Antonio Gianfagna
Sapienza University of Rome
Network
Latest external collaboration on country level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots.
Publication
Featured researches published by Antonio Gianfagna.
Archives of Environmental Health | 2000
Luigi Paoletti; Domenico Batisti; Caterina Bruno; Maurizio Di Paola; Antonio Gianfagna; Marino Mastrantonio; Massimo Nesti; Pietro Comba
Abstract In a recent epidemiological study, researchers investigated mortality from malignant pleural neoplasms in Italy, and they detected some geographic clusters of cases of this disease. We found a town located in a volcanic area of eastern Sicily to be of special interest. The residents, some of whom were diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma, had never had any relevant exposure to asbestos during their professional lives. The results of an environmental survey suggested that a possible cause of asbestos exposure was the stone quarries near the town. The products of the quarries contain fibrous amphiboles, which are used widely in the local building industry. These fibrous amphiboles were identified as intermediate phases between tremolite and actinolite. Samples were collected from buildings in the town, and concentrations of amphibole fibers were evaluated. Fibrous phases were detected in 71 % of the samples, and fiber concentrations ranged from a few thousand to more than 4 × 104 fibers/mg of material. In addition, we conducted a study on the mineral fiber lung burden in a pleural mesothelioma case. Many mineral fibers that were classified as the same tremolite-actinolite fibrous amphibole found in the quarries and in the building materials were detected in the lung tissue. The results suggest that the inhabitants of the town we studied had been exposed for several decades to asbestos fibers that were present in the material extracted from the local stone quarries. The material was subsequently used in the building industry, and this has caused an increased risk of pleural mesothelioma in the area.
American Mineralogist | 2001
Antonio Gianfagna; Roberta Oberti
Abstract Fluoro-edenite, ideally NaCa2Mg5(Si7Al)O22F2, was found both as prismatic or acicular crystals of millimetric size and as fibers in the rock cavities in gray-red altered benmoreitic lavas occurring at Biancavilla (Etnean Volcanic Complex, Catania, Italy). It is associated with feldspars, quartz, clino- and orthopyroxene, fluoro-apatite, ilmenite, and hematite, and probably crystallized from late-stage hydrothermal fluids. Fluoro-edenite is transparent, intense yellow, non-fluorescent, has vitreous to resinous luster, and gives a yellow streak parallel to the c axis; Mohs’ hardness 5-6, Dcalc = 3.09 g/cm3, perfect cleavage on {110}, and conchoidal fracture. In plane-polarized light, fluoro-edenite is birefringent (1st order), biaxial negative, α = 1.6058(5), β = 1.6170(5), γ = 1.6245(5), 2Vcalc = 78.09°, Y ≡ β ⊥ (010), and γ:Z = 26°. No pleochroism is observed. Fluoro-edenite is monoclinic, space group C2/m, a = 9.847(2) Å, b = 18.017(3) Å, c = 5.268(2) Å, β = 104.84(2)°, V = 903.45 Å3, Z = 2; the ten strongest X-ray diffraction lines in the powder pattern are [d(I, hkl)]: 3.125(10, 310), 8.403(6,110), 3.271(5,240), 2.807(4,330), 2.703(3,151), 1.894(2,5̄10), 2.938(2,221), 1.649(2, 461), 3.376(2,131), 1.438(2,6̄61). IR analysis showed absorption bands at 1066, 991, 791, 738, 667, 517, 475 cm-1, and no bands in the OH-stretching region. Structure refinement allowed determination of cation site-preference and ordering. Microprobe analysis of the refined crystal gave SiO2 52.92, TiO2 0.29, Al2O3 3.53, FeOt 2.50, MnO 0.46, MgO 22.65, CaO 10.83, Na2O 3.20, K2O 0.84, F 4.35, Cl 0.07 wt%, and the crystal-chemical formula obtained by combining all the available data is: A(Na0.56 K0.15) B(Na0.30 Ca1.62 Mg0.03 Mn0.05) C(Mg4.68 Fe2+0.19 Fe3+0.10 Ti4+0.03) T(Si7.42 Al0.58) O22O3(F1.98 Cl0.02)2.
