CERNESIM

 

Integrated Center of Environmental Science Studies in the North East Development Region- CERNESIM

 

General strategic objectives

The general strategic objectives suggested through the CERNESIM projects are in accordance with the objective and the priorities of the program POS-CCE Axis II. D2.2. O2.2.1 aimed to developing the research capacities at the “Al.I.Cuza” University in the field of Environmental Sciences, by improving the theoretical, scientific and technical potential regarding the integrated assessment of the pollution in the North-East Region, preservation and sustainable management of the natural resources and biodiversity regarding European Research Area, within climate local/regional changes. Climatic changes, natural and anthropogenic hazards and risks, biodiversity refer to prevention and mitigation of unwanted on short and long term environmental changes. Researches on anthropogenic impact integrated assessment on environment, the monitoring of natural and anthropogenic geosystems are based on an infrastructure composed of various laboratories well equipped, state of the art equipments, structures and logistics compatible with European standards.

Objectives:

a.The enhancement of integrated environmental studies research capacity, including biodiversity. Anthropogenic impact assessment on climate global change requests environmental factors, biomarkers and bioindicators monitoring, a quantitative and qualitative assessment for specific biodiversity, also geosystemic, cultural and economical approach, of a spatial and temporal analysis by emerging of conceptual models, spatialisation (simple digital thematic maps and synthetic maps), statistical and stochastic prognosis within natural and anthropogenic geosystems of the natural-social-economic complexes in order to protect the environment and for a sustainable environment.

The projected infrastructure will lead to increased scientific performance, reflected in the growing number of ISI indexed articles and also to create the foundations for theoretical, scientific and technological support for integrated assessment of the environmental factors in all specific geosystems and, therefore, helping to enhancing and conservation of the natural systems in the North-East Development Region.

b.Technical and infrastructure potential enhancement

The enhancement of integrated environmental studies research capacity is conditioned by the development of laboratories of environmental chemistry, environmental physics, environmental geography, geomatics, ecology, microbiology, citobiology, environmental economics and beside these a number of additional structures (simulation room for atmospheric conditions  and for testing ecological technologies for pollutants destruction, for testing of new sensors for gas pollutants monitoring, environmental probe sampling – water, air, soil, biologic sampling-, software, logistics). All these need complex and complete flow of equipments which allow repeatability of the experiments and validate the results. A proper experimental infrastructure is a compulsory condition to make performing researcher in the environmental science field.

c.The improvement of the scientific information dissemination by using IT network development, theoretical foundations enhancement and proper use of the human resources. Scientific information dissemination improvement by IT network development, of the software expert platforms, of the complex databases, library stock of books and by intensification of the international bibliographic exchange. Complete use and the development of the human potential at University Al.I.Cuza Iasi by: creation of new research positions, new opportunities for young researchers, scientific specialization of the master and Ph.D. students, post-doc opportunities and by creating collaboration opportunities for the scientists from the country and outside the borders based on the implemented infrastructure.

d.To increase the role and impact of the integrated environmental research studies on decision makers from economic and social area regarding geosystem protection and environmental conservation.

To achieve these objectives “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University proposes to build up an infrastructure with newly research capabilities, namely INTEGRATED CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE STUDIES IN THE NORTH-EAST DEVEOPMENT REGION (CERNESIM), structured within 5 research laboratories as follow:

L1: Laboratory of physic-chemical analyses of environmental pollutants.

L2: Laboratory of bio-monitoring and bioremediation of environmental quality

L3: Laboratory for the investigation of physic-chemical processes from atmosphere and for testing new ecological technologies for gaseous pollutants sinks.

L4: Laboratory of environmatic

L5: Laboratory of environmental economics investigation and analysis.


Research directions

This newly created center will reunite, for the first time, at a regional and national level, the efforts of five different labs belonging to five different faculties of the “Al.I. Cuza” University from Iasi: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Economic Studies (FEAA), Geography; each of them investigates a distinct component of the ecosystem.

The research directions proposed for the new centre are the following:

  • the impact of the VOCs on the tropospheric chemistry;
  • the air pollution and the estimation of its impact on the oxidating species in the Troposphere, on the nitrogen cycle, and further on the climate;
  • creating new instruments/sensors from semiconducting materials (especially, oxides: SnO2, Bi2O3, TiO2), metals, alloys and metallic compounds;
  • studying the reacting mechanisms in natural conditions of the identified compounds and establishing the structure of the unknown compounds that have been identified;
  • new methods of identification, operation, concentrating and determining the polluting substances in the environment;
  • eliminating the polluting agents from residual waters;
  • experiments concerning the efficiency of the destruction of different toxic substances (VOCs, NOx, SO2, etc.) through low atmospheric pressure micro glow-discharge;
  • evaluating the ecotoxic potential of the environment;
  • biomonitoring and bio improving;
  • geodemographic, economic and socio-economic studies;
  • studies concerning the risks and the chances associated to different natural and antropogenic processes;
  • economically analyzing and evaluating the effects of the pollution and the environment resources;
  • the study of the opportunity offered by the introduction of the non-polluting technologies in the economic activities.

