Postdoctoral and Research Associate Seminar Series: Heather Shrimpton

Selenium stable isotopes as a tool for determining processes in the environment

Selenium is an essential nutrient, but at high concentrations, it can be toxic. Many anthropogenic activities provide a source for Se in the environment. What happens to this Se depends on multiple processes, including redox and sorption, which affect the cycling and ultimate fate of Se. This fate could be anything from concentrating through evaporation in reservoirs to cause mass birth defects in fish and fowl, or reduction and adsorption in groundwater systems removing the Se before it discharges into Se sensitive environments. Selenium isotopes are a tool that can be used to determine what is happening to the Se in the environment, which can ultimately aid in remediation efforts.