Localization and speciation of metals at the cellular level
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Abstract
The uptake and accumulation of metals in a number of crop species will be investigated using soils collected from contaminated field sites. Because biological influences in the rhizosphere are expected to determine metal bioaccessibility, the influences of both the plant root and soil microbes on the chemical speciation of a number of potentially toxic elements will be investigated using synchrotron x-ray fluorescence (XRF) and x-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) analyses. These techniques are capable of detecting differences in elemental chemistry over very short distances (a few microns); thus, the soil, the plant root and the root/soil interface can be examined simultaneously in intact samples. The results of this project will be combined with those of other projects within the Soils and Plants Theme to gain a better understanding of the impact of biological activity on the movement of metals from the soil into plants.