Dec. 18 – “Mercury is a highly toxic element. Considering its presence all over the world, it can be a series threat to health and the environment. Recent news brought citizens to look more into these devastating effects. This is why this particular reseach is relevant today,” says Fabrizio Monaci, professor in the Physics and Environment Department of the University of Siena as he received the Canada-Italy Innovation Award 2013, the award handed out by the Canadian Embassy in Italy to research facilities that cooperate with Canadian ones pursuing innovative projects in Energy & Environment, International Security, Life Sciences, Green Technologies, Nanotechnologies and ICT. Dr. Monaci led the research team in Siena, in coordination with the Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences of the University of Toronto, in their analysis of mercury-induced atmospheric pollution. “The research began last year – says the professor, returning from Canada – and is the result of this great collaboration with Toronto. Together, we were able to match our competences and skills. Our department brought out all research on heavy metals. There is a real need to keep track of mercury emissions and register the decreases, so we developed an innovative system to sample mercury; this system doesn’t require electricity to work and is easy and cheap to use. It can be used in all climatic conditions, no matter how remote or adverse. After the experimentation phase, the system will be able to map the metal’s diffusion in high-risk area, where there are well known pollution sources. The aim is to track the metal’s movements and study its dispertion.” Monaci then mentioned the Minamata (Japan) environmental disaster and the subsequent Tokyo Agreement: “Minamata is a town in Japan that during the 1950s witnessed an environmental disaster. Mercury entered the food chain via fish, and fish consumption killed several people. A few days ago, the Minamata Convention was signed. The convention regulates the use of mercury. We are currently carrying out research near Mount Amiata, where for about a century, there has been an intense industrial extraction of cinaber, the solphur from which mercury is extracted. But, this practice was abandoned 40 years ago.” Monaci is happy of the award received, and the attention dedicated to the environmental issue:”I hope these are correct instruments that may be used by my students to test their notions. In the Ecotoxicology course, I see highly motivated students, dedicated to environmental issues.”