Mineralogical Magazine | 2003
Antonio Gianfagna; Paolo Ballirano; Fabio Bellatreccia; Biagio Maria Bruni; L. Paoletti; R. Oberti
Abstract An epidemiological and environmental study of the area around Biancavilla (CT, Italy) was prompted by a significant incidence of malignant pleural mesothelioma, which was not related to a specific occupational activity. An environmental dispersion of fibres was found and attributed to local quarry activities, whose extracted volcanic products also contained fibrous amphiboles and had been used extensively in the local building industry, especially in the period 1960-1970. Abundant yellowish and grey-whitish asbestiform amphiboles with strongly asymmetric morphology were identified in this study, intimately associated with albitic feldspar, hematite and very minor orthopyroxene. These minerals fill the pores of the altered volcanic host rock (metasomatized benmoreitic lavas and pyroclastic rocks). The Rietveld method allowed a quantitative mineralogical analysis of the mineral mixture (24% amphiboles-asbestos, 73% feldspar and 3% hematite). The crystal size and morphology of the grey-whitish amphibole fibres do not allow quantitative microprobe analyses; semi-quantitative EDS-SEM analyses of a prismatic mineral known to be fluoroedenite and the unknown fibrous crystals studied here suggest that they are the same mineral, although the fibres are generally depleted in Ca and Mg. The F content is the same in both occurrences. Unitcell parameters of the fibres are: a = 9.815(1), b = 17.992(3), c = 5.2733(6) Å , β = 104.547(9)º, V = 901.4(3) Å3, and the refractive indices are in the range 1.60 -1.63. Optical, chemical and Rietveld analyses of the fibres confirm their similarity with the yellow prismatic fluoro-edenite previously analysed. Biancavilla is the first occurrence of amphibole fibres in a volcanic context (the Etnean volcanic complex). These fibres have a very anomalous composition (high ANa, IVAl and O3F contents) in comparison to other known oncogenic minerals.
Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry | 2010
Marzia Fantauzzi; Alessandro Pacella; Davide Atzei; Antonio Gianfagna; Giovanni B. Andreozzi; Antonella Rossi
Asbestos fibers are an important cause of serious health problems and respiratory diseases. The presence, structural coordination, and oxidation state of iron at the fiber surface are potentially important for the biological effects of asbestos because iron can catalyze the Haber–Weiss reaction, generating the reactive oxygen species ⋅OH. Literature results indicate that the surface concentration of Fe(III) may play an important role in fiber-related radical formation. Amphibole asbestos were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Mössbauer spectroscopy, with the aim of determining the surface vs. bulk Fe(III)/Fetot ratios. A standard reference asbestos (Union Internationale Contre le Cancer crocidolite from South Africa) and three fibrous tremolite samples (from Italy and USA) were investigated. In addition to the Mössbauer spectroscopy study of bulk Fe(III)/Fetot ratios, much work was dedicated to the interpretation of the XPS Fe2p signal and to the quantification of surface Fe(III)/Fetot ratios. Results confirmed the importance of surface properties because this showed that fiber surfaces are always more oxidized than the bulk and that Fe(III) is present as oxide and oxyhydroxide species. Notably, the highest difference of surface/bulk Fe oxidation was found for San Mango tremolite—the sample that in preliminary cytotoxicity tests (MTT assay) had revealed a cell mortality delayed with respect to the other samples.
Mineralogy and Petrology | 1988
M. Federico; Antonio Gianfagna; C. Aurisicchio
SummaryChemical data on clinopyroxene phenocrysts in twenty-four lava samples from the Alban Hills (Roman comagmatic region) show coexistence, within the same rock, of two core-rim evolution trends: diopside-salite and salite-diopside, respectively. The Alban volcanics can be divided in two groups depending on which type of core predominates.Geochemical mixing tests, conducted with elements showing a different degree of incompatibility, such as Ce, Sr, Th, La, Ta, and Hf, show no evidence of a mixing process which might be responsible for coexistence of both diopside and salite clinopyroxenes within the same lava.Taking into account the results of known experiments on the influence of water on clinopyroxene composition in potassium rich