Call: +34 876 553 510
Email: ebolea@unizar.es
Address: c/Pedro Cerbuna 12, Universidad de Zaragoza, Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Química Analítica – Zaragoza (Spain)
ABOUT ME
Eduardo Bolea Fernández obtained his Bachelor and Master degrees in chemistry from the University of Zaragoza, Spain. He carried out PhD research at Ghent University, Belgium, and obtained his PhD degree in 2017. His PhD research focused on method development for ultra-trace elemental and isotopic analysis using tandem ICP-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS/MS). In October 2017, he got a postdoctoral research grant (BOF-UGent) focusing on high-precision isotopic analysis of mercury using multi-collector ICP-mass spectrometry for unravelling its biogeochemical cycle. In April 2018, he won the 2018 IUPAC-Solvay International Award for Young Chemists for the best PhD dissertation in the chemical sciences worldwide. In November 2019, he started a junior postdoctoral research grant (FWO) based on the development of new analytical methods and their application to metallomics and nanotechnology. In January 2022, he won the prestigious 2022 Young Scientist Winter Conference Award in Plasma Spectrochemistry for his contributions to the field of plasma spectrochemistry. In November 2022, he started a senior postdoctoral research grant (FWO) focusing on single-cell analysis in the biological sciences. In January 2023, he was awarded a 5-years Ramón y Cajal contract (Ministry of Science and Innovation, Spanish Government).
So far, Eduardo is (co)author of 39 publications in peer-reviewed international journals and his work has been presented in >50 lectures on international conferences and workshops.
PUBLICATIONS
2025
Rodler-Rørbo, Alexandra; Baragona, Anthony J.; Verbeemen, Eliah J.; Sørensen, Lasse Vilien; Çakmakoğlu, Berk; Helvaci, Cahit; Bolea-Fernandez, Eduardo; Rua-Ibarz, Ana; Vanhaecke, Frank; Becker, Hilary; Artioli, Gilberto; Zabrana, Lilli; Debaille, Vinciane; Mattielli, Nadine; Goderis, Steven; Claeys, Philippe
Cinnabar for Roman Ephesus: Material quality, processing and provenance Journal Article
En: Journal of Archaeological Science, vol. 173, pp. 106122, 2025, ISSN: 0305-4403.
@article{RODLERRORBO2025106122,
title = {Cinnabar for Roman Ephesus: Material quality, processing and provenance},
author = {Alexandra Rodler-Rørbo and Anthony J. Baragona and Eliah J. Verbeemen and Lasse Vilien Sørensen and Berk Çakmakoğlu and Cahit Helvaci and Eduardo Bolea-Fernandez and Ana Rua-Ibarz and Frank Vanhaecke and Hilary Becker and Gilberto Artioli and Lilli Zabrana and Vinciane Debaille and Nadine Mattielli and Steven Goderis and Philippe Claeys},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305440324001900},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2024.106122},
issn = {0305-4403},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-01-01},
journal = {Journal of Archaeological Science},
volume = {173},
pages = {106122},
abstract = {Ephesus was an important harbor city that flourished during the Roman period and ancient texts mention Almadén in Spain and the Cilbian fields of Ephesus as important cinnabar sources in antiquity. This work investigates whether imported cinnabar was used and whether this could be related to changes in painting activities over time. Microscopic analysis indicates a consistent preparation of cinnabar, hinting at a uniform source material quality or processing technique. However, the use of cinnabar varies among the architectural structures studied, indicating a plurality of painting techniques. A few of the analyzed cinnabar samples overlap with Turkish- and Balkan reference Pb isotope ratios; three samples from tabernas, however, deviate from this. The Hg isotope ratios reveal that cinnabar from carbonate-hosted deposits was likely used, and that processing of cinnabar included heating as suggested by ancient texts. Most notably, a correlation exists between the geochemical data and the painting technique – shifts in sourcing and cinnabar usage are potentially assignable to building chronology and/or usage. Through the lens of material provenance and processing, Ephesian cinnabar brings the organization of pigment trade into focus.},
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2024
Reis, Angélica S.; Paltian, Jaini J.; Domingues, William B.; Novo, Diogo L. R.; Bolea-Fernandez, Eduardo; Acker, Thibaut Van; Campos, Vinicius F.; Luchese, Cristiane; Vanhaecke, Frank; Mesko, Marcia F.; Wilhelm, Ethel A.
