MRI: Acquisition of field-portable x-ray fluorescence technology for undergraduate research and education

北肯塔基大学(NKU)因获得用于本科生研究和教育的野外便携式X射线荧光(XRF)技术而获奖。XRF技术将促进和拓宽NKU的社会生态教学和研究。具体地说，XRF将用于分析俄亥俄州辛辛那提的土壤铅浓度，以便更好地了解城市园艺活动的潜在权衡，并了解如何使用有关景观的信息来预测铅升高的地区。了解城市临界污染物的分布，将有助于我们更好地理解城市结构与功能之间的重要联系，推动城市生态理论的发展。此外，将与社区合作伙伴和当地卫生机构共享铅分布的数据和预测模型，为安全的城市花园的设计提供信息，并保护人类免受铅暴露。XRF将推进正在进行的关于植物和微生物群落对生态系统过程的影响的项目。这项研究将通过研究相互关联的生物地球化学循环，特别是重金属动力学在构建水生生态系统中的作用，加深我们对生态系统过程的理解。环境数据，包括土壤和沉积物样本的重金属和养分含量，将由本科生通过NKU环境科学项目现有的和新开发的课程收集、分析和存档。数据将在入门课程中用于教授数据分析的基本概念，并在高级课程中用于教授样本设计和数据收集的概念。XRF技术增强了在教育和研究方面指导学生的基础设施。收购XRF技术强化了NKU的使命，即为本科生提供宝贵的研究经验，扩大未来的职业选择。本科生和周围社区将受益于更好地理解耦合的人-环境相互作用，这些相互作用驱动着城市土壤中重金属的空间分布。

An award is made to Northern Kentucky University (NKU) for the acquisition of field-portable x- ray fluorescence (XRF) technology for undergraduate research and education. XRF technology will advance and broaden socio-ecological teaching and research at NKU. Specifically, XRF will be used to analyze soil lead concentrations in Cincinnati, OH in order to better understand potential tradeoffs with urban gardening activities and learn how information about the landscape can be used to predict areas of elevated lead. Understanding the distribution of a critical urban pollutant will improve our understanding of the important link between urban structure and function, advancing urban ecological theory. In addition, data and predictive models of lead distribution will be shared with community partners and local health agencies to inform the design of safe urban gardens and protect human populations from lead exposure. XRF will advance ongoing projects on plant and microbe community effects on ecosystem processes. This research will deepen our understanding of ecosystem processes by examining linked biogeochemical cycles, specifically the role of heavy metal dynamics in structuring aquatic ecosystems.Environmental data, including heavy metal and nutrient content of soil and sediment samples will be collected, analyzed, and archived by undergraduate students through existing and newly developed courses in NKU's Environmental Science Program. Data will be used in introductory courses to teach basic concepts of data analysis and in upper level courses to teach concepts of sample design and data collection. XRF technology enhances infrastructure for mentoring students in both education and research. Acquisition of XRF technology strengthens NKU's mission to provide undergraduate students with valuable research experience that expands future career options. Undergraduate students and the surrounding community will benefit from a greater understanding of coupled human-environment interactions that drive the spatial distribution of heavy metals in urban soils.