lavas, the reverse zoning trend observed and the consequent predominance of salite cores in some lavas are ascribed to the effect of volatiles, and particularly to water. Changes of water pressure may also be responsible for phenocryst corrosion and salitic clinopyroxene replacement by olivine, phlogopite and titaniferous magnetite.The prominent role of water in the Alban Hills magma evolution is also supported by the high fluorine content found in the Alban products, which enhances water solubility in the magmas, by the frequent occurrence of mica in the rock groundmass and, finally, by the explosive character of Alban volcanism.ZusammenfassungDie Ergebnisse chemischer Analysen von Klinopyroxen in vierundzwanzig Lavaproben aus den Albaner Bergen (Römische Komagmatische Region) zeigen die Koexistenz von zwei Kern-Rand-Entwicklungstendenzen: Diopsid-Salit und Salit-Diopsid. Die Vulkanite können auf Grund der Zusammensetzung der Kerne in zwei Gruppen unterteilt werden.Mit Elementen verschiedener Inkompatibilität, wie Ce, Sr, Th, La, Ta und Hf, ausgeführte Mischversuche geben keinen Hinweis dafür, daß ein Mischungsprozeß für die Koexistenz von Diopsid und Salit in derselben Lava verantwortlich sei.In Anbetracht der Ergebnisse von Experimenten über den Einfluß von H2O auf die Klinopyroxen-Zusammensetzung in K-reichen Laven, werden die beobachtete Zonierung und die daraus folgende Dominanz von Salit-Kernen in bestimmten Lavatypen der Wirkung von volatilen Bestandteilen, besonders Wasser, zugeschrieben. änderungen des H2O-Drucks können für Phenokristall-Korrosion und Verdrängung der salitischen Klinopyroxene durch Olivin, Phlogopit und Titanomagnetit verantwortlich sein.Die entscheidende Rolle des Wassers in der Entwicklung des Magmas stimmt mit dem hohen Fluor-Gehalt der Produkte, der die H2O-Löslichkeit in Magmen erhöht, mit der Häufigkeit des Glimmers in der Grundmasse der Gesteine und mit der explosiven Natur des Vulkanismus im Untersuchungsgebiet überein.
American Mineralogist | 2007
Antonio Gianfagna; Fernando Scordari; Simona Mazziotti-Tagliani; Gennaro Ventruti; Luisa Ottolini
Abstract Fluorophlogopite, a new F-dominant mineral of the mica group, was found at Monte Calvario, Biancavilla, lower southwestern flanks of Mt. Etna volcano (Catania, Sicily, Italy). The mineral occurs in autoclasts of gray-red altered benmoreitic lavas, primarily associated with fluoro-edenite, alkali-feldspars, clino- and ortho-pyroxenes, fluorapatite, hematite, and pseudobrookite. It was formed by metasomatism of the original lava rocks from very hot fluid enriched in F, Cl, and other incompatible elements. Fluorophlogopite occurs as very thin laminae with a diameter of 200 to 400 μm. Main physical properties are pale yellow in color; yellowish-white in thin section; vitreous to resinous luster; transparent; non-fluorescent; Mohs’ hardness 2-3; brittle and malleable; perfect cleavage on {001}; biaxial (-), αcalc = 1.5430(8), β = 1.5682(5), γ = 1.5688(5) (λ = 589 nm); 2Vmeas = 17(2)°; α = acute bisectrix ⊥ (001); nonpleochroic; Dcalc = 2.830 g/cm3 (using empirical formula and single-crystal unit-cell parameters), Dcalc = 2.842 g/cm3 (using empirical formula and powder cell constants). Infrared spectrum did not show a significant absorption band in the OH-stretching region (3800-3600 cm-1) confirming that the F content of the fluorophlogopite from Biancavilla is close to the stoichiometric value. Unit-cell parameters from X-ray powder-diffraction data (114.6 mm diameter Gandolfi camera, CuKα) are a = 5.305(2), b = 9.189(3), c = 10.137(4) Å, β = 100.02(3)°. These data agree with those obtained by single-crystal X-ray studies on a very thin (~15 μm) fluorophlogopite crystal, i.e., Monoclinic (1M polytype); Space Group C2/m; a = 5.3094(4), b = 9.1933(7), c = 10.1437(8) Å, β = 100.062(5)°, V = 487.51(6) Å3, Z = 2. Structure refinements using anisotropic displacement parameters converged at R = 3.50, Rw = 4.37, Rsym = 3.72%. Electron microprobe analysis performed on the same crystal used for X-ray investigation gave: SiO2 = 45.75(39), TiO2 = 1.05(5), Al2O3 = 9.60(19), MgO = 27.92(30), MnO = 0.16(3), FeOtot = 1.25(6), BaO = 0.09(5), K2O = 8.22(11), Na2O = 0.61(30), Cl = 0.02(1) wt%. Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) was used to estimate light elements [Li2O = 0.30(1) and H2O = 0.16(2) wt%] and fluorine content [F = 8.69(24) wt%]. The new mineral fluorophlogopite and its name were approved by IMA-CNMMN (2006/011).
