Research Areas

Research activities encompass two major topics:

1. Assessment of the impact of mining activities on the quality of water, soil, air, and biodiversity, as for example: development of protocols for evaluation of ecotoxicity, and for the identification of solid phases in air particulates; identification of bio indicators for water and environmental quality, and identification of species to be used in bio remediation processes.

2. Adding value and environmental performance to mineral-based products and processes. The processes are “redesigned” to optimize the use of all natural resources, to minimize emissions, to transform waste into products, and to fully explore the synergy with other regional production chains. Scientific fundamentals are applied to develop and improve processes and to prevent impacts.

The areas of research comprise the following topics