization. In this work, using high-performance liquid chromatography and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy as calibration techniques, we present a reliable method to assess the lutein/β-carotene ratio in EVOO using a single Raman spectrum. The novel approach deserves several methodological and applicative interests, since it would allow rapid, on-site screening of EVOO quality and authenticity, especially if implemented as a portable system.

The recognition of the features and capabilities of potentially toxic elements (PTE) uptake from urban tree leaves is crucial for mitigating pollution and optimizing the allocation of green infrastructures of an urban environment. Therefore, Pb, Ni, Mo, Cu, Zn contents and spatiotemporal variation were investigated in the leaves of the most widespread urban trees in Yerevan (Armenia) (Fraxinus excelsior L. and Platanus orientalis L.) by means of a chemical approach based on atomic-absorption spectroscopy, after having washed them. The obtained results showed similarities in leaves Ni, Cu, Pb and Mo uptake. Meanwhile, only biologically non-essential elements (Mo and Pb) tend to accumulate in leaves during the vegetation season. This allows for the identification of localized pollution sources. Spatiotemporal variation of Zn contents suggested that P. orientalis L. is the less efficient tree species in Zn uptake. The study of the relationship of Pb, Ni, Mo, Cu, and land use by means of clr-biplots showed the absence of any potential links. Moreover, it was revealed that the element contents of leaves in green areas are similar to those observed in industrial and residential sites. The latter highlighted the need for the expansion of green areas with the use of scientifically justified species as a means of nature-based solution for pollution mitigation and better urban environmental management.

Trees and urban forests remove particulate matter (PM) from the air through the deposition of particles on the leaf surface, thus helping to improve air quality and reduce respiratory problems in urban areas. Leaf deposited PM, in turn, is either resuspended back into the atmosphere, washed off during rain events or transported to the ground with litterfall. The net amount of PM removed depends on crown and leaf characteristics, air pollution concentration, and weather conditions, such as wind speed and precipitation. Many existing deposition models, such as i-Tree Eco, calculate PM2.5 removal using a uniform deposition velocity function and resuspension rate for all tree species, which vary based on leaf area and wind speed. However, model results are seldom validated with experimental data. In this study, we compared i-Tree Eco calculations of PM2.5 deposition with fluxes determined by eddy covariance assessments (canopy scale) and particulate matter accumulated on leaves derived from measurements of vacuum/filtration technique as well as scanning electron microscopy combined with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (leaf scale). These investigations were carried out at the Capodimonte Royal Forest in Naples. Modeled and measured fluxes showed good overall agreement, demonstrating that net deposition mostly happened in the first part of the day when atmospheric PM concentration is higher, followed by high resuspension rates in the second part of the day, corresponding with increased wind speeds. The sensitivity analysis of the model parameters showed that a better representation of PM deposition fluxes could be achieved with adjusted deposition velocities. It is also likely that the standard assumption of a complete removal of particulate matter, after precipitation events that exceed the water storage capacity of the canopy (Ps), should be reconsidered to better account for specific leaf traits. These results represent the first validation of i-Tree Eco PM removal with experimental data and are a starting point for improving the model parametrization and the estimate of particulate matter removed by urban trees.

Trees play a pivotal role in improving urban environmental quality and provide several ecosystem services including the removal of pollutants from the air, such as particular matter (PM) and potentially toxic elements (PTE). Therefore, understanding the tree PM and PTE capturing potential, also in connection with plant species, is of great concern, especially in urban areas. This study aims to reveal the link between the elemental composition of PM deposited on tree leaves and soils PTE contents, as well as to rank the PM capturing efficiency of 10 different tree species growing under the impact of urban environments. This also allowed us to test the efficiency of PM deposited on tree leaves as a PTE biomonitoring and pollution source identification tool, in the two biggest urban areas of Armenia. Indeed, high contents of PTE are detected in both soil- and leaf-deposited PM from sites characterized by the presence of localized and active pollution sources (i.e., industrial unites, high traffic, etc.), which are identified by specific tracers (such as Mo, Cu, Zn, Pb, and Cd). Among the studied tree species, the highest PM amount per unit leaf area is observed for Platanus orientalis, but elm species are also identified as promising canditates to be considered for their PM removing potential, and need to be included in future more details studies.

In this study, the ability of an unmodified ESI Z-spray source to carry out ambient ion soft landing (AISL) and microdroplet reactions (MR) was tested. To this aim, heme proteins were ionized and landed onto the working area of multi-walled carbon nanotubes electrodes. The voltammetric and spectroscopic analyses of the modified electrodes evidenced a strong interaction of unfolded structures of the heme proteins with the carbon nanotubes surface. Moreover, the possibility to use the ESI Z-spray source to study microdroplet reactions was attempted by exploring the accelerated acid-catalyzed decomposition of carbohydrates. The study demonstrated that a commercial ESI Z-spray source can provide successful modifications of surfaces by AISL, and represents a suitable platform for the study of accelerated microdroplet reactions.

