The course is aimed at acquiring the skills necessary to recognize, classify and use the minerals and rocks that can be used as environmental indicators. The course also aims to master the fundamental concepts related to the interaction processes between minerals, the environment, and human health.

Introduction to the course. Environmental indicators. Descriptive indicators. Mineralogical and petrographic indicators.

Review of mineralogy and petrography. Solid state and crystalline state. Minerals and crystals. Crystalline morphology. Symmetry operators. Fundamental lattice. Crystalline systems. Crystal-chemical structure. Coordination polyhedra. Classification of minerals. Silicates. Rocks. Minero- and petrogenetic processes. PT diagrams.

Asbestos. Definitions and historical notes. Physical and chemical properties. Uses and consequences. Legislation. Types of asbestos. Phyllosilicates. Types of phyllosilicates. Serpentine group. Lizardite. Antigorite. Chrysotile. Polygonal and polyhedral serpentine. Inosilicates. Types of inosilicates. Pyroxenes and amphiboles. Fibrous amphiboles: amosite, crocidolite, tremolite, actinolite, anthophyllite. Elements of fiber toxicity: shape and size, chemical composition, biopersistence. Asbestos-related pathologies. The asbestos problem today. Disused mining sites. Remediation of MCAs in a friable matrix. Natural sources (NOA). The green stones. Regulatory framework. Risk assessment.

Zeolites. What are zeolites. Tectosilicates. Silica group. Feldspar group. Group of feldspathoids. Group of zeolites. Tetrahedral scaffold. General crystal-chemical formula. Structural classification of zeolites. Cavities in zeolites. Porosity. Extra-framework cations. The properties of zeolites. Si / Al ratio. Natural Zeolites. Genesis of the zeolites. Hydrothermal zeolites and diagenetic zeolites. The Zeolitites. Applications of zeolitites: moisturizing agents, ion exchangers, adsorbents, molecular sieves, catalysts, animal nutrition, water purification, agriculture and floriculture, and human health. Fibrous zeolites and toxicological risk. Erionite and offer.

Clays and clay minerals. Clays and their definitions. Clay minerals and their properties. Phyllosilicates. Dioctahedral and trioctahedral layers. Type of clay minerals. Subgroup of dioctahedral kandites: halloysite and kaolinite. Halloysite-kaolinite relationships. Genesis of kaolinite. Trioctahedral Kanditi. Pyrophyllite and talc. Subgroup of illites: illite, glauconite, celadonite. Training environments. Subgroup of smectites: montmorillonite, beidellite, nontronite, volkonskoite. Trioctahedral smectites: saponite, lembergite, sauconite, hectorite. Particular clay minerals: vermiculites, chlorites. Regular and irregular mixed layered phyllosilicates. Modular and ribbon-like phyllosilicates: sepiolite, palygorskite. The role of interlayer cations. Clays and human health. Origin of clay minerals: heredity, transformation by subtraction and/or addition of ions, neoformation, rejuvenation. Alteration of rocks and soil formation. Hydrolysis. Acidolysis. Erosion and sedimentation. Diagenesis. Hydrothermal alteration. Hydrothermal zoning: clayey zone, phyllite zone, propylitic zone. Methods of analysis of clay minerals: X-ray diffractometry. Bragg's law. The diffractometer. Interpretation of a diffractogram. Basal reflections. Principles of identification of clay minerals. Exercise on analysis and recognition of the mineralogical composition on two samples: bulk analysis, separation of the clay fraction, analysis of the air-dried sample, after glycolation and after heat treatments. Interpretation of results.

Nanoparticles. Nanoparticles and nanotechnologies. Importance of size. Nanostructuring: examples in nature. Fields of application. Physico-chemical characteristics of nanomaterials. Nanotechnologies in the past, present, and future. Toxicological implications and safety concerns. Nanoparticles and human health. Elements of toxicological relevance: dimensions, surface area, dose, shape, crystallinity, surface chemistry, coating. Bioaccumulation and biotransformation processes. Open questions.

Crystalline silica. Silica and silicosis. The silica group: quartz, tridymite, cristobalite, chalcedony. Phase transformations and polymorphism. Silica in nature: plants, sponges, diatoms. Physico-chemical properties of silica and toxicity. Origin of free crystalline silica (SLC): grinding, combustion, biological. Pathogenicity of silica. Activities at risk of exposure for SLC.

