Speciation of Copper in Soils.

Copper is commonly present in soils as a contaminant.  The mobility and bioavailability of the Cu is a function of the speciation.  In this project we investigate Cu speciation in 6 soils using advanced bulk and micro-spectroscopic techniques.  X-ray absorption spectroscopy of 5 different soils showed that the majority of the Cu is complexed to soil organic matter (SOM).  Elemental distributions showed no correlations of Cu with metals, suggesting that Cu has a preferential association for SOM functional groups.  In this presentation we will discuss the properties of Cu and the associated SOM based on the interpretation of the molecular structures observed and soil properties.