Proambiente S.C.r.l.

•   Fourier Transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer   BRUKER   EM27

•    Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor (ACSM)

•    Laboratory for calibration, characterization and design of optical and spectral devices

•    EVO®50 Scanning Electron Microscope (ESEM)

•    Geophysical Basic Instruments 

•    Basic Instruments and geophysical software for mobile station (USV)

•    Sensors and instruments for oceanographic buoys

•    Certificated GreenHouse

•    Mobile lab for air monitoring in urban ambient

•    Ozone analyzer

•    NOx analyzer

•    PM analyzer

•    Calibration system for air gas measurements

•    Gas cromatography system for chemical analysis of air gas samples

•    Semi-automatic probe stations for electrical characterization at controlled temperature of microelectronic systems andatmospheric sensors

•    High Performance Liquid Chromatograph with Triple Quadruple Mass Detector (HPLC-MS)

•    Gas Chromatograph with mass detector

Water Monitoring

The long-time expertise acquired by the National Research Council represents an essential know-how employed by Proambiente in the solution of ecological problems in marine and fluvial environments. To satisfy the different requests of the end-users (public authorities, private companies, tourist industry, etc.) about marine and coastal monitoring, Proambiente develops instrumentation and decision support systems both for environmental prevention activities and for the sustainable management of the resources. Such instrumentation is conceived as an integration to existing systems and allows both monitoring (in situ and off-line) and control activities through satellite survey on the basis of the GMES (Global Monitoring for Environmental Security) technology, aimed at optimizing the investigation and the response to the specific requests.

Technology Transfer

• Advanced systems for marine monitoring, specific for different users (e.g. environmental monitoring, fishery, tourism, etc.) capable to integrate satellite data and forecasts provided by the Marine Core Service of the GMES and to convert them in to disposable products for the end-user (e.g. software or mobile app).
• Continuous and "real time" monitoring systems suited for forecasts on the marine and lagoon ecosystem, and integrated monitoring systems of the coastline connected to DSS models (e.g. instrumented fixed station).
• Innovative low-cost mobile and fixed platform (e.g. instrumented bouys and U.S.V. Unmanned Surface Vehicle) based on open-hardware and open-software, devoted to the geophysical, geological and geochemical characterization of lagoons and low-depth submerged areas.

Atmospheric Monitoring

Proambiente provides both advanced services and development of innovative instrumentation addressed to accurate and representative atmospheric monitoring for better understanding of factors playing key role in the climate change.

A highly skilled R&D team works on the design and the prototyping of advanced sensors and systems, implementing micro- and nano-structured technologies, advanced photonics and data processing solutions. This allow to create in short time low power consump tion and cost effective devices.

Proambiente has a wide range of equipment devoted to environmental and atmospheric monitoring. The experimental data, obtained by means of this equipment, allow for revealing of spatial-temporal variations of gaseous compounds and particulate matter as well as their chemical composition. The goal for such monitoring is not only research studies concerning atmospheric processes, but also to provide valuable contributions or optimisation of actions within local or regional adaptation plans addressed to face climate change. To this end different dispersion models are also adopted for assessing environmental impact of pollutant sources like industrial areas, harbours, highways, airports.

Technology Transfer

• Innovative optical and spectroscopic remote-sensing systems (DOAS, mini-LIDAR) deployable on mobile platforms (vans,aircrafts) as well as ground-based stations for monitoring of key pollutants, particulate matter and UV radiation.
• Instrumentation for continuous analysis of: atmospheric aerosol, weather parameters, rainfalls (high power ceilometer), atmospheric thermal structure, wind speed (mini-SODAR), gaseous compounds (cavity ring down technique).
• Miniaturized gas chromatographic systems equipped with innovative Metal OXide (MOX) sensors to analyze air samples (e.g. trace-level detection of volatile organic compounds or polycyclic aromatics hydrocarbons) in proximity of pollutants emission sources (e.g. dumps, incinerators, farms, etc.).
• Low-cost and low-power consumption systems, based on nano-structured thin film sensors, selective pre-concentrators and specific filters for indoor air quality monitoring aimed at safeguarding workers' health and comfort, and detecting poison gas leaks or harmful chemical compounds.
• Systems for the quantification of atmospheric pollutants (portable dosimeters suited for healthcare).

Agricolture: food and no food

Capital topics like global or local climate changes and their effects on territories, the impacts of anthropic activities and their influence on agricultural and forest systems represent key factors for Proambiente: to this purpose, the consortium has expertise on complex data management and processing referred to soil, plant life and fauna. The mission of this sector is represented by combining economic development and environmental conservation through impact decrease and resources' optimization providing instruments for the increase of territorial value and the certification of vegetable matter quality and tests.

Technology Transfer

• Applying models and techniques, like GIS and L.C.A., to assess crop choises, environmental impacts associated to the phases of agricoltural production and use of water resources.
• Phytoremediation studies on soils contaminated with heavy metals.
• Physiological and bio-chemical analysis of food quality.

Cultural Heritage

As far as cultural heritage maintenance is concerned, an increasing attention is focused on preventive protective measurements. The artworks and art objects stored in indoor locations, like so outward monuments and archaeological sites, are exposed to various decay factors. For their safeguard, it is important to favor the preventive activity, which is a set of measurements aimed at protecting the structures from potential damages. Therefore, environmental conditions monitoring and study are fundamental requirements to identify the most effective strategies for the protection and preservation of cultural heritages.

Technology Transfer

• Methods for monitoring the mainly critical microclimatic parameters in order to ensure the preservation of building materials (stones, cement, metals, wood, glass) and the preventive protection of cultural heritage. I.e. use of custom-developed monitors integrated in a shared network.
• Damage models - applied to outward monuments - capable to provide a quantitative and economic evaluation of the environment-material interaction effects on the decay of materials as well as to define the compatibility and the long-term duration of the materials employed in restoration and in building industry.
• Non-disruptive, innovative and user-friendly instrumentation, technologies and facilities for continuous, real-time and non-invasive monitoring of the degradation caused by the impact of environmental and polluting parameters on the monuments. I.e. Innovative extensometric cells, Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy (ESEM), custom remote sensing systems (acusto-optical image spectrometer AOIS) and portable monitors.

Wastewater

A great attention is focused on the environmental and territorial requalification, by means of techniques and solutions developed for the restoration of safe conditions about healthcare and environmental protection, focusing on sustainable technologies, Life Cycle Assessment and helping the industries to equip with advanced, innovative and efficient systems.

Technology Transfer

• Sustainable and no-chlorine processes and plants aimed at re-using wastewater..
• Instrumentation and methodologies for the application of Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOP) in the civil, industrial and agricultural field of application, in order to favor the de-structuring and the mineralization of emerging pollutants ( pharmaceuticals  and detergents) in wastewater. Electron Beam treatment systems used to purify big amounts of wastewater coming from the industries or the civil sector.
• Spectrophotometric analysis (UV-Vis), Total Organic Compounds (TOC) analysis, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) analysis, Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) analysis  and ecotoxicological investigation  carried out using a species of bacteria bioluminescent, vibrio  fischeri,  as toxicity indicators.
• In the agricultural field about the purification of the remaining solutions in tanks of spray machines, a prototype with AOP technology  has been designed and implemented to prevent the bad practice in order to  spillage of agropharmaceuticals solutions directly into the soil, causing point source pollution of soils and groundwater.