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Environmental Biogeochemistry Laboratory
Environmental Biogeochemistry Laboratory
Prof. Liu's professional expertise is in the field of biogeochemistry, environmental soil chemistry, analyses of trace-level contaminants, and molecular speciation of elements. She has extensive experience in analytical methods involving chromatography and atomic spectrophotometry, particularly for trace-level heavy metal contamination in various matrices such as water, air, sediments and sludge, tissues, and plants. She has also worked in the field of synchrotron-based analysis including X-ray absorption spectroscopy, transmission X-ray microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. She has gained the synchrotron-related experience from the Brookhaven National Laboratory, the Agronne National Laboratory, and the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in the United States. Her work has significantly contributed to the development of the molecular mechanisms for biogeochemical cycling of elements.
Lusia Liu
Synchrotron
X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) in cryogenic and ambient environments (10 - 300 K) for biological and