Distribution and Chemical Speciation of Metals and Metalloids in Biota Collected from Contaminated Environments by Spatially Resolved XRF, XANES, and EXAFS

D.B. Hunter; P.M. Bertsch; K.M. Kemner; S.B. Clark

doi:doi:10.1051/jp4:1997232

Issue		J. Phys. IV France Volume 7, Number C2, Avril 1997 Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on X-Ray Absorption Fine Structure


Page(s)		C2-767 - C2-771
DOI		https://doi.org/10.1051/jp4:1997232

Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on X-Ray Absorption Fine Structure

J. Phys. IV France 7 (1997) C2-767-C2-771
DOI: 10.1051/jp4:1997232

Distribution and Chemical Speciation of Metals and Metalloids in Biota Collected from Contaminated Environments by Spatially Resolved XRF, XANES, and EXAFS

D.B. Hunter¹, P.M. Bertsch¹, K.M. Kemner² and S.B. Clark¹

¹ Advanced Analytical Center for Environmental Sciences, The University of Georgia, SREL, Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29802, U.S.A.
² U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington D.C., U.S.A.

Abstract
Shell fragments from turtles collected in a wetland receiving outfall from coal combustion ash basins were elevated in a number of contaminants, notably Se and As. Micro-XANES analysis of the epithelial layer on the shell and of the bone tissue revealed that the keratin associated Se was present exclusively in seleno-amino acid coordination environments, whereas Se in the bone tissue was a mixture of selenate and proteinaceous Se. Elemental distribution maps of hyperaccumulating plants generated by XRF reveal a heterogeneous distribution of Se and Cr, with Se being concentrated within the nuclei of cells and Cr within discrete aggregates in the cytoplasm. Micro-XANES measurements taken on these same regions demonstrated the total loss of the Cr(VI) diagnostic pre-edge feature, indicating the complete reduction of the Cr(VI) to Cr(III) after uptake by the plants.