Kenneth M. Kemner<br>

Environmental Research, Argonne National Laboratory<br>

<i>High-Energy X-ray Physics to Address Environmental Science Problems</i><p>

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A current challenge in environmental science is building a knowledge base for
developing environmentally sound, yet cost effective, remediation strategies
and realistic environmental risk assessments. One major concern -
bioavailability - is determined by the movement of contaminants through the
environment (air, land, water), their uptake into biota, and their
introduction into and transport through the food chain to humans. Thus,
understanding the fate and transport mobility of contaminants in the
environment is fundamental to the development and evaluation of effective
remediation and sequestration strategies.<p>

The chemical speciation of a contaminant in the environment can control its
mobility, its bioavailability, and ultimately its toxicity to organisms
including humans. Additional factors affecting the mobility of a contaminant
include the physical location of the contaminant relative to the different
geological media through which it is moving, as well as the effects of living
organisms and their biological processes on the contaminant and media. Thus,
addressing many of today?s key environmental science questions requires an
integrated multidisciplinary approach encompassing such fields as biology,
chemistry, geology, and physics. The availability of the Advanced Photon
Source (APS) presents a unique opportunity for synchrotron scientists and
physicists to pursue an integrated approach and address environmental science
questions with new perspectives.<p>

We have begun to develop an integrated multidisciplinary team of physicists,
chemists, biologists, and geologists to address environmental science
problems. The presentation will include results from APS-based investigations
of: 1) the interactions of metal contaminants with mineral and biological
surfaces, 2) the formation of minerals by biological processes and
interactions of contaminants with biomineralization products, and 3) samples
of Beethoven?s hair in forensic studies of the causes of some of his
illnesses and his death.
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