MRI: Acquisition of LA-ICP-MS to support research in environmental and engineered systems, geology and environmental geosciences, and chemistry for a sustainable future

Bucknell University, Lewisburg PA

Investigators

Abstract

Solving environmental and public health challenges requires science and policy informed by accurate measurement of trace elements in many types of environmental media. Those measurements can help answer many scientific questions, such as those involving Earth's mineral record, rare earth elements (REE), and human exposure in fabrication laboratories to nanoscopic aerosolized metal particles. The laser ablation inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometer (LA-ICP-MS) acquired through this project will help Bucknell University faculty and student researchers pursue answers to these questions in the fields of environmental engineering, geology and environmental geosciences, chemical engineering, and others, by allowing efficient and accurate measurement of the majority of elements and isotopes. Bringing this research capability to central Pennsylvania will strengthen the region's competitiveness for researcher recruitment and funding. Bucknell University has in place several programs for increasing participation and retention of underrepresented students in STEM fields, providing a strong framework for maximizing this project's impact on research training infrastructure. The versatility of this instrument will support research across a broad range of disciplines. For example, analysis of municipal wastewaters and biosolids will reveal the abundance of REE available for recovery, opening up new sources for these critical raw materials. Diversification of the global REE supply chain could reduce the environmental impact of virgin REE extraction, bolster U.S. resource independence, and could alleviate human rights abuses arising from conflict metal situations. Second, the instrument's ability to characterize aerosol composition and properties will support research that could show that tools used in modern MakerSpaces generate metallic nanoparticles with sizes and character that represent an inhalation exposure risk to humans. These results should help fill the gap in occupational safety/health policies and emissions controls for these modern fabrication tools to which children in K-12 school laboratories are increasingly exposed. Finally, minerals can be analyzed for isotope geochronology and trace element geothermometry to understand when and how they form. Results have the potential to open a new frontier in solving questions about the rates of tectonic processes, the timing of extinction events and rates of climate change over geologic timescales. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.