INTERACTIONS OF RARE EARTH ELEMENTS AND MICROORGANISMS
EMSL Project ID
50114
Abstract
The overall goal of our research is to elucidate the mechanisms by which rare earth elements (REE) exert effects on environmental microorganisms. Global growth in new electronics and renewable energy technologies has intensified the use of REE, which consist of the lanthanide series plus yttrium and scandium. Greater mining and processing of these metals and disposal of wastes containing REE leads to greater potential for ecosystem impacts and REE and other technology critical metals are viewed as “emerging” inorganic contaminants. However, there are scant data regarding the impact of REE on biotic systems. In our research we have been investigating the interactions of REE with aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms, and we have observed that in some cases, depending on the particular element, concentration, and microbial species, the rare earths may enhance or inhibit microbial activity. However, we do not understand how the metals exert their effects. Measurements of metal distribution between solution and particulate (including biomass) fractions suggest that in some cases the metals are preferentially associated with the biomass fraction, but we do not know the nature of that association nor the metal speciation. The proposed advanced microscopy and fluorescence work at EMSL will allow us to image the spatial distribution of the REE in or on the microbial cell surfaces, and provide information on chemical speciation, enabling insight into the mechanisms of REE-microbe interactions.
Project Details
Project type
Limited Scope
Start Date
2018-01-05
End Date
2018-03-05
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Team Members