Achievement

IGERT student John Stegemeier has focused on the transformations of ZnO NPs in the environment. Interactions with Amy and with the other IGERT students helped to focus John’s efforts on a particularly important fate process of sulfidized metal nanoparticles, namely the reoxidation of sulfur in the particles and the subsequent remobilization of zinc. John has also begun to determine the species of silver taken up by plants even after partial sulfidation and a significant decrease in free silver ion in the system. Working closely with ecologists and toxicologists in freshwater mesocosms has indicated the need to understand better the mechanisms of uptake by aquatic plants as this represents the entry into the food web.