This Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) award will enhance the inorganic analytical capabilities available to researchers and students at the University of Iowa through the acquisition of a quadrupole inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) plus a laser ablation unit. This versatile instrument combination will be used for elemental analysis at trace and ultratrace levels of natural and engineered materials (rocks, minerals, waters, soils). It will play a key role in the research and teaching programs of faculty in the Geoscience Department that focus on magma genesis and tectonics, and faculty in the Environmental Engineering & Science (EES) Program that focus on biogeochemical cycling of heavy metals. Selected research activities in Geoscience and EES that will benefit from on-campus access to ICP-MS facilities include:
- trace element abundances in volcanic rocks from various tectonic settings (subduction zones, ocean islands, flood basalts) to constrain models of magma genesis and mantle sources. - in-situ laser ablation analysis of melt inclusions and crustal xenoliths to determine mechanisms of crustal assimilation in basalts. - compositions of impact materials and implications for impact cratering processes. - in-situ laser ablation U/Pb geochronology of zircon to understand the tectonic evolution of orogens. - methods for the environmental clean-up of uranium. - role of nanoparticle Fe on the fate and transport of heavy metals (U, Cr, As) in the environment. - water quality monitoring and assessment of inorganic contaminants in drinking water systems.
Establishment of an ICP-MS facility at Iowa will lead to creative and potentially transformative research driven by closer collaborations between geologists, environmental scientists and engineers, and biologists. Innovative research will potentially include development of novel methods for remediation of heavy metals, insights into the behavior of nanoparticles in the enviroment, and an improved understanding of how volcanoes work and what happens during meteorite impacts. The presence of a quadrupole ICP-MS and laser ablation facility will greatly enhance the educational opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Iowa, by providing them with more comprehensive research training. Use of the facility will be incorporated into the curriculum at all levels, and it will expand opportunities for student research projects. Benefits to society include better understanding of the behavior of toxic heavy metals in the environment and methods for their remediation, and a better understanding of volcanic processes with implications for hazard management.
