Scientific Opportunities: Geo & Environmental Sciences

Overview | Earth and Planetary Science | Environmental Science

Environmental Science

A micro x-ray fluorescence image of manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), and plutonium (Pu) distribution in Yucca Mountain "tuff," a type of rock formed by volcanic ash. Images collected at NSLS beamline X26A.

Identifying the chemical form and the chemical, physical and biological processes that control the distribution of contaminants in our environment is a core mission of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), one of the leading sponsors of cutting-edge research in the environmental sciences. Such research is focused on developing a better understanding of how contaminants are distributed, bound, and react in the environment.

But without detailed knowledge of contaminant behavior, remediating highly impacted sites will be less effective and far more costly than needed. The major questions involving environmental contaminants concern their speciation, distribution, reactivity, transformations, mobility, biogeochemical cycling, and bioavailability. These issues depend on the contaminants' molecular-scale structures and properties, which are best determined using spatially resolved spectroscopic techniques, such as those that will be available at NSLS-II. This basic information is essential for developing clean-up strategies and risk assessments for local and global-scale pollution problems.

One of the major challenges to understanding fundamental biogeochemical processes in earth's near-surface environment is the heterogeneous nature of the impacted materials. Soil, sediment, and rock samples commonly contain multiple solid phases (see figure), as well as liquids, air, and complex biomaterials. Particles of these materials can fall into the sub-micron size range, which prevents studying them using conventional bulk methods. Advanced synchrotron radiation sources like NSLS-II produce small, intense x-ray beams that can produce element and chemical state specificity, high spatial and energy resolution, excellent detection sensitivity at ppb levels, and the ability to work in-situ - for example, with wet samples safely sequestered within environmental cells. These types of studies have led to unique information on many of the chemical processes that affect contaminant elements, particularly those occurring at solid-water interfaces.

The high brightness and flux of NSLS-II will provide much enhanced capabilities in environmental science research and enable continued advances in this critical area of research.

Last Modified: March 4, 2008
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One of ten national laboratories overseen and primarily funded by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Brookhaven National Laboratory conducts research in the physical, biomedical, and environmental sciences, as well as in energy technologies and national security. Brookhaven Lab also builds and operates major scientific facilities available to university, industry and government researchers. Brookhaven is operated and managed for DOE’s Office of Science by Brookhaven Science Associates, a limited-liability company founded by Stony Brook University, the largest academic user of Laboratory facilities, and Battelle, a nonprofit, applied science and technology organization.

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