Professor: Matthew Reid
Project Description: Mackinawite is the first iron sulfide mineral to form in iron- and sulfate-reducing environments like marine or estuarine sediments, wetlands, or sulfur-rich groundwaters. Mackinawite is known to be a strong adsorbent for arsenic, effectively diminishing the mobility and bioavailability of arsenic in contaminated environments. However, the mechanisms of arsenic sorption onto mackinawite, and how the sorption is affected by the presence of natural organic matter, remain unclear. An REU student will work under the close supervision of a PhD student and will learn laboratory techniques including 1) Mineral synthesis in anoxic conditions and characterization techniques including XRD and BET; 2)Evaluation of mackinawite solubility using wet chemical measurements, and 3) Development of adsorption isotherms to parameterize adsorption models. (This project is offered In-Person)