The Functional Structure of Integrated Center of Environmental Science Studies in the North East Development Region:

L1 Laboratory of physic-chemical analyses of environmental pollutants

The main goal of this laboratory is to identify, quantify and study the structure of the organic pollutants specific to the concerned areas. This laboratory will be coordinated by the researchers of the Faculty of Chemistry, Physics and Geography-Geology of our University.

The novelty proposed by the project is the manner of theoretical and experimental approach to introducing monitoring as a mandatory activity

  • identifying and quantifying as instruments of qualitative and quantitative evaluation of pollutant organic volatile compounds;
  • identifying and quantifying as instruments of connecting the environmental policies and legislation of North East Romania to the European and international environment politics;
  • identifying and quantifying as promises for the future, for the abiding of the laws, the enhancement in the quality of life, the conservation of the biodiversity of the ecosystems
  • it considers the elaboration of a high performance methodology for the identification of some isotopes in the environment;

L2: Laboratory of bio-monitoring and bioremediation of environmental quality

This laboratory will be coordinated by the researchers of the Faculty of Biology of our University.

The laboratory for eco-toxicology evaluation, biomonitoring an bioremedying of the quality of the environment factors will focus on the following research areas:

  • Evaluating the ecological potential of the aquatic and terrestrial environments (by applying standard biotests)
  • Biomonitoring the pollution of air, water and soil by using biomonitoring species such as:
  • Macroscopical fungi, epyphitic green algae and superior plant, including the calculation of biological indexes of pollution
  • Investigating some biomarkers of pollution (structural, physiological and biochemical).
  • Biotechnologies for remedying the quality of the environment regarding metals, organic compounds from various natural matrixes referring to:
    • Phytoremedying (phytodegradation, phytovolatilization, phytostabilization, rizofiltration and rizodegradation)
    • Microbial and algae biotechnologies for the depollution of wastewater
    • Biotechnologies for the micro-remedying of polluted soils

L3: Laboratory for the investigation of physic-chemical processes from atmosphere and for testing new ecological technologies for gaseous pollutants sinks.

The main purpose of this laboratory is to establish a link between the emission of pollutants and the quality of the air. This will be done by using a reaction chamber in which the atmospheric conditions specific to the regions in Romania will be simulated. This reaction chamber will have a volume of approximately 1000 L, and for the simulation of the solar radiation we will use germinic lamps (with λmax=254nm) and black-light lamps (with λmax=365nm). The reaction chamber will also be equipped with a mirror system with multiple reflection White (set up on the pads that seal the ends of the reactor), connected to a spectrometer FT-IR thus allowing the identification “in situ” of the reactants and products. The frontal and terminal pad of the reactor will be equipped with systems for the inclusion of reactants and gas, as well as with measuring instruments for temperature, humidity and pressure. For the homogenization of the reaction mixtures, the room will be equipped with three air ejector fans, one on the ring that unites the two quartz tubes and one on each of the lateral and frontal pads. In order to evacuate the gas mixture, the reactor will be provided with a pump system, a primary one and a turbo molecular pump, which ensures a vacuum force of approximately 10-3 mbar. For the monitoring of other indicators, the room will be connected to multiple analytical systems, through special valves, with the following analytical instruments: LIF, GC-FID, GC-MS, HPLC, actinometres for J(O3), J(O1D) and J(NO2), ecophysics system for measuring and counting  O3, NO, NO2, NOx. Additionally, the reaction chamber will be equipped with a air- drying and purifying system, especially for the eviction and components of the type NOy and non-methane hydrocarbons. All these analytical instruments will be controlled and monitored with the aid of an internal computer network. This laboratory will be coordinated by the researchers of the Faculty of Chemistry and Physics of our University.

The laboratory for physics- and chemistry- studies of the atmosphere will have three main work components, as follows:

  • the component the chemistry of the atmosphere, which will investigate the behavior of specific gas pollutants in atmospheric conditions specific to the North-East region (humidity, temperature, Nox, actinic flux);
  • the component for the usage of ecological technologies of destruction of gas pollutants specific to the North-East region
  • the component of the physics of the atmosphere which will test new instruments with applicability to the industry (new sensors of monitoring gas pollutants)

L4: Laboratory of environmatic

This laboratory will be coordinated by the researchers from the Faculty of Geography and Geology within our University.