Platinum Deposition in the Central Nervous System: A Novel Insight into Oxaliplatin-induced Peripheral Neuropathy in Young and Old Mice Journal Article
En: Mol Neurobiol, 2024, ISSN: 1559-1182.
@article{Reis2024,
title = {Platinum Deposition in the Central Nervous System: A Novel Insight into Oxaliplatin-induced Peripheral Neuropathy in Young and Old Mice},
author = {Angélica S. Reis and Jaini J. Paltian and William B. Domingues and Diogo L. R. Novo and Eduardo Bolea-Fernandez and Thibaut Van Acker and Vinicius F. Campos and Cristiane Luchese and Frank Vanhaecke and Marcia F. Mesko and Ethel A. Wilhelm},
doi = {10.1007/s12035-024-04430-y},
issn = {1559-1182},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-09-25},
journal = {Mol Neurobiol},
publisher = {Springer Science and Business Media LLC},
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pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
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Suárez-Criado, Laura; Bolea-Fernandez, Eduardo; Abou-Zeid, Lana; Vandermeiren, Mathias; Rodríguez-González, Pablo; Alonso, Jose Ignacio Garcia; Vanhaecke, Frank
En: J. Anal. At. Spectrom., vol. 39, iss. 2, pp. 592-600, 2024.
@article{D3JA00414G,
title = {Extending the application range of Hg isotopic analysis to sub-μg L−1 levels using cold vapor generation multi-collector inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry with 1013 ohm Faraday cup amplifiers},
author = {Laura Suárez-Criado and Eduardo Bolea-Fernandez and Lana Abou-Zeid and Mathias Vandermeiren and Pablo Rodríguez-González and Jose Ignacio Garcia Alonso and Frank Vanhaecke},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/D3JA00414G},
doi = {10.1039/D3JA00414G},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-01-01},
urldate = {2024-01-01},
journal = {J. Anal. At. Spectrom.},
volume = {39},
issue = {2},
pages = {592-600},
publisher = {The Royal Society of Chemistry},
abstract = {High-precision determination of the isotopic composition of mercury (Hg) is of paramount importance for unraveling its biogeochemical cycle and for identifying the origin of Hg in environmental compartments. Cold vapor generation multi-collector inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (CVG-MC-ICP-MS) is the standard approach for such application. Cold vapor generation provides a high Hg introduction efficiency into the ICP, while chromatographic Hg isolation is not required as a result of the selective reaction between Hg2+ and SnCl2. For environmental or biota samples with low Hg concentrations, however, this approach still presents challenges and reliable measurements typically require a Hg concentration ≥1 μg L−1 in the solution analyzed. Recent improvements of MC-ICP-MS instrumentation, including the introduction of the so-called Jet interface and 1013 Ω Faraday cup amplifiers, enhance the signal-to-noise ratio. In this study, it was investigated to what extent this allows Hg isotopic analysis at lower concentration. Performance in Hg isotopic analysis was compared using two different sets of cones (standard vs. Jet), two plasma conditions (wet vs. dry) and two amplifier types (1011 Ω vs. 1013 Ω). Satisfactory accuracy and precision were achieved at a Hg concentration down to 0.1 μg L−1 in the solution measured when using Jet cones, dry plasma conditions, and the four available 1013 Ω amplifiers. The uncertainty expressed as 2SD for the δ202Hg values measured for the in-house standard solution was ±0.2‰ at 0.25 μg Hg L−1 and ± 0.3‰ at 0.1 μg Hg L−1. The method was subsequently applied to the analysis of real surface water samples contaminated with toxic metals.},
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pubstate = {published},
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Rua-Ibarz, Ana; Acker, Thibaut Van; Bolea-Fernandez, Eduardo; Boccongelli, Marina; Vanhaecke, Frank
A comparison of calibration strategies for quantitative laser ablation ICP-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) analysis of fused catalyst samples Journal Article
En: J. Anal. At. Spectrom., vol. 39, iss. 3, pp. 888-899, 2024.
