Agricultural Chemistry and Pedology Laboratory Suite

The research laboratories are located on the 2nd and 5th floors of the Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences (DISTAL), in viale Fanin 40 Bologna. Except for the cartographic unit, that is located at the 2nd floor, the lab suite is on the 5th floor and is composed of:

•  2 labs of chromatography

•  1 lab of thermal and differential analyses

•  1 lab of isotopic mass spectrometry

•  1 lab of ICP-EOS elemental spectrometry

•  1 lab of spectroscopies

•  3 processing rooms and

•  1 technical room.

Permanent technical and academic staff members accessing the facility with various responsibilities are: Sonia Blasioli, Ilaria Braschi, Luciano Cavani, Claudio Ciavatta, Mauro De Feudis, Marcello Di Bonito, Gloria Falsone, Ornella Francioso, Paola Gioacchini, Marco Grigatti, Claudio Marzadori, Federico Mattioli, Martina Mazzon, Daniela Montecchio, Andrea Simoni and Livia Vittori Antisari.

Research activities

The Agricultural Chemistry and Pedology Lab facility represents an array of specialised equipment which allows the group to perform advanced analysis and research activities in the following areas:

•  Genesis, evolution, and conservation of soil in natural, agricultural, and man-made environments

•  Carbon and nutrients stocks in agricultural and forest soils

•  Soil fertility and plant nutrition

•  Soil organic matter and biosolids characterizations

•  Physical, chemical, and biochemical indicators of soil quality and functionality

•  Reuse of agro-industrial by-products for soil fertility

•  Characterization of agro-industrial and urban biomasses for agricultural uses

•  Quantification and transformation mechanisms of pollutants in the soil-water-plant system and in biomass

•  Decontamination and remediation of soils, waters, and biomasses from (in)organic pollutants

•  Monitoring of water-sediment-soil interactions in hydromorphic and underwater soils

•  Palaeopedology and soil characterization in in historical-cultural contexts

•  Soil survey and digital mapping

Below are the main analyses conducted on the soil, water, plant, and biomass matrices.

SOIL

Chemical, physical, and biochemical analyses, Enzymatic analyses, Isotopic (13C, 15N) analyses, Soil analysis, Elemental analysis, FT-IR spectroscopic analyses, Thermogravimetric analyses, Analysis of organic matter and humic substances, Fertility, Chemical and biochemical quality indices, Bioavailability of nutrients, Enzymatic activities, Quantitative analysis of (in)organic pollutants, Mechanisms of transformation of pollutants, Speciation of heavy metals and potentially toxic elements. Noxious volatiles analyses (e-nose).

AGRICULTURAL BIOMASS

Chemical and biochemical analyses and composition of agro-industrial and urban by-products, fertilizers (fertilizers, soil improvers, correctives, compost), thermogravimetric analyses. NPK

analysis, Fertilising action, Stable isotope (13C, 15N) analysis, FT-IR spectroscopic analysis, Leaching test, Plant growth test, Quantitative analysis of (in)organic pollutants, Transformation mechanisms of pollutants, Noxious volatiles analyses (e-nose).

External services: Fertilizer analysis service. Contact: Prof. Claudio Ciavatta (claudio.ciavatta@unibo.it) +390512096201.

WATER

Chemical-physical and biochemical analyses, Dry residue, Quantitative analyses of (in)organic pollutants, Pollutant stability, Kinetics, and mechanisms of hydrolytic and photolytic transformation of pollutants. Noxious volatiles analyses (e-nose).

PLANT

Chemical, physical, and biochemical analyses, Elemental analysis, Isotopic analyses (13C, 15N), Growing and root elongation test under controlled conditions, Rhizotests, Nutritional and anti-nutritional substances, Sugars, Anthocyanins, Quality parameters, Quantitative analyses of (in)organic pollutants, Detection of pathogens by volatiles analyses (e-nose).

Equipment

Spectrometers:
· Elemental analyser for C/N on solid matrices (Flash 2000) coupled to an isotope mass spectrometer (Delta V Advantage) for C/N isotopic ratios (Thermo Fisher Scientific)
· Plasma spectrometer ICP-OES, Arcos II, Ametek
· Elemental analyser for the determination of C and N on liquid matrices TOC-VCPH/CPN Shimadzu Italia

Spectrophotometers:
· FT-IR Tensor 27 Bruker with water suppression line
· UV-vis spectrometer, 7800, Jasco
· Multifunction microplate reader, Infinite F200PRO, Tecan

Liquid chromatographs:
· HPLC with detector Diode array Jasco
· HPLC detector UV-visible and refractive index, 1525, Waters
· Preparative HPLC, UV detector, conductivity meter and fraction collector, Biologic Duo-flow, Biorad
· HPLC with UV-vis detector Jasco

Other equipment:
· Electronic nose PEN3 Airsense Analytics GmbH
· Microwave oven (Milestone, USA)
· Photoreactor (wavelength 254, 300, 360 nm)
· Thermogravimetry and differential thermal analyser 92-12, Setaram
· Capillary electrophoresis with UV and LIF detector, Biofocus, Bio-Rad
· Pyrolyser
· Kjeldahl analyser, Kjelflex K-360, Büchi
· Automatic titrators: Compact titrator, Crison; TIM860, Radiometer; Flash, Steroglass
· Freeze dryer, LYPH-LOCK 6, Labconco
· Multigas photoacoustic monitor, 1302 Brüel and Kjaer
· Instrument for anodic redissolution voltammetry, Radiometer

Auxiliary tools:
· Thermostatic cells (2)
· Incubators (4)
· Cold room
· Centrifuges (2): J2-21, Beckman; J-26XP, Beckman
· Rotary Evaporator (Rotavapor)
· Dubnoff thermostatic bath (2)
· Ultrasound bath
· Mettler-Toledo 6-digit decimal scale
· Vacuum pumps (2)
· Furnace, ZA, Tecno-Lab

Teaching and training activities

Our teaching and training activities are linked to the various degree levels offered by our department, including Bachelor's, Master's, and Research Doctorate (the Agricultural, Environmental, and Food Science and Technology - STAAA). Our laboratory facilities therefore operate as the hub of most of the experimental activities of the projects that students have to prepare at each degree level in the department, in the scientific area of Agricultural Chemistry and Pedology. Furthermore, the facility is also central to a range of other activities in relation to applicative and industrial internships, as well as training programs.