The Environmental Health Program collaborates with microbiologists at the Microbial Biogeochemistry Laboratory to develop and apply innovative methods to measure key microbial processes. These methods are used to better understand how major biogeochemical cycles (carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and iron) interact with and control the speciation and fate of metals like mercury and selenium which can impact the health of humans and other organisms.
Key Analytical Capabilities
- Measurement of microbial reaction rates using isotopic tracer methods
- Mercury speciation in a range of matrices
- Nutrients and Trace metals
- Chemical speciation and quantification of major biogeochemical cycle constituents associated with carbon, sulfur, iron and nitrogen
Key Instrumentation
- Quadrupole Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS)
- Ion, liquid and gas chromatography
- Total mercury analyzer
- Methylmercury analyzer
- Nutrient analyzer
- Total carbon analyzer (with 13C isotopes)
- Radioactive tracer laboratory and capabilities
- Overview
About the Research
The Environmental Health Program collaborates with microbiologists at the Microbial Biogeochemistry Laboratory to develop and apply innovative methods to measure key microbial processes. These methods are used to better understand how major biogeochemical cycles (carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and iron) interact with and control the speciation and fate of metals like mercury and selenium which can impact the health of humans and other organisms.
Key Analytical Capabilities
- Measurement of microbial reaction rates using isotopic tracer methods
- Mercury speciation in a range of matrices
- Nutrients and Trace metals
- Chemical speciation and quantification of major biogeochemical cycle constituents associated with carbon, sulfur, iron and nitrogen
Key Instrumentation
- Quadrupole Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS)
- Ion, liquid and gas chromatography
- Total mercury analyzer
- Methylmercury analyzer
- Nutrient analyzer
- Total carbon analyzer (with 13C isotopes)
- Radioactive tracer laboratory and capabilities