@article{D3JA00271C,
title = {A comparison of calibration strategies for quantitative laser ablation ICP-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) analysis of fused catalyst samples},
author = {Ana Rua-Ibarz and Thibaut Van Acker and Eduardo Bolea-Fernandez and Marina Boccongelli and Frank Vanhaecke},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/D3JA00271C},
doi = {10.1039/D3JA00271C},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-01-01},
urldate = {2024-01-01},
journal = {J. Anal. At. Spectrom.},
volume = {39},
issue = {3},
pages = {888-899},
publisher = {The Royal Society of Chemistry},
abstract = {In the field of petrochemistry, the quantitative determination of trace elements in catalysts is crucial for optimizing various types of processes. Catalyst poisoning, resulting from the presence of contaminants, can lead to decreased performance and efficiency, even when these are present at trace level only. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is a powerful technique for trace elemental analysis, but its application to catalysts is challenging due to their physicochemical characteristics challenging straightforward dissolution. Laser ablation (LA) coupled to ICP-MS (LA-ICP-MS) has emerged as a valuable approach for direct analysis of solid samples. However, developing an appropriate calibration strategy for reliable quantitative LA-ICP-MS analysis of catalyst samples remains a challenge. In this work, different calibration strategies for quantitative LA-ICP-MS analysis of fused catalyst samples were evaluated. The traditional strategy relied on external calibration against certified reference materials (CRMs) combined with internal standardization and was considered the reference approach. When using this approach, the relative bias with respect to the reference value was found to be <15%. Two novel calibration strategies were introduced and compared: a so-called multi-signal calibration approach and a solution-based calibration approach. The multi-signal calibration strategy involved varying the laser repetition rate (20, 30, 40 and 50 Hz) or laser beam diameter (10, 12, 15 and 20 μm), allowing a calibration curve to be constructed by comparing the analytical signal intensity for a single solid CRM with that for the sample, thus partially overcoming the shortage of CRMs for quantitative LA-ICP-MS analysis. The solution-based calibration approach was used for quantitative multi-element analysis without the need for any solid standard and required only minor hardware modifications to accommodate the introduction of aqueous standard solutions for calibration. Various glass certified reference materials were used for method development, calibration, and validation purposes. Furthermore, two fused alumina catalyst samples (used in the context of petroleum refining processes) were successfully analyzed as a proof-of-concept application. For both the multi-signal (matrix-matched conditions) and the solution-based calibration approaches, the average relative bias between the experimentally determined and certified/reference concentrations varied between −9% and +7%.},
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Bolea-Fernandez, Eduardo; Rua-Ibarz, Ana; Anjos, Jorge Alves; Vanhaecke, Frank
En: Talanta, vol. 276, pp. 126210, 2024, ISSN: 0039-9140.
@article{BOLEAFERNANDEZ2024126210,
title = {Development and initial evaluation of a combustion-based sample introduction system for direct isotopic analysis of mercury in solid samples via multi-collector ICP-mass spectrometry},
author = {Eduardo Bolea-Fernandez and Ana Rua-Ibarz and Jorge Alves Anjos and Frank Vanhaecke},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0039914024005897},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.talanta.2024.126210},
issn = {0039-9140},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-01-01},
urldate = {2024-01-01},
journal = {Talanta},
volume = {276},
pages = {126210},
abstract = {High-precision isotopic analysis of mercury (Hg) using multi-collector ICP-mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) is a powerful method for obtaining insight into the sources, pathways and sinks of this toxic metal. Modification of a commercially available mercury analyzer (Teledyne Leeman Labs, Hydra IIc – originally designed for quantification of Hg through sample combustion, collection of the Hg vapor on a gold amalgamator, subsequent controlled release of Hg and detection using cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry CVAAS) enabled the system to be used for the direct high-precision Hg isotopic analysis of solid samples using MC-ICP-MS – i.e., without previous sample digestion and subsequent dilution. The changes made to the mercury analyzer did not compromise its (simultaneous) use for Hg quantification via CVAAS. The Hg vapor was mixed with a Tl-containing aerosol produced via pneumatic nebulization, creating wet plasma conditions, and enabling the use of Tl as an internal standard for correction of instrumental mass discrimination. Accurate and precise (0.10 ‰ 2SD, δ202Hg},
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}