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The role of Fe(oxyhydr)oxides in regulating the biogeochemical cycling of Zinc; an essential micro-nutrient


EMSL Project ID
50826

Abstract

We propose to study the influence of Fe(III) (oxyhydr)oxides on the biogeochemical cycling of Zn, an essential micronutrient. The work is specifically focused on incorporation of Zn into the structure of ubiquitous Fe phases such as goethite and hematite, and the kinetics and extent of Zn release as a function of different solution conditions. Although there is evidence that Zn is incorporated into such phases, which contributes to its lack of availability in certain environments, detailed information on the coordination environment of Zn in these phases is lacking. Here we propose to combine experiment, spectroscopy, and theory to provide fine-grained information on how Zn is incorporated. Such information will provide much needed predictive power concerning the bio-availability of Zn in deeply weathered terrains that have historically yielded Zn deficient crops which contribute to human malnutrition.

Project Details

Project type
Large-Scale EMSL Research
Start Date
2019-10-01
End Date
2021-09-30
Status
Closed

Team

Principal Investigator

Eugene Ilton
Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Team Members

Sebastian Mergelsberg
Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Sarah Saslow
Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Christer Jansson
Institution
Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory

Sebastien Kerisit
Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Eric Bylaska
Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory