This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
With this award from the Major Research Instrumentation Program, Lucille A. Benedict and Samantha J. Langley-Turnbaugh of the University of Southern Maine will acquire a portable x-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzer, a bench top x-ray fluorescence analyzer and a direct mercury analyzer. They will be used in several research projects including, 1) environmental contamination of heavy metals from cigarette waste; 2) exposure to metals from modern grown foods: concentrations and plant uptake in compost; 3) phytoremediation of urban soils in Portland, Maine; and 4) trace metals in high elevation forest soils in Maine; 5) bioavailability and bioaccumulation of heavy metals from soils and freshwater environments.
XRF is a nondestructive analytical method that does not require the dissolution and loss of samples or the disposal of hazardous waste solvents. Electron transitions between the inner shells of atoms create x-rays with wavelengths characteristic of the element. XRF analysis uses this characteristic radiation for qualitative and quantitative elemental analysis. The principal methodology behind direct mercury analysis utilizes combustion, collection of Hg with gold amalgamation, and detection by atomic absorption spectrometry. The proposed projects will considerably enhance the infrastructure for research and teaching, promote undergraduate participation in research activities, and foster partnerships between the University and outside scientists.
