U.S.-Fed. Rep. of Germany Coop. Research: Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectral Studies of Competitive Heavy Metal Binding Reactions with Estuarine and Groundwater Humic Acids

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This award will support a two-year cooperative research project between Dr. James J. Alberts, Senior Research Ecologist and Director, The University of Georgia Marine Institute, Sapelo Island, Georgia, and Dr.Zdenek K. Filip, Institute for Water-, Ground-, and Air Hygiene, Federal Health Office, Langen, Federal Republic of Germany. The scientists are collaborating in a study of the binding of ions of the toxic heavy metals copper, cadmium, and lead to humic acids isolated from salt marsh estuaries in the United States and from groundwaters in Germany. The binding studies will be conducted with selective ion electrode techniques, in known aquatic matrices of controlled pH and ionic strength, and will examine the maximum binding capacities of these humic materials for these heavy metals. In addition, the effect of competitive binding by common environmental cations will be investigated. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectral analyses will be conducted on the uncomplexed humic materials and on the same materials after complexation to the elements in an effort to obtain information regarding the mechanism of binding by the metals. Heavy metals introduced into the environment from many commercial processes continue to pose a potential health hazard to a large portion of the population in industrialized countries. The fate of these elements in the environment is often controlled by chemical reactions of the metals with naturally occurring organic compounds (humic matter), which may lead to a greater mobility of the metals in aquatic environments. Two such environments which are of extreme importance are groundwaters, because of their widespread use as a source of drinking water, and coastal estuaries, which often support large animal and plant populations and have both commercial and recreational value. Knowledge of the interaction of heavy metals with humic matter in these systems is critical to our understanding of basic environmental processes involving heavy metals. The studies to be carried out here will involve state-of-the-art analytical techniques in two laboratories with long histories of research in these areas. By sharing their complementary expertise and experimental facilities, the cooperating scientists expect to make significant advances in their individual research programs. The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft is providing German counterpart support for the project.