American Mineralogist | 2009
Giovanni B. Andreozzi; Paolo Ballirano; Antonio Gianfagna; Simona Mazziotti-Tagliani; Alessandro Pacella
Abstract This study reports new spectroscopic and structural data of fibrous amphiboles from the volcanic area of Biancavilla (Sicily, Italy) that generated interest because of an anomalous increase of pleural mesothelioma of inhabitants. Each of the four samples is made of loose fibers, which show an edenite-winchite (fluorine) compositional trend, with significant tremolite component. Small amounts of iron (3.6-6.0 wt% FeOtot) were identified in all samples, and the Fe3+/Fetot ratios were evaluated by Mössbauer spectroscopy: two samples are characterized by Fe3+/Fetot ratios between 50 and 70%, and the other two have Fe3+/Fetot ratios higher than 90%. The OH-stretching region was investigated by FTIR, and no absorption bands were observed. Structural investigation was carried out by X-ray powder diffraction using the Rietveld method. Cell parameters, positional parameters for all the atoms, and site scattering for M1, M2, M3, M4, A, and A(m) were refined. The most important differences with respect to prismatic fluoro-edenite are the decrease of β, a, and c with decreasing Ca content, A-site occupancy, and tetrahedral Al content, respectively. By combining chemical, spectroscopic, and structural data, possible site occupancies were obtained. In particular, it was found that Fe2+ is distributed between M1 and M2 sites; moreover, for the two samples enriched in Fe2+, it is also present at M4. Fe3+ is generally ordered at M2 site; however, for the two samples enriched in Fe3+, minor amounts are partially disordered between M1 and M3 sites. For the Biancavilla amphibole fibers, the large compositional variation observed in every sample makes the classification very difficult, so that the regulatory agencies would not classify as “asbestos” the whole mineral series, because of the large components of edenite and winchite in addition to tremolite. Many common features were found with respect to amphibole fibers from Libby, Montana, including Fe contents and oxidation state. Preliminary results of in vitro toxicological tests on Biancavilla fibers confirmed their high reactivity, and suggest that the samples with the highest Fe2+ contents induce a rapid start to cell mortality.
Mineralogical Magazine | 2006
Caterina Rinaudo; S. Cairo; D. Gastaldi; Antonio Gianfagna; S. Mazziotti Tagliani; G. Tosi; C. Conti
Abstract The prismatic variety of fluoro-edenite, a new amphibole found in lavas from Mt Etna in Biancavilla (Catania Province, Sicily, Italy), has been characterized by μ-Raman and μ-FTIR spectroscopy. The wavenumbers at which the bands are detected in the μ-Raman and μ-FTIR spectra are compared with tremolite, asbestos the chemical and crystallographic characteristics of which are very similar to those of fluoro-edenite.
Mineralogy and Petrology | 2012
Simona Mazziotti Tagliani; Eugenio Nicotra; Marco Viccaro; Antonio Gianfagna
The exceptional occurrence of fluorine-rich mineral phases in the benmoreitic lava dome of Mt. Calvario (south-western flank of Mt. Etna) has given the opportunity to understand the genetic process allowing their crystallization. Both primary and secondary mineral associations were found, namely: plagioclase, clinopyroxene, olivine, fluorapatite and iron oxides as primary assemblage, whereas fluoro-edenite and fluorophlogopite, ferroan-enstatite, hematite, pseudobrookite and tridymite as secondary mineralization. In addition to some major and trace elements (e.g., Fe, Ti, Na, K, P, Ba, Rb, Sm, Zr), particularly fluorine and chlorine concentrations of the whole rock are significantly higher than other Etnean prehistoric benmoreites, and cannot be accounted for common differentiation processes in the feeding system. The selective enrichment in some elements has been here attributed to volatile flushing occurring in the plumbing system, with fluid/melt ratio of ~0.65:1. The resulting high amount of fluorine, coupled with its high solubility even at low pressure for benmoreitic melts, finally led to nucleation and growth of F-rich mineral phases during syn- and post-eruptive conditions.