Air pollution in the urban environment is widely recognized as one of the most harmful threats for human health. International organizations such as the United Nations and the European Commission are highlighting the potential role of nature in mitigating air pollution and are now funding the implementation of Nature-Based Solutions, especially at the city level. Over the past few decades, the attention of the scientific community has grown around the role of urban forest in air pollution mitigation. Nevertheless, the understanding on Particulate Matter (PM) retention mechanisms by tree leaves is still limited. In this study, twelve tree species were sampled within an urban park of an industrial city. Two techniques were used for leaf analysis: Vacuum/Filtration and Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, in order to obtain a quali-quantitative analysis of the different PM size fractions. Results showed that deposited PM loads vary significantly among species. Different leaf traits, including micro and macromorphological characteristics, were observed, measured and ranked, with the final aim to relate them with PM load. Even if no significant correlation between each single leaf characteristic and PM deposition was observed (p > 0.05), multivariate analysis revealed relationships between clusters of leaf traits and deposited PM. Thus, by assigning a score to each trait, an Accumulation index (Ai) was calculated, which was significantly related to the leaf deposited PM load (p ≤ 0.05).

The concentration of wild-type tumour suppressor p53wt in cells and blood has a clinical significance for early diagnosis of some types of cancer. We developed a disposable, label-free, field-effect transistor-based immunosensor (BioFET), able to detect p53wt in physiological buffer solutions, over a wide concentration range. Microfabricated, high-purity gold electrodes were used as single-use extended gates (EG), which avoid direct interaction between the transistor gate and the biological solution. Debye screening, which normally hampers target charge effect on the FET gate potential and, consequently, on the registered FET drain-source current, at physiological ionic strength, was overcome by incorporating a biomolecule-permeable polymer layer on the EG electrode surface. Determination of an unknown p53wt concentration was obtained by calibrating the variation of the FET threshold voltage versus the target molecule concentration in buffer solution, with a sensitivity of 1.5 ± 0.2 mV/decade. The BioFET specificity was assessed by control experiments with proteins that may unspecifically bind at the EG surface, while 100pM p53wt concentration was established as limit of detection. This work paves the way for fast and highly sensitive tools for p53wt detection in physiological fluids, which deserve much interest in early cancer diagnosis and prognosis.

In this study, we have evaluated the efficiency of a chemical fractionation procedure for the characterization of both the water-soluble and the insoluble fraction of the main elemental components of particulate matter (PM) deposited on urban leaves. The proposed analytical approach is based on the chemical analysis of leaf washing solutions and membrane filters used for their filtration. The ionic concentration of leaf washing solutions was compared with their electrical conductivity, making it a valuable proxy for the quantification of the water-soluble and ionic fraction of leaf deposited PM. The chemical composition of both the water-soluble and the insoluble fraction of PM, resulting from this fractionation procedure, was compared with results obtained by scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersed X-Rays spectroscopy (SEM/EDX) and processed through chemometrics. Results obtained proved that the proposed approach is able to provide an estimation of total leaf deposited PM and it is highly reliable for the evaluation of the emission impact of different PM sources, being able to increase the selectivity of PM elemental components as specific source tracers; consequently providing useful information also for the assessment of human health risks.

In this work, an experiment was carried out in order to exploit the physical properties of an electrode structure with nanometric gap to enable the operation of MOX sensors at low temperature independently from the gas sensing properties of the adopted active material. The 100 nm-gap fingers gas sensor array was fabricated by using electron beam and UV optical lithography onto 4 '' silicon wafers (guaranteeing high process yield). SnO2 nanoparticles (NPs) synthesized by sol-gel/solvothermal method were trapped between the nanogap electrodes by dielectrophoresis, and scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy surface analysis were used to investigate the semiconducting NPs dispersion between the nanogap fingers. Nanogap SnO2 NPs based-sensor responses to acetone and ethanol in dry air carrier gas at near room temperatures were reported, discussed, and compared with those obtained from 5 mu m gap gas sensors (comparable to standard microgap commonly used in commercial sensors) functionalized with the same sensing material. The nanogap sensors exhibited better performance compared to the microgap ones, and larger response to ethanol than to acetone. For the lowest investigated gas concentration (10 ppm), the ethanol response (R-air/R-gas) increased with temperature from 2.56 at 50 degrees C to 17.91 to 100 degrees C, respectively from 1.56 to 3.92 for acetone. The best nanogap sensor responses were found at 100 degrees C with R-air/R-gas approximate to 38 for 150 ppm of ethanol, and R-air/R-gas approximate to 10 for 150 ppm of acetone. The experimental measurements confirmed the adopted theoretical model correlation between the sensor responses and the electrodes separation gap.