The QUANTAGRID project – Next quantum-based traceability and new accuracy description for synchronized multifrequency phasor measurements in modern distribution grids – has been successfully completed. The project was funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR) under the PRIN 2022 programme and ran from 30 November 2023 to 28 February 2026.

The project involved a consortium comprising the University of Cagliari (coordinator), the University of Padua, the University of Palermo, and INRiM, with the aim of developing new methodologies and tools to improve the accuracy and metrological traceability of synchrophasor measurements in modern electrical distribution grids.

Within the project, INRiM was primarily involved in the development of a quantum-based reference system for synchrophasor measurements. In addition, a laboratory testbed was established for the calibration of commercial phasor measurement units (PMUs). Finally, a comprehensive description of the system, including the identification of intrinsic error sources relevant to uncertainty evaluation, was provided.

The main results of this work are documented in project deliverables D2.1, D2.2, and D2.3.

INRiM participated as a partner in the DOMANI project, funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR), running from November 30, 2023, to February 28, 2026, alongside the University of Bologna (coordinating institution) and CNR-ISSMC.

Submicroplastics (SMPs), generated by industrial processes and material degradation, pose significant analytical challenges: they vary in composition and size, cannot be detected with standard optical instruments, and are ubiquitous and highly heterogeneous. Furthermore, they alter their identity in exposure media, as their high surface area and binding affinity promote the spontaneous and unavoidable formation of eco- and bio-coronas, which depend on environmental conditions. The impact of these coronas on the biological effects of SMPs remains largely unexplored, making it urgent to develop analytical approaches that are either generic or specific to environmental and food matrices.

The DOMANI project investigated eco-coronas through the profiling and qualitative-quantitative characterization of SMPs, developing predictive models to rapidly distinguish clean from contaminated matrices, thereby creating fast and sustainable screening tools. The project featured a highly interdisciplinary approach, combining metrology, analytical chemistry, surface and colloid chemistry, physics, chemometrics, and machine learning. It employed a wide array of complementary measurement and separation techniques, such as AF4, MALS, DLS, Raman spectroscopy, dielectrophoresis, electron microscopy, and Py-GC-MS.

The main achievements include advancements in the study and measurement of the chemical composition of bio/eco-coronas on SMPs and nanoplastics composed of various polymers, such as PS, PP, PET, and PE, in the 60 to 500 nmsize range. The formation environments investigated range from food to environmental origin, featuring matrices such as milk, pollen, and other complex contexts with high protein content.

The extensive set of techniques and acquired data enabled the application of multivariate analysis to develop rapid screening methods for detecting SMPs carrying eco-coronas. This involved profiling via measurement techniques (such as Raman, MALS, and UV-Vis absorption) coupled with systems for the separation, manipulation, and purification of complex matrices (such as FFF and dielectrophoresis). In addition to advancing scientific knowledge in a complex, largely unexplored, and increasingly critical domain of global interest, these results pave the way for cost-effective and practical analytical applications for both advanced scientific research and routine monitoring.