Having in mind the general context regarding global changes also from natural components (extreme climatic phenomena, landslides, earthquakes, fires, etc.), social ones (unemployment, people that faces poverty and social exclusion, misdistribution of food and energy resources, bad politics, etc.) and economic ones (mono-industrial activities concentration, the presence of large companies, uneven distribution of the resources, restricted access to new technologies, the perennity of the economic inequities, bad mechanisms and economic mismanagement etc), the creation of this complex laboratory will allow us to make regional and general assessments, spatial analysis, statistical analysis and also prognosis for various mechanisms, phenomena and processes from natural, social and economic areas that have impacts on the natural environments (with all its components) and also on the social-economic component, reflected in peoples’ quality of life which will allow us to generate prognosis on these components.

For each sectorial analysis from the three major environmental components (natural, social and economic) may be created specific indices and indicators, which will have both quantitative and qualitative dimensions and will allow us to do their modeling and spatialization especially as cartographic products (digital maps, conceptual systems, plates, complex databases, etc) created by using GIS/RS technologies, which can integrate data and information from any field, that contains at least one spatial component, thus creating new information useful for political, economical and social decisions, for land management and territorial planning, etc.

L5: Laboratory of environmental economics investigation and analysis

The laboratory for economic studies and analyses for the environment represents, in the bigger frame of the Integrated Center for Environment Studies for the North-East development region, not only an important piece in itself, regarding the development of specific research programs concerning micro and macro economic development, in concordance with the acute aspects of the impact of the activities on the environment , but also an integrating role, regarding the correlation and the unitary using of information and results deriving from the research from the other labs in the center in the domains of physics, chemistry, biology, geography and geology.

Integrated Center of Environmental Science Studies in the North East Development Region- CERNESIM

 

IMPLEMENTATION TEAM-CERNESIM PROJECT

OLARIU ROMEO IULIAN-Director CERNESIM

Associate Professor, Ph.D.,

Faculty of Chemistry

Email: admchim@uaic.ro

Website: http://www.chem.uaic.ro

MIHAI COSTICĂ

Associate Professor, Ph.D.,

Faculty of Economics and Business Administration

Email: feaa@uaic.ro

Website: http://www.feaa.uaic.ro

BREABĂN IULIANA GABRIELA

Associate Professor, Ph.D.,

Faculty of Geography and Geology

Email: geoiasi@uaic.ro

Website: http://www.geo.uaic.ro

COSTICĂ NAELA

Associate Professor, Ph.D.,

Faculty of Biology

Email: admbio@uaic.ro

Website: http://www.bio.uaic.ro

RUSU IOANA ALEXANDRA

Lecturer, Ph.D.,

Faculty of Physics

Email: admphys@uaic.ro

Website: http://www.phys.uaic.ro

Contact

PROJECT MANAGER

Olariu Romeo-Iulian, Associate Professor, PhD.

Telephone number: +40 0232 201354

Fax number: +40 0232 201313

Mail address: CAROL I, nr. 11, cod 700506, Iaşi, Romania

Electronic mail address: oromeo@uaic.ro

Members

L1: Chemistry: Prof. Ph.D., Ionel Mangalagiu:

The main research directions:

The development of new useful reactions for the synthesis of heterocyclic compounds, and in particular, reactions involving reactive species such as cycloimmoniu ylides. The main outcomes of these directions are:

  • new nitrogen heterocycles biologically active [potentials drugs (anticancer, anti-HIV, antimicrobials) and grow up factors], new highly fluorescent materials, new nanobiomaterials with nitrogen heterocycle moieties, new organic semiconductors, etc.;
  • Supramolecular chemistry; in this field our eforts are orientated in the arrea of oxa- and oxaaza- coronands;
  • -Microwave and ultrasounds assisted reactions; these technologies allow us to develop environmental friendly methods, with lower waste and environmental friendly impact.

L1+L3: Chemistry: Lect. Ph.D., Cecilia Arsene

The main research directions:

Air pollution and estimation of the VOCs impact on climate upon the oxidants species from the troposphere.

  • Analyses of chemical compounds containing S, N, P elements;
  • Chemistry and physic of the atmosphere, especially atmospheric chemistry and climate change correlated with the human activities and gas phase/particles interaction;
  • Studies concerning changes in the oxidation capacity of the atmosphere correlated with the anthropogenic factor, chemical composition of the aerosols.

