Applications of LIF to Document Natural Variability of Chlorophyll Content and Cu Uptake in Moss.

Chlorophyll has long been used as a natural indicator of plant health and photosynthetic efficiency. Laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) is an emerging technique for understanding broad spectrum organic processes and has more recently been used to monitor chlorophyll response in plants. Previous work has focused on developing a LIF technique for imaging moss mats to identify metal contamination with the current focus shifting toward application to moss fronds and aiding sample collection for chemical analysis.

Uranium Biogeochemistry in the Rhizosphere of a Contaminated Wetland.

The objective of this study was to determine if U sediment concentrations in a U-contaminated wetland located within the Savannah River Site, South Carolina, were greater in the rhizosphere than in the nonrhizosphere. U concentrations were as much as 1100% greater in the rhizosphere than in the nonrhizosphere fractions; however and importantly, not all paired samples followed this trend. Iron (but not C, N, or S) concentrations were significantly enriched in the rhizosphere.

Draft genomes of two rhizosphere associated bacterial isolates from Tims Branch, a heavy metal contaminated wetland.

Two bacterial isolates were recovered from wetland sediments from Tims Branch, a heavy metal contaminated wetland located at the Savannah River Site. Draft genomes of the two recovered isolates, strain 17X3 and strain 17RB, were generated from Illumina MiSeq sequencing data.

Evaluation of Deuterium Oxide Deposition Velocity over a Forest Environment.

Field experiments were performed to evaluate the deposition velocity of tritium oxide within a forest environment at the Savannah River Site near Aiken, SC. Field releases were designed to guide selection of deposition velocity values for use in safety-basis modeling. Six releases of deuterium oxide were conducted in 2020 and 2021 with corresponding air samples during and following each release.

Laser-Induced Fluorescence for Monitoring Environmental Contamination and Stress in the Moss .

The ability to detect, measure, and locate the source of contaminants, especially heavy metals and radionuclides, is of ongoing interest. A common tool for contaminant identification and bioremediation is vegetation that can accumulate and indicate recent and historic pollution. However, large-scale sampling can be costly and labor-intensive.