SECTION I: Testing
1 |
Has the R & D result been tested? | |
YES |
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NO |
X | |
The following question is replied according to the reply in question 1
If yes
1a |
In what mode has the result been tested?
• Prototype • Pilot Application • Alpha/BETA testing
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1b. | Please describe and discuss the testing results | |
If no:
1c |
Describe what type of testing does the R&D result need? | |
The need to monitor the environment to detect the status and trends of contamination by chemicals, potentially toxic, and possible sources of pollution, was recently brought to public attention (especially from the recent accident of the nuclear Fukushima). Considerable resources are used annually in the monitoring of various chemicals contaminated despite that show deficiencies transfer and integration of new scientific knowledge and programs for monitoring of ecosystems and food security (time dilated, overlapping responsibilities between different bodies, fragmentation of information). The project aims to exploit the potential of mathematical models integrated into a GIS (Geographic Information System) with the method of biomonitoring to create a network efficient and reliable monitoring of environmental quality and therefore the monitoring of contamination levels in food products in the town of Teramo. | ||
1d. | What is the time needed for testing? | |
2 years | ||
1e. | What is the cost needed for testing? | |
In total 55.000 Euro |
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SECTION 2: Current Stage of Development
2a |
To what extent does the development team have technical resources for supporting the production of a new product? (Researchers, human resources, hardware, etc. ) |
The objective of the project is the preparation of maps of environmental risk in contaminated urban and suburban areas of the town of Teramo using bees and hive products as indicators of pollution by PAHs, heavy metals and radionuclides. Specifically, the plan is to: define the spatial distribution of concentrations of PAHs and heavy metals and radioactivity by creating maps of fallout on the territory of the municipality of Teramo; highlight with clarity and directness of understanding and areas at risk for longer periods of honey production, but more generally for locally produced food and population; define a baseline scenario that can be used as a break point of departure in case of future environmental emergencies – Enable Network Monitoring Territorial (TRAM); provide elements for understanding the distribution of radioactivity and pollution in the areas under study; |
2b |
What are the technical issues that need to be tackled for full deployment, if needed? |
The project involves the active collaboration of the Provincia di Teramo consortium bees (they have signed a letter of intent that will later be translated into a collaboration agreement between the Department of Food Sciences and the Province of Teramo consortium beekeeping).
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2c |
What additional technical resources are needed for the production of this new product? |
In order to optimize the search is useful presentation of the preliminary scientific results at national and international conferences. |
2d |
Overall assessment of the current stage of technical development. |
Actually, research is giving good results
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SECTION 3: Deployment
3a |
Define the demands for large scale production in terms of |
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Chemical tests on bees and honey, GIS, | |
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In the first phase will need to create a database of monitoring stations (hives beekeeping offered by the Consortium Provincial Teramo), these will be georeferenced using a GPS to record coordinates in a geodetic system specific. In this way you can locate them digitally in a GIS platform for further studies. The second phase includes the chemical analysis on samples of bees and honey, which will be implemented in three different laboratories. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons will be analyzed in the laboratory of the Research Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Veterinary Food Science, University of Teramo, heavy metals in the laboratory “National Reference Centre for Surveillance and Control of Food for the Animals – CRe A.A. IZS Piemonte-Liguria – Valle D’Aosta and radionuclides in the National Reference Center for Radioactivity IZS of Puglia and Basilicata. As the third and final phase, all analytical results will be incorporated into the GIS platform for carrying out geostatistical analyzes that will allow you to model the behavior of pollutants in the study area.
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This research may be supported by major farmers
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SECTION 4: Overall Assessment
1 |
What is you overall assessment of the technical feasibility of the research result? |
Research is underway
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KEYWORDS QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT (0-5).
Please put X as appropriate. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Adequacy of testing activity undertaken so far | x | ||||
Adequacy and availability of technical resources of the development team | x | ||||
Current development stage | x | ||||
Overall technical feasibility | x |