Acquisition of Instruments for Environmental Research and Training

摘要： 亚拉巴马A M大学的Pauline Lindo博士获得了一笔赠款，用于购买ICP-MS仪器，用于在该部进行环境研究和培训。植物和土壤科学电感耦合氩等离子体质谱仪（ICP-MS）在定量各种介质中重金属的痕量浓度（ppb，ppt）方面非常有用，并将用于识别和定量危害环境质量，人类和动物健康的各种物种，这些物种的任何季节性高峰，并根据从研究数据中开发的模型向公众发布健康警报。这项研究将包括将受污染的土壤种植成一些能够提取大量土壤重金属的植物。 在特定的时间间隔，将在6个深度对土壤和净化水进行采样，以监测/跟踪重金属向地下水供应的移动。 在每次暴雨之后，将几乎立即对径流进行取样，并检测迁移的重金属和物种-地表水的污染源。 将对径流样品的沉积物含量进行评估，以确定重金属（吸附态、可交换态或可溶态）在土壤表面的迁移率。 所有土壤、水和植物组织样本都将进行金属和物种分析。 植物的吸收将与土壤浓度的减少相关，以计算各种植物物种对这些土壤的修复率。 该项目将在秋季和冬季重复进行，以评估季节对重金属负荷和形态的影响，从而可以开发一个模型来预测受季节变化影响的土壤、植物和水中的毒性水平。 由于吸附的金属从水溶液到固体表面上是一个重要的过程，影响在环境中的积累和运输，归宿和运输的研究将包括动力学和机制的重金属保留/释放土壤矿物粘土表面的无机阴离子的影响。 从这项研究中产生的数据将有助于设计实用和经济的补救策略，有效地清理有毒重金属污染的网站。 重金属种类的测量对于确定吸附/解吸机制是必要的，并且仪器将为此目的而不可或缺。 该仪器将提供研究培训和研究技能的发展，教师，工作人员和少数民族学生在BS，MS和博士水平通过暑期课程和实习（BS学生），和研究项目（MS和博士生）。 这项研究将提供少数民族学生（其中许多是女性），未来的科学家，学习，成长和发展他们需要启动自己的职业生涯的技能的机会。该仪器还将用于在亚拉巴马A M大学教授几门课程，作为培训的一个组成部分。 来自附近学院的合作者将可以使用该仪器，主要用于教师和研究生的研究和培训。

ABSTRACT: A grant has been awarded to Dr. Pauline Lindo at Alabama A&M University towards the purchase of an ICP-MS instrument for conducting environmental research and training in the Dept. of Plant and Soil Science. The Inductively Coupled Argon Plasma-Mass Spectrophotometer (ICP-MS) is extremely useful in quantifying trace concentrations (ppb, ppt) of heavy metals in various media and will be used to identify and quantify the various species jeopardizing environmental quality, human and animal health, any seasonal peaks of these species, and to issue health alerts to the general public based on models to be developed from the research data generated. The research will include cropping of contaminated soils to a number of hyperaccumulators, plants capable of extracting large quantities of soil heavy metals. At specific intervals, soil and percolating water will be sampled at 6 depths to monitor/track movement of heavy metals to groundwater supplies. Runoff water will be sampled almost immediately after each storm event and tested for transported heavy metals and species - sources of contamination for surface water. Runoff samples will be evaluated for sediment content, to determine the transport rate of heavy metals (in adsorbed, exchangeable, or soluble state) across the soil surface. All soil, water, and plant tissue samples will be analyzed for metals and species. Uptake by plants will be correlated with reductions in soil concentrations, to calculate a remediation rate for these soils by various plant species. This project will be repeated in the fall and winter to evaluate seasonal effects on heavy metal loadings and speciation, so that a model can be developed to predict toxicity levels in soil, plant, and water as affected by seasonal variability. Since sorption of metals from aqueous solution onto solid surfaces is an important process that influences accumulation and transport in the environment, fate and transport studies will include kinetics and mechanisms of heavy metal retention/release on soil mineral clay surfaces as affected by inorganic anions. The data generated from this study will assist in designing practical and economical remediation strategies to effectively clean up toxic heavy metal-contaminated sites. Measurement of heavy metal species is necessary to determine adsorption/desorption mechanism(s), and the instrument will be indispensable for this purpose. The instrument will offer research training and development of research skills to faculty, staff, and minority students at the BS, MS, and PhD levels through summer programs and internships (for BS students), and research projects (MS and PhD students). This study will offer minority students (many of them female), the future scientists, the opportunity to learn, grow, and develop the skills they need to launch their careers. This instrument will also be used for teaching several curriculum courses at Alabama A&M University as an integral part of training. Collaborators from nearby colleges will have access to this instrument primarily for faculty and graduate student research and training.