L1+L3: Chemistry: Assoc. Prof. Ph.D., Romeo Olariu

The main research directions:

  • The impact of the volatile organic compounds on the tropospheric chemistry;
  • Instrumental techniques adequately for the identification and quantification of selected chemical compounds from natural matrix (air, water, soil);
  • Kinetic studies in gas phase.

L2: Biology: Prof. Ph.D., Zamfirache Maria-Magdalena

The main research directions:

  • Research on responsiveness to structural and ultrastructural level of the action of noxious plants;
  • The research covered in the run will aim to reproduce, under strictly controlled conditions (laboratory) to biological models (micro-and macroscopic) later used for bioremediation and remediation activities controlled environment.

L2: Biology: Prof Ph.D., Ion Moglan

The main research directions:

  • Assessment of environmental quality based on ecotoxicological tests;
  • Study the effects of pollutants on the cellular structure.

L3: Physic: Prof. Ph.D., Gheorghe Popa

The main research directions:

  • Development of a new laboratory for identification, quantification and study of different pollutants;
  • Development of new ecologic technologies on pollutant;
  • Design and building of an experimental setup for the generation of micro discharges at atmospheric pressure.

L3: Physic: Assoc. Prof. Ph.D., Liviu Leontie

The main research directions:

  • Preparation and testing of gas sensors based on semiconductor materials (especially, oxides: SnO2, Bi2O3, TiO2) and magnetic inorganic materials, as well as organic materials (several classes, both small molecule compounds and polymers) in thin films, through investigation of their electrical, optical, photoelectrical, luminescent and structural properties as a function of pollutant concentration;
  • Designing thin solid films gas sensors (semiconductor, magnetic materials);
  • Determination of gaseous pollutant levels for monitorization of indoor pollution in R&D labs.

L4: Geography-Geology: Prof. Ph.D., Radu Lacatuş

The main research directions:

  • Biotechnology for the rehabilitation of degraded lands through the use of bio-based endomicorize producing fungi and bacteria favoring endofiţi with biological nitrogen fixation capacity of modeling spatial variability of pollution.

L4: Geography-Geology: Assoc. Prof. Ph.D., Daniel Condorachi

The main research directions:

  • GIS (Geographic Information Systems), Remote sensing and photointerpretation, spatial analysis and modeling for natural and anthropogenic phenomena, spatial modeling and prognosis for environmental pollutants, spatial database integration, digital maps editor –general, analytical, special, geomorphology, environmental geography.

L5: Economy: Prof. Ph.D., Marilena Mironiuc

The main research directions:

  • Comparative Analysis of EU countries’ experience designing and implementing environmental management systems and eco-auditing;
  • The study of cross tools – management communication in environmental performance (life cycle analysis, risk analysis techniques and processes hazardous environmental labeling system, Benchmarking);
  • Studies on a methodological model for the design and preliminary analysis implement environmental management systems and eco-audit in Romanian companies.

L5: Economy: Prof. Ph.D., Ion Pohoaţă

  • Study on business value in terms of internalizing environmental effects of activities;
  • Analysis and economic evaluation of environmental resources.;
  • Analysis and economic evaluation of pollution effects.

The majority of the scientific work to be accomplished within the project will be performed by the number of researchers, doctoral and master students. The personnel are going to be selected accordingly with the following aspect: graduation within the university with an already basic training in environmental chemistry from projects within their graduate course. The students will be assisted by academic and technical staff.

The newly created structure, CERNESIM, is opening new gates for the integration of a high number of master and PhD students within the research programs which are going to be initiated on the base of the infrastructure available through the CERNESIM centre.

Presently, each entity from the Faculties involved in CERNESIM centre posses’ ongoing certified masters with specific activities on environmental problems. The Faculty of Chemistry is presently coordinating the master program entitled “Environmental chemistry and foods safety”, the Faculty of Biology the programs “Assistance on environmental problems” and “Ecological education for durable development”, the Faculty of Physic that on “Physic and environmental protection”, the Faculty of Geography and Geology a program entitled “The geography of the environment” and Faculty of Economy and Business Administration that on “Management of the environment and of natural resources”.

Within this master programs, CERNESIM’s infrastructure might be used for a complete educational training of at least 17 students from the Fac. Chemistry, 24 from the Fac. Biology, 15 from the Fac. Physic, 48 from the Fac. Geography and Geology and 48 from the Faculty of Economy and Business Administration. This number of students is supposed to be directly involved in research activities directly related to the above mentioned master programs

Simultaneously, qualified personnel, coordinating research subjects specific for the Doctoral Schools, will have the possibility to approach research subjects for which CERNESIM’s infrastructure might be of a real need. Depending upon the number of researchers fully entitled to coordinate PhD positions, it is expected that at least 2 PhD students from the Fac. Chemistry, 2 PhD from the Fac. Biology, 4 from the Fac. Physic, 4 from the Fac. Geography and Geology and 4 from the Faculty of Economy and Business Administration might have a direct benefit by using CERNESIM’s infrastructure.

