Neil Fitzgerald

Mercury determination by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry utilizing UV photoreduction.

A method for the determination of mercury via UV photoreduction has been investigated. Mercury vapor was generated by the reduction of mercury species in an acetic acid solution using UV radiation. Detection of the volatile mercury was accomplished by atomic absorption spectrometry. An optimized system was found to provide a detection limit (defined as the concentration giving a signal equal to three times the standard deviation of the blank) of 2.1mugL(-1) with a precision of 2.9% relative standard deviation (n=8) for a 500mugL(-1) mercury standard. The effect of various metal ions on the mercury signal was investigated and the method validated with a NRCC certified dogfish liver material (DOLT-3) using the method of standard additions. A reaction pathway is hypothesized for UV photoreduction.

Reduction of water loading effects in inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry by a Nafion membrane dryer device

A multi-strand Nafion® dryer, located between the spray chamber and torch of a plasma source mass spectrometer, removed about 97% of the total mass of water leaving the spray chamber. A significant reduction in the ratio of the oxide signal to that of the metal for cerium and barium was observed. The argon oxide and hydroxide signals at m/z 56 and 57, respectively, were also decreased by about a factor of 10 for m/z 56. In turn, an improvement in the detection limit for iron at this m/z by about a factor of 5 was obtained. The use of the dryer did not require re-optimization of the instrument operating conditions and, for the relatively clean solutions introduced by flow injection used in this study, did not cause any significant memory effect or peak broadening.

Calibration and Evaluation of an X-Ray Fluorescence Method for the Determination of Lead and Arsenic in Soils

A portable X-ray fluorescence method is described for the measurement of lead and arsenic in soils based on calibration with standard reference materials. Both elements exhibited good linear calibration curves. The method was used to analyze dried and ground soil samples obtained from the metropolitan New York City area. Results were compared to measurements obtained by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry with microwave assisted acid leaching. No significant difference was found for lead measurements between the two methods however, arsenic values were significantly different with XRF exhibiting higher values. It is hypothesized that incomplete leaching and spectral interference are the predominant causes of this discrepancy. The XRF method provides a simple, quick, and nondestructive method for the determination of total lead and arsenic content in soils.

Environmental MonitoringâÂÂs Image Problem

Earlier this year the scientific world was shocked by the revelation that the famous Keeling Curve may come to an end due to lack of funding. The curve is the result of 56 years of continuous atmospheric monitoring of carbon dioxide, initially in Hawaii by Charles David Keeling and more recently by the Scripps Institute of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego. The data provided convincing evidence of carbon dioxide’s role in global warming and will be essential in assessing the success of mitigation strategies. After a heartfelt plea from Ralph Keeling, the project was saved, at least temporarily, thanks to a mixture of private and government funds and a successful crowd funding campaign. The plight of the project highlights the fragility and importance of long-term environmental monitoring. In a recent editorial, I lamented the lack of environment data for the New York City area which hampered our ability to draw concrete conclusions from data obtained following Hurricane Sandy. I contrasted this to the recent completion of a forty year project by the British Geological Survey which resulted in a comprehensive map of several elements in the United Kingdom. Why are similar initiatives not occurring in the United States? The difficulty appears to be in securing necessary funds for monitoring projects which do not appear to offer a useful product or exciting innovations.

Environmental Monitoring’s Image Problem.

Earlier this year the scientific world was shocked by the revelation that the famous Keeling Curve may come to an end due to lack of funding. The curve is the result of 56 years of continuous atmospheric monitoring of carbon dioxide, initially in Hawaii by Charles David Keeling and more recently by the Scripps Institute of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego. The data provided convincing evidence of carbon dioxide’s role in global warming and will be essential in assessing the success of mitigation strategies. After a heartfelt plea from Ralph Keeling, the project was saved, at least temporarily, thanks to a mixture of private and government funds and a successful crowd funding campaign. The plight of the project highlights the fragility and importance of long-term environmental monitoring. In a recent editorial, I lamented the lack of environment data for the New York City area which hampered our ability to draw concrete conclusions from data obtained following Hurricane Sandy. I contrasted this to the recent completion of a forty year project by the British Geological Survey which resulted in a comprehensive map of several elements in the United Kingdom. Why are similar initiatives not occurring in the United States? The difficulty appears to be in securing necessary funds for monitoring projects which do not appear to offer a useful product or exciting innovations.

Environmental Monitoringâs Image Problem

Earlier this year the scientific world was shocked by the revelation that the famous Keeling Curve may come to an end due to lack of funding. The curve is the result of 56 years of continuous atmospheric monitoring of carbon dioxide, initially in Hawaii by Charles David Keeling and more recently by the Scripps Institute of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego. The data provided convincing evidence of carbon dioxide’s role in global warming and will be essential in assessing the success of mitigation strategies. After a heartfelt plea from Ralph Keeling, the project was saved, at least temporarily, thanks to a mixture of private and government funds and a successful crowd funding campaign. The plight of the project highlights the fragility and importance of long-term environmental monitoring. In a recent editorial, I lamented the lack of environment data for the New York City area which hampered our ability to draw concrete conclusions from data obtained following Hurricane Sandy. I contrasted this to the recent completion of a forty year project by the British Geological Survey which resulted in a comprehensive map of several elements in the United Kingdom. Why are similar initiatives not occurring in the United States? The difficulty appears to be in securing necessary funds for monitoring projects which do not appear to offer a useful product or exciting innovations.