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, Tyler A. Sullens and his colleagues Tarek Abdel-Fattah, Kathleen E. Brunke and Lauren Ruane will acquire a Wavelength Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer (WDXRF). It will support the Center for Coastal, Environmental, and Atmospheric Studies (C2EAS) at the university. The following areas of research will be impacted: a) fate of fissionable material in plant and soil environments, b) elemental characterization of atmospheric aerosols, c) effects of mycorrhizal fungi on metal accumulation in plants, d) development of nanomaterials for the absorption of heavy metals from contaminated soils, e) remediation of contaminated soils and air: detecting and quantifying heavy metals on military sites (focus: lead), f) preservation and restoration of marine artifacts, and, g) uptake efficiency and fate of metals in a created wetland.
Wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF) spectroscopy enables researchers to obtain elemental analysis of materials through non-destructive means. X-rays irradiate a sample causing core electrons from atoms to be promoted to higher energy orbitals. The relaxation of these electrons results in emission (fluorescence) of secondary X-rays characteristic of the element. Since this will be the only regional WDXRF facility in SE Virginia, it will be made available to other research institutions in the area (Hampton University, Elizabeth City State University, Norfolk State University, Old Dominion University, and College of William and Mary, NASA, Jefferson Laboratory National Accelerator Facility).
The funding for getting the high-resolution, wavelength dispersive, X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (WDXRF) expands Christopher Newport University (CNU) element analysis capabilities. WDXRF provide cutting edge education and research experience for CNU undergraduate and graduate students. In addition, CNU’s Environmental Science MS program has established a strong link with the local K-12 Newport News school system with the NSF GK-12 grant. Some of GK-12 project is utilizing the WDXRF. These projects are linking Urban Water Quality with Science Education in the Chesapeake Watershed. This will provide new avenues of research, which will broaden the educational experience of our graduate and undergraduate researchers. CNU is a member of Applied Research Center (ARC), on the campus of Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (JLab), in Newport News, VA. The ARC is a consortium of four local universities and consists of an interdisciplinary team of researchers working on scientific and technological problems in the areas of thin films, laser and plasma applications, materials technology, nanotechnology, biomedical engineering, sensors, etc. Involvement in this consortium will allow for advertisement of this instrument and its capabilities to 9 different local and regional institutions (Hampton University, Mariner’s Museum, NASA, Elizabeth City State University, University of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University, Norfolk State University (HBCU), College of William and Mary, and Old Dominion University) and more than 150 Ph.D. scientists who perform research at the ARC. The use of the WDXRF will further the potential development of collaboration with CNU faculty and student researchers. Additionally, CNU faculty involvement in the local chapter of the American Chemical Society will allow for additional advertisement to Hampton University (HBCU), which is also in the region. Further advertisement of CNU’s WDXRF capabilities will be made through existing collaborations of project members.
