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Applied Sciences
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Solving Environmental and Cultural Heritage Issues Through Analytical Tools
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Solving Environmental and Cultural Heritage Issues Through Analytical Tools

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 2295

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Paola Fermo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Golgi 19, 20133 Milan, Italy
Interests: environmental analytical chemistry; analytical chemistry applied to cultural heritage
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Andrea Bergomi

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Golgi 19, 20133 Milan, Italy
Interests: analytical chemistry; environmental and cultural heritage chemistry

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The application of analytical methodologies for the study and characterization of environmental and cultural heritage matrices is becoming increasingly widespread, taking into account continuous instrumental developments. Depending on the specific application, these two fields may not overlap or may be strongly connected with one another; indeed, research shows a direct relationship between cultural heritage and the surrounding environment. This Special Issue is dedicated to novel case studies in which conventional methods are applied in synergy with more innovative ones and/or others which have seldom been used in these research fields to solve issues and problems concerned with cultural heritage and the environment. Such methods may include the use of a wide range of techniques depending on the specific application: elemental and/or molecular analyses, destructive and/or micro-destructive methods, in situ applications, and/or laboratory settings. Environmental samples include air, water, soil, and food, while all materials of historical and artistic interest are included for cultural heritage applications. Scientific papers with an emphasis on the role and importance of analytical techniques that help to tackle the issue of interest are encouraged.

Prof. Dr. Paola Fermo
Dr. Andrea Bergomi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • analytical chemistry
  • analytical techniques
  • analytical methodologies
  • environment
  • cultural heritage

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

28 pages, 3806 KiB  
Article
Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Database of Historical Pigments: A Comparison Between ATR-FTIR and DRIFT Modalities
by Daniel Jiménez-Desmond and José Santiago Pozo-Antonio
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(7), 3941; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15073941 - 3 Apr 2025
Viewed by 542
Abstract
The existence of historical pigments databases is important to speed up cultural heritage research. Knowledge of their chemical composition and their manufacture contributes to the study of art history and helps develop accurate conservation-restoration strategies. In this study, a total of nineteen pigments, [...] Read more.
The existence of historical pigments databases is important to speed up cultural heritage research. Knowledge of their chemical composition and their manufacture contributes to the study of art history and helps develop accurate conservation-restoration strategies. In this study, a total of nineteen pigments, among which we find silicates (Egyptian blue, natural and synthetic blue ultramarine, green earth and chrysocolla), oxides (natural and synthetic hematite, red and yellow natural ochres, and chromium green), carbonates (natural and synthetic azurite, natural and synthetic malachite, and white lead), sulphides (natural and synthetic cinnabar, and orpiment) and acetates, (verdigris) have been characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared-Spectroscopy in Attenuated Total Reflection (ATR-FTIR) and Diffuse Reflectance (DRIFT) modalities. Considering the latter, there is still a great deal of uncertainty in the interpretation of the different IR vibrational bands. Therefore, a comparative study between these two techniques has been carried out to highlight the potential of DRIFT spectroscopy as a portable and non-destructive technique that allows the differentiation and characterization of historical pigments in the field of cultural heritage. Before performing FTIR analysis, pigments were analysed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) to detect impurities and/or additives in the pigments. Differentiation between natural and synthetic pigments was possible due to the identification of impurities in natural pigments, and manufacture-related compounds or additives in synthetic pigments. Results obtained in this study have proven DRIFT to be a very useful analytical technique for in situ characterization of heritage materials. This study serves as an initial step in clarifying the challenges and uncertainties associated with interpreting spectra obtained through the DRIFT modality. However, the use of other complementary analytical techniques is required. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solving Environmental and Cultural Heritage Issues Through Analytical Tools)
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19 pages, 28445 KiB  
Article
Masonry and Pictorial Surfaces Study by Laser Diagnostics: The Case of the Diana’s House in Ostia Antica
by Valeria Spizzichino, Luisa Caneve, Antonella Docci, Massimo Francucci, Massimiliano Guarneri, Daniela Tarica and Claudia Tempesta
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(4), 2172; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15042172 - 18 Feb 2025
Viewed by 467
Abstract
The aim of the present research is to validate the combined use, through data fusion, of a Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) scanning system and a radar scanner (RGB-ITR, Red Green Blue Imaging Topological Radar system), as a unique tool to address the need [...] Read more.
The aim of the present research is to validate the combined use, through data fusion, of a Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) scanning system and a radar scanner (RGB-ITR, Red Green Blue Imaging Topological Radar system), as a unique tool to address the need for non-invasive, rapid, and low-cost techniques for both diagnostic and operational needs. The integrated system has been applied to the House of Diana complex in Ostia Antica. The main diagnostic objective of this research was to trace the materials used in different phases of restoration, from antiquity to modernity, on both masonry and pictorial surfaces, to reconstruct the history of the building. Due to the significant interest in this insula, other studies have been recently carried out on the House of Diana, but they once again highlighted the necessity of multiple approaches and non-invasive methods capable of providing quasi-real-time answers, delivering point-by-point information on very large surfaces to overcome the limits related to representativeness of sampling. The data acquired by the RGB-ITR system are quantitative, allowing for morphological and 3-colour analysis of the investigated artwork. In this work, the sensor has been used to create coloured 3D models useful for structural assessments and for locating different classes of materials. In fact, the LIF maps, which integrate knowledge about the original constituent materials and previous conservation interventions, have been used as additional layers of the tridimensional models. Therefore, the method can direct possible new investigations and restoration actions, piecing together the history of the House of Diana to build for it a safer future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solving Environmental and Cultural Heritage Issues Through Analytical Tools)
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20 pages, 7811 KiB  
Article
Deterioration of White Tempera Mock-Ups Paints in a SO2-Rich Atmosphere
by Teresa Rivas, José Santiago Pozo-Antonio, Daniel Jiménez-Desmond, Amelia Dionísio and Carolina Cardell
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(3), 1610; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15031610 - 5 Feb 2025
Viewed by 640
Abstract
Historical tempera paints exposed to pollutant gases suffer chemical and mineralogical deterioration which manifests through physical changes. Knowledge about these changes is fundamental to develop strategies for preventive conservation of wall paintings. In this research, binary tempera mock-ups composed of calcite, gypsum or [...] Read more.
Historical tempera paints exposed to pollutant gases suffer chemical and mineralogical deterioration which manifests through physical changes. Knowledge about these changes is fundamental to develop strategies for preventive conservation of wall paintings. In this research, binary tempera mock-ups composed of calcite, gypsum or lead white mixed with a proteinaceous binder (i.e., egg yolk or rabbit glue) were exposed to an aging test by using SO2-rich atmosphere exposure to learn about the degradation mechanisms and forms related to the pigment–binder interaction. Reference (unaltered) and aged mock-ups were studied from a physical point of view, characterizing the morphological changes by using stereomicroscopy and profilometry, color variations by using spectrophotometry, gloss changes, and reflectance changes by using a hyperspectral camera. Also, mineralogical and chemical changes were studied by means of X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Egg-yolk-based paints showed higher chromatic changes than their counterparts made of rabbit glue binder. Also, sulfate and sulfite salts precipitated on the surface of the aged paints regardless of their binder, influencing the painting reflectance which subsequently increased. Egg-yolk-based mock-ups exhibited roughness increases while the rabbit-glue-based paints showed roughness reduction, with the exception of lead-white-based paints. Therefore, the important influence of the type of binder and the interaction between the binder and the pigment on the durability of tempera paints in atmospheres rich in SO2 was confirmed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solving Environmental and Cultural Heritage Issues Through Analytical Tools)
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