Preparatory tools for investigating trace environmental signatures

我们预测污染和环境变化影响的能力取决于我们对化学品在环境中如何运输、扩散和循环的理解。环境标志是指那些提供污染物类型和来源以及生物、化学和物理过程在转化污染物和与环境有关的化学储存库中所起作用的证据的化合物。这五个申请者利用环境签名来解决环境污染物和生态系统的组成部分、途径和过程。与全球进程有关的特征往往位于大型水库中，但仅在稀释物或微量浓度中发现，这使得对这些特征的识别、量化和测量具有挑战性。这限制了旨在了解全球污染物传输和生物地球化学循环的研究计划的范围。需要一种自动样品提取和制备系统，用于测量痕量和具有挑战性的大气、水和土壤样品中的环境特征。该设备将能够对痕量环境特征进行识别、量化和稳定的放射性碳分析。考虑到目前的方法需要的技能和时间通常不在大多数研究生课程中提供，因此目前不可能通过该设备对更多数量和类型的学生进行环境特征分析方面的培训。更大的样本数量和类型，以及更高的跟踪环境特征的精确度和准确度，将使对以下问题的关键研究成为可能：(1)与气候反馈和模拟以及全球生物地球化学循环有关的碳和营养库；(2)与持久性污染物迁移和去向以及海洋-大气交换有关的大气和污染物有机化合物的来源和去向。此类调查的结果将使政府和行业能够制定知情的应对、缓解和适应战略。此外，这些设备将能够培训高素质的人员，他们可以从事更复杂的研究问题，从而获得多样化和适销对路的技能。

Our ability to predict the impact of pollution and environmental change depends upon our understanding of how chemicals are transported, dispersed, and cycled in the environment. Environmental signatures are those chemical compounds providing evidence of contamination type and source as well as the role of biological, chemical and physical processes in transforming contaminants and environmentally relevant chemical reservoirs. The five applicants make use of environmental signatures to resolve environmental contaminants and ecosystem components, pathways, and processes. Often signatures relevant to global processes are located in large reservoirs but are only found in dilute or trace concentrations making the identification, quantification and measurement of these signatures challenging. This has limited the scope of research programs aimed at understanding global contaminant transport and biogeochemical cycling. An automated sample extraction and preparation system for measuring environmental signatures in trace and otherwise challenging atmospheric, water, and soil samples is requested. This equipment would enable the identification, quantification, and stable and radiocarbon analysis of trace environmental signatures. The training of a larger number and type of students in environmental signature analyses enabled by this equipment is not currently possible given that current approaches require skill sets and time not typically available within most graduate programs. The larger sample number, type, and increased precision and accuracy of trace environmental signatures will enable critical research into; (1) Carbon and nutrient reservoirs relevant to climate feedbacks and modeling and global biogeochemical cycles; and (2) Sources and fate of atmospheric and contaminant organic compounds relevant to persistent pollutant transport and fate, and ocean-atmosphere exchange. Results from such investigations will allow for informed response, mitigation, and adaption strategies to be developed by government and industries. Furthermore, the equipment will enable training of highly qualified personnel who can pursue more complex research problems that will allow for a diverse and marketable skill set.