SEES Fellows: An integrated study of the biogeochemical cycling and human health implications of In, Ga, Ge, and Te, elements critical to emerging energy technologies

SEES 研究员：对新兴能源技术至关重要的 In、Ga、Ge 和 Te 元素的生物地球化学循环和人类健康影响的综合研究

• 批准号: 1215894
• 负责人: SarahJane White
• 金额: $ 35.02万
• 依托单位: Harvard University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-09-01 至 2016-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1215894&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SEES; Fellows; integrated; study; biogeochemical

While semiconductor technologies are rapidly advancing, little is known about the environmental behavior or toxicology of the new metals that will be used in future semiconductors. Industry needs the ability to make choices early on to avoid surprises that may threaten the sustainability of new technologies. This project will address the need for the early assessment of novel industrial materials in order to prevent future adverse environmental and human health impacts. The project will result in a better understanding of the industrial and natural cycling of a suite of important but understudied metals, and their releases from mining processes. It will also contribute to deeper understanding of the mining flux of metals that are mined as byproducts, which may in turn support a framework for identifying and prioritizing emerging metal contaminants. The research focuses on the cycling of indium, gallium, germanium, and tellurium, a suite of metals for which environmental cycling is poorly understood, toxicity has been suggested, and industrial use has the potential to increase dramatically due to new uses in critical energy technologies. These metals exist as trace constituents in zinc and lead ores, are mined as byproducts of these primary metals, and have cycles that are influenced strongly by releases from mining and smelting operations. The occurrence, mobility, and pathways of human exposure of indium, gallium, germanium, and tellurium resulting from mining activities will be assessed at the Tar Creek Superfund site, which can serve as a model site due to its history of lead and zinc mining and present-day sources of mine waste. The metals will be measured in environmental samples to establish their cycling and primary exposure pathways to individuals living in the area, and in blood samples from such individuals to link exposure to body burdens. In addition to technical aspects, this project involves education and outreach activities including engagement of undergraduate students in research, an educational exhibit at the annual Cambridge Science Festival, and community meetings with individuals living near Tar Creek and nearby Native American lands to communicate results, seek input on continuing studies, and encourage active participation in sustainability science.This project is supported under the NSF Science, Engineering and Education for Sustainability Fellows (SEES Fellows) program, with the goal of helping to enable discoveries needed to inform actions that lead to environmental, energy and societal sustainability while creating the necessary workforce to address these challenges. With SEES Fellows support, this project will enable a promising early career researcher to establish themselves in an independent research career related to sustainability.

虽然半导体技术正在迅速发展，但人们对未来半导体中使用的新金属的环境行为或毒理学知之甚少。 工业需要有能力及早作出选择，以避免可能威胁新技术可持续性的意外情况。 该项目将满足对新型工业材料进行早期评估的需要，以防止未来对环境和人类健康产生不利影响。 该项目将使人们更好地了解一系列重要但研究不足的金属的工业和自然循环，以及它们在采矿过程中的释放。 它还将有助于更深入地了解作为副产品开采的金属的开采流量，这反过来又可能支持一个确定和优先处理新出现的金属污染物的框架。该研究的重点是铟，镓，锗和碲的循环，这是一种对环境循环知之甚少的金属，毒性已经被提出，并且由于关键能源技术的新用途，工业用途有可能急剧增加。 这些金属作为锌和铅矿石中的微量成分存在，作为这些初级金属的副产品开采，其循环受到采矿和冶炼作业释放的强烈影响。 将在焦油溪超级基金现场评估采矿活动导致的铟、镓、锗和碲的人类暴露的发生率、流动性和途径，由于其铅和锌的开采历史以及当今的矿山废物来源，该现场可以作为模型现场。 将在环境样本中测量这些金属，以确定其循环和生活在该地区的个人的主要接触途径，并在这些个人的血液样本中测量这些金属，以将接触与身体负担联系起来。 除了技术方面，该项目还涉及教育和推广活动，包括本科生参与研究，在年度剑桥科学节上举办教育展览，与居住在焦油溪附近和附近美洲原住民土地上的个人举行社区会议，交流结果，寻求继续研究的投入，并鼓励积极参与可持续发展科学。该项目由NSF科学，工程和可持续发展教育研究员支持（SEES研究员）计划，其目标是帮助实现所需的发现，为导致环境，能源和社会可持续性的行动提供信息，同时创造必要的劳动力来应对这些挑战。 在SEES研究员的支持下，该项目将使一个有前途的早期职业研究人员能够在与可持续发展相关的独立研究生涯中建立自己的地位。