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

授予北方肯塔基州大学（NKU）为本科生研究和教育收购现场便携式X射线荧光（XRF）技术。XRF技术将促进和拓宽NKU的社会生态教学和研究。具体而言，XRF将用于分析土壤铅浓度在辛辛那提，俄亥俄州，以更好地了解潜在的权衡与城市园艺活动，并了解如何有关的景观信息可以用来预测铅含量升高的地区。了解城市关键污染物的分布，将有助于我们理解城市结构与功能之间的重要联系，推进城市生态理论。此外，铅分布的数据和预测模型将与社区合作伙伴和当地卫生机构共享，以告知安全城市花园的设计，并保护人类免受铅暴露。XRF将推动正在进行的关于植物和微生物群落对生态系统过程影响的项目。本研究将通过研究相关的地球化学循环，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品的重金属和营养成分含量，将由大学生通过NKU环境科学课程的现有和新开发的课程收集，分析和存档。数据将用于入门课程，教授数据分析的基本概念，并在高级课程中教授样品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。XRF技术的收购加强了NKU的使命，为本科生提供宝贵的研究经验，扩大未来的职业选择。本科生和周围的社区将受益于更好地了解耦合的人与环境的相互作用，驱动重金属在城市土壤中的空间分布。

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.