The activity of these direct beneficiaries always will be performed under the direct supervision of qualified personnel (researchers, professors with laborious background knowledge).


Publications (selected)

  • Marius Duncianu, Romeo Iulian Olariu, Véronique Riffault, Nicolas Visez, Alexandre Tomas, Patrice Coddeville,  Development of a New Flow Reactor for Kinetic Studies. Application, to the Ozonolysis of a Series of Alkenes, The Journal of Physical Chemistry A, 116 (24), 2012.
  • Cernat, R. I., Mihaiescu, T., Vornicu, M. Vione, D., Olariu, R. I., Arsene, C., Serum trace metal and ceruloplasmin variability in individuals treated for pulmonary tuberculosis, International Journal of Tuberculosi Lung Disiease, 15(9), 1239-1245, 2011.
  • Cecilia Arsene, Romeo Iulian Olariu, Pavlos Zarmpas, Maria Kanakidou, Nikolaos Mihalopoulos, Ion composition of coarse and fine particles in Iasi, north-eastern Romania: Implications for aerosols chemistry in the area, Atmospheric Environment, 45, 906-916, 2011
  • Cecilia Arsene, Davide Vione, Nelu Grinberg, Romeo Iulian Olariu, GCxGC-MS hyphenated techniques for the analysis, of volatile organic compounds in air, Journal of Liquid Chromatography & Related Technologies, 2011,34, 1077–1111.
  • Davide Vione, Swapan Khanra, Simona Cucu Man, Pratap Reddy Maddigapu, Radharani Das, Cecilia Arsene, Romeo-Iulian Olariu, Valter Maurino, Claudio Minero, Inhibition vs. enhancement of the nitrate-induced phototransformation of organic substrates by the OH scavengers bicarbonate and carbonate, Water Research, 43, 4718 – 4728, 2009.
  • Davide Vione, Valter Maurino, Claudio Minero, Marius Duncianu, Romeo-Iulian Olariu, Cecilia Arsene, Mohamed Sarakha, Gilles Mailhot, Assessing the transformation kinetics of 2- and 4-nitrophenol in the atmospheric aqueous phase. Implications for the distribution of both nitroisomers in the atmosphere, Atmospheric Environment, 43 (14), 2321-2327, 2009.
  • Moldoveanu, C.; Jones, P.; Mangalagiu, I. I.: Spyroheterocycles compounds: old stories new outcomes, Tetrahedron  Lett.,  50, 7205-7208, 2009.
  • Butnariu, R.; Mangalagiu, I.I.: New Pyridazine Derivatives: Synthesis, Chemistry and Biological Activity, Bioorgan. Med. Chem., 17, 2823-2829, 2009.
  • Balan A. M.; Florea O.; Moldoveanu, C.; Zbancioc Ghe; Iurea, D.; Mangalagiu I. I.:  Diazinium Salts with Dihydroxyacetophenone Skeleton: Syntheses and Antimicrobial Activity, Eur. J. Med. Chem, 44, 2275-2279, 2009.
  • Mantu, D.; Moldoveanu, C.; Nicolescu, A.; Deleanu, C.; Mangalagiu I. I.: A facile synthesis of pyridazine derivatives of anticipated biological activities under ultrasounds, Ultrasonic Sonochemistry, 16, 452-454, 2009.
  • Vione, D., Maurino, V, Cucu-Man, S., Khanra, S., Arsene, C., Olariu, R., Minero, C., Formation of organobrominated compounds in the presence of bromide under simulated atmospheric aerosol conditions, Chemistry Sustainable Chemistry, 1, 197–204, 2008.
  • Arsene, C., Olariu, R. I., Mihalopoulos, N., Chemical composition of rainwater in the north-eastern Romania, Iasi region (2003-2006), Atmospheric Environment, 41, 9452-946, 2007.
  • Arsene, C., Bougiatioti, A., Kanakidou, M., Bonsang, B., Mihalopoulos, N., Tropospheric OH and Cl levels deduced from non-methane hydrocarbon measurements in a marine site, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 7, 4661–4673, 2007.
  • Vione, D., Maurino, V., Minero, C., Pelizzetti, E., Harrison, M.A.J., Olariu, R.I., Arsene, C., Photochemical reactions in the tropospheric aqueous phase and on particulate matter, Chemical Society Reviews, 35, 441-453, 2006.

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