X-ray Microspectroscopy and Chemical Reactions in Soil Microsites.

The article illustrates the application of bulk-sample and spatially resolved synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) for characterizing chemical species of contaminants in soils and for determining the uniqueness of trace element reactivity in different soil microsites in the U.S. It discusses the opportunities provided by spatially resolved X-ray techniques for following chemical changes within soil microsites that serve as highly localized chemical microreactors of unique composition. It highlights the use of information and principles developed from microscale soil chemistry for predicting macroscale and field-scale behavior of soil contaminants as one challenge in research.