Microscale Reactivity of Trace Elements in Complex Geochemical Systems

North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC

Investigators

Abstract

Soils supply nutrients to agricultural crops while also preventing toxic substances from entering food and water supplies. This research project is motivated in part by the current mass poisoning of 100 million people in Southern Asia, which is the result of naturally occurring arsenic moving through soils and into drinking water. The research will provide fundamental knowledge about binding of arsenic and other toxic substance in soils, which will help to development better management strategies to protect human health. Investigators will use highly advanced scientific tools coupled with advanced statistical analyses to discover how complicated interactions between different types of soil particles affect binding of toxic substances. The work will help figure out ways to increase binding of toxic substances on soil particles in order to prevent these substances from moving into food and water supplies. Mining, manufacturing, energy consumption, and agricultural production all release toxic substances into our natural environment. A high standard of living in the U.S. relies on protecting citizens from exposure to unhealthy substances while still advancing technologies that enhance our lives. Soils are arguably the most complicated natural systems at the earth's surface. Precise management of soils is challenging, but also essential for preventing toxic substances from impacting human health. The new knowledge created in this research will support progress of science in soil chemistry and geochemistry. The work will use state-of-the art analytical techniques at DOE National User Facilities and analyze the results using advanced spatial statistical models and uncertainty analysis. Researchers will investigate a new conceptual model for fundamentally understanding how complex interactions between different soil minerals and organic matter regulate toxic substance mobility in natural systems. A new understanding of mechanisms of toxic substance binding in soils will ultimately improve management practices that advance food production in the U.S., while protecting people from toxic substances dispersed in the environment by industrial activities.