Equipment: MRI: track 1 acquisition of an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) to strengthen interdisciplinary environmental research at american university

The National Science Foundation Office of Integrative Activities awarded American University $311,425 on August 15, 2026, to acquire an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) and microwave digestion system under the Integrative Activities program (CFDA 47.083).

The ICP-MS will be housed at American University in Washington, D.C., and will support interdisciplinary environmental research focusing on elemental analysis across marine ecology, environmental chemistry, urban stream ecology, and toxicology. Research priorities include investigating heavy metals in Arctic marine mammals and sea life, trace metals in Arctic ecosystems from thawing permafrost to reveal contaminant extent affecting wildlife and indigenous food sources, and pollutant pathways and ecosystem health across sediments, water, and biological tissues. The instrumentation will enable community-based environmental monitoring initiatives in the Arctic and support collaborations with institutions across the Washington, D.C. area.

The award will enhance STEM education by providing students hands-on experience in elemental analysis and expand American University's analytical capabilities to address current and future research questions across multiple ecosystems and organisms. The period of performance runs through July 31, 2029.

Abstract

Elemental analysis is fundamental to advancing knowledge in earth and environmental sciences. Through this award american university will acquire advanced instrumentation to address a wide range of research questions pertaining to better understanding pollution pathways and ecosystem health, with a focus on the arctic. For example, studying trace metals in arctic ecosystems from thawing permafrost helps to reveal the extent of contaminants affecting wildlife and indigenous food sources. Being able to conduct detailed analyses across a range of sample types?from sediments and water to biological tissues?supports investigations into pollutant sources, and the impact of contaminants on ecological and human health. The instrumentation will be housed at american university, supporting collaborations with institutions across the washington, D.C. Area. Key objectives include expanding analytical capabilities, advancing community-based environmental monitoring initiatives in the arctic, and enhancing stem education and training by providing students with hands-on experience in elemental analysis. Elemental analysis is fundamental to advancing knowledge in earth and environmental sciences, as IT provides detailed insights into the composition and distribution of trace elements and contaminants across ecosystems. Through this award american university will acquire an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) and microwave digestion system to address interdisciplinary research questions in marine ecology, environmental chemistry, urban stream ecology, and toxicology. The ICP-MS will support current and future research across a wide range of ecosystems, organisms, and subject areas. The expanded analytical capacity will enable new insights into: (1) heavy metals in arctic marine mammals and seabirds, (2) toxic element release from thawing permafrost, (3) water quality impacts, (4) microplastics in urban road dust, (5) urban river geochemistry, (6) treated wastewater, (7) metal-organic frameworks, and (8) metal uptake in model organisms, among other studies. The instrumentation will be housed at american university, supporting collaborations with institutions across the washington, D.C. Area. Key objectives include expanding analytical capabilities, advancing community-based environmental monitoring initiatives in the arctic, and enhancing stem education and training by providing students with hands-on experience in elemental analysis. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.