This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
With this award from the Major Research and Instrumentation (MRI) program, Professor Diana Aga, Tracy Bank, Eliza S. Calder, Alan J. Rabideau and David F. Watson will acquire an Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP/MS) to be used for environmental science and engineering research. Projects that will be undertaken include: 1.) environmental impacts of engineered nanomaterials, 2.) biogeochemistry and remediation of heavy metal pollutants, 3.) geochemical analysis of volcanic rocks for petrological research, 4.) transport and modeling of strontium and phytoremediation of cadmium, and, 5.) characterization of semiconductor nanomaterials.
Mass spectrometry (MS) is used to identify the chemical composition of a sample by measuring the mass of the molecular constituents in the sample after they are ionized and detected by the mass spectrometer. The ICP/MS will allow analysis of metal speciation at sub-parts per billion (ppb) levels, which is crucial in accurately assessing the effectiveness of bioremediation and the risks of metal contamination. It will not only be useful for environmental samples, but will also be a highly valuable characterization tool for nanomaterials research. The laser ablation system in front of the ICP/MS can be used for direct analysis of solid rocks and semiconductor materials. This will advance and transform the current research activities of students and in Geology and Chemistry.
with liquid chromatography (LC) and laser ablation (LA) systems at the University at Buffalo (UB). This instrument system was successfully installed and is now fully operation and being managed by the UB Chemistry Instrument Center. The acquisition has provided new capabilities in trace elemental analysis by ICP/MS, and the ability to image the distribution of metals in biological and environmental samples. Intellectual Merit. Trace analysis is essential for environmental science and engineering research, a focus and strength of many UB research groups. Prior to the acquisition of the ICP/MS, UB researchers sent their samples for elemental analysis to outside commercial laboratories. The cost of using outside laboratories is prohibitive and not conducive to exploratory research into new chemistries or new methods, since commercial laboratories must use standardized methodology. The LC/ICP/MS enables us to characterize the speciation of metals (e.g. Cd, Pb, As) in various matrices (plants, soil, water, biota), which is crucial in investigating the environmental chemistry and fate of metal contaminants. The ICP/MS with laser ablation has been used in mapping the distribution of metals in biological samples (e.g. plants and animal models), allowing the researchers to better understand the mechanism of accumulation and translocation of metal contaminants in a particular species. Broader Impact. The acquisition of the ICP/MS has now supported the research of over 20 graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, visiting scientists, and faculty members in Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Engineering, Geology, Hearing and Speech Science, and Pharmacology and Toxicology Departments. New interdisciplinary collaborations have emerged due to the availability of ICP/MS at UB. The ICP/MS has been used by graduate students in the NSF-funded IGERT program on Ecosystem Restoration through Interdisciplinary Exchange (ERIE), the undergraduate participants of REU program on ERIE, and the undergraduate participants in the REU program on Global Sustainability Through Chemistry. The availability of the ICP/MS system at UB resulted in new research activities focusing on: i) characterization and environmental fate of engineered nanomaterials, ii) remediation of metals in the environment, and iii) biological accumulation and impacts of heavy metals in model animal species.