Ecotoxic minerals. Toxicity in minerals. Minerals toxic by their nature: asbestos, other fibrous minerals, free crystalline silica. Minerals toxic due to the presence of toxic elements: galena, cinnabar, realgar, orpiment, calcantite, phenakite, hutchinsonite, tobernite, hydroxyapatite. Minerals and man: biominerals. Soluble minerals and their toxicity. The case of epsomite.

Mineralogy and Lithology, Petrography

The student must demonstrate the following:

• Knowledge and understanding. At the end of the course, the student must have assimilated the fundamental knowledge of minerals and rocks used as environmental indicators. The student will also have to show the ability to recognize the main indicators of this type and to know how to use them in the context of the Earth system.
• Applying knowledge and understanding. The student must be able to use mineralogical and petrographic terminology correctly. In particular, you will need to be able to recognize, classify and describe the minerals and rocks that can be used as environmental indicators.
• Making judgments. The student will have to demonstrate mastery of the fundamental concepts to independently and critically evaluate the possible interactions between minerals, the environment, and human health.
• Communication skills. The student must be able to describe and summarize a scientific article or a case study on the use of mineral-petrographic indicators in English.
• Learning skills. The student must be able to construct his/her scientific growth path on the subject of mineralogical and petrographic indicators for health and the environment in a critical and autonomous way, being able to use the acquired knowledge. These skills, as far as possible, will be stimulated by the teacher by proposing in-depth studies.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Classroom and laboratory activities are planned with the course teacher.

Teaching

The course will take place through continuous interaction between lectures, laboratory and class exercises.

The course includes:

• frontal lectures;
• group work and preparation of a presentation on the applications of selected case studies;
• participated classes in which the presented works will be discussed.

Innovative teaching methods

The face-to-face teaching method will be enriched with individual and group exercises and insights that students will carry out using the University's Moodle platform. Some topics of the course will be treated following the practice of the "flipped lesson".

Attendance

No obligations.

Course books

• Cornelis Klein, Anthony R. Philpotts (2018), Mineralogia e Petrografia, ZANICHELLI​​​​​​
• Cornelis Klein (2004), Mineralogia, ZANICHELLI
• A. Putnis (1992), Introduction to mineral sciences, Cambridge University Press;
• Winter J.D. (2001), An introduction to Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology, Prentice Hall.
• Frost & Frost (2014) Essentials of Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology, Cambridge

Assessment

The expected learning outcomes will be assessed with an oral exam with questions on all topics in the program.

The criteria underlying the evaluation, which is expressed as a grade out of 30, are:

• Level of mastery of knowledge (verification of acquired knowledge)
• Articulation of the response
• Ability in thematic connection and synthesis skills

Voting classes:

• less than 18: skill level not enough
• 18-20: skill level enough
• 21-23: skill level satisfactory
• 24-26: skill level good
• 27-29: skill level very good
• 30-30 with honors: skill level excellent

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

Non-attending students are invited to consult the didactic material uploaded on blended.uniurb.it (slides discussed in class) through which it will be possible to study further the volumes indicated in the "Study Texts" section. However, non-attending students are advised to contact the teacher for information on the program and to plan any additional exercises.

Attendance

No obligations.

Course books

• Cornelis Klein, Anthony R. Philpotts (2018), Mineralogia e Petrografia, ZANICHELLI​​​​​​
• Cornelis Klein (2004), Mineralogia, ZANICHELLI
• A. Putnis (1992), Introduction to mineral sciences, Cambridge University Press;
• Winter J.D. (2001), An introduction to Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology, Prentice Hall.
• Frost & Frost (2014) Essentials of Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology, Cambridge

Assessment

The expected learning outcomes will be assessed with an oral exam with questions on all topics in the program.

The criteria underlying the evaluation, which is expressed as a grade out of 30, are:

• Level of mastery of knowledge (verification of acquired knowledge)
• Articulation of the response
• Ability in thematic connection and synthesis skills

Voting classes:

• less than 18: skill level not enough
• 18-20: skill level enough
• 21-23: skill level satisfactory
• 24-26: skill level good
• 27-29: skill level very good
• 30-30 with honors: skill level excellent

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.