Periodico Di Mineralogia | 2009
Simona Mazziotti-Tagliani; Giovanni B. Andreozzi; Biagio Maria Bruni; Antonio Gianfagna; Alessandro Pacella; Luigi Paoletti
— Compositional variability of the new fluorine fibrous amphiboles (fluoro-edenite) from the volcanic area of Biancavilla (Sicily, Italy) is reported here for the first time. Quantitative chemical analysis of a suite of four samples was performed by a standardized SEM-EDS microanalysis method, previously developed and tested on different typologies of fibrous amphiboles. The results highlighted compositional differences, especially concerning Si, Ca, Fe, and Na contents, both within the same and among the different samples. Compared to the previously investigated fluoro-edenite prismatic variety, the fluorine fibrous amphiboles showed average values of Si and Fe contents always higher, whereas Ca was significantly lower, which we consider a distinctive character for the fluorine fibrous variety. The Fe/Fetot ratios, evaluated by Mossbauer spectroscopy, reflected different iron oxidation states: Fe3+ was always more prevalent than Fe2+, which was very low for two of the four samples analyzed. Employing the Leake classification, all the analyzed fluorine amphibole fibers showed an edenite-winchite trend, with a non negligible content of tremolite component. Both the fluorine amphibole fibers and the prismatic fluoro-edenite from Biancavilla may be correlated with the same genetic process, but the compositional variability reflect different growth conditions. The large variation observed for Fe/Fetot ratios in the amphibole fibers is probably due to local variations of oxygen fugacity during crystallization. A workable hypothesis is that a hot metasomatizing fluid, enriched in fluorine and other incompatible elements, altered the volcanic rocks and caused the crystallization of either the fibrous fluorine amphiboles, by a very fast cooling, or the prismatic fluoro-edenite, by slow cooling. riAssunto. — Viene riportata la variabilita composizionale di alcuni campioni di anfiboli fibrosi (fluoro-edenite) di Biancavilla (Sicilia, Italia), analizzati per la prima volta in modo quantitativo tramite microanalisi SEM-EDS standardizzata, un metodo sviluppato e testato in precedenza dagli stessi autori su diverse tipologie di anfiboli fibrosi. I risultati hanno evidenziato differenze composizionali relative, in particolare, ai contenuti di Si, Ca, Fe e Na, sia all’interno dello stesso campione che tra i diversi campioni analizzati. Un carattere composizionale distintivo tra questi anfiboli fibrosi e la fluoro-edenite prismatica precedentemente studiata e il contenuto sempre piu basso di Ca e sempre piu alto di Si e Fe nella varieta fibrosa. Inoltre i rapporti Fe/Fetot ottenuti sui campioni di fibre tramite spettroscopia Mossbauer hanno evidenziato differenti stati di ossidazione del Quantitative chemistry and compositional variability of fluorine fibrous amphiboles from Biancavilla (Sicily, Italy) simonA mAzziotti-tAgliAni 1, giovAnni b. Andreozzi 1, 2, biAgio m. bruni 3, Antonio giAnfAgnA 1 *, AlessAndro PAcellA 1 and luigi PAoletti 3 1 Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Universita degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza, P.le A. Moro, 5, 00185 Roma, Italy 2 Istituto di Geoscienze e Georisorse, CNR, Via G. Moruzzi, 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy 3 Dipartimento di Tecnologie e Salute, Istituto Superiore di Sanita, V.le Regina Elena, 299 , 00162 Roma, Italy Submitted, December 2008 Accepted, March 2009 * Corresponding author, E-mail: antonio.gianfagna@ uniroma1.it 66 s. mAzziotti-tAgliAni, g.b. Andreozzi, b.m. bruni, A. giAnfAgnA, A. PAcellA and l. PAoletti ferro, con il Fe3+ sempre prevalente sul Fe2+ . Secondo la classificazione di Leake, le fibre di anfibolo analizzate mostrano un andamento composizionale edenite-winchite, con un contenuto di tremolite non trascurabile. La variabilita composizionale riscontrata indica pertanto condizioni di crescita differenti, sebbene il processo genetico che ha portato alla formazione delle fibre potrebbe essere lo stesso processo che ha permesso la cristallizzazione della fluoro-edenite prismatica. L’ampia variazione del rapporto Fe/Fetot riscontrata nelle fibre di anfibolo sembrerebbe associata a variazioni locali della fugacita di ossigeno durante la loro cristallizzazione. Sulla base delle indicazioni acquisite e ipotizzabile che un fluido caldo, ricco in F ed altri elementi incompatibili, abbia metasomatizzato le rocce vulcaniche preesistenti e facilitato la cristallizzazione di anfiboli fibrosi (raffreddamento veloce) e di fluoroedenite prismatica (raffreddamento lento).