Investigating the fate of nutrients and pollutats in the environment

The ID21 Beamline microscopes have been used since early on to investigate the transformations of nutrients (P, S, K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Se, Mo) and pollutants (Ti, Cr, As, Ag, Cd, Hg, etc) in plants and soils. Using the ID21 spectromicroscopes, ID21 researchers and their collaborators are able to provide information on two fronts: (i) the submicron scale, the microspatial distribution of the nutrients and pollutants (ii) the transformations (and possible bioavailability/toxicity) suffered by these elements (speciation) in the environment. This research spans across areas like environmental toxicology, nutrient cycling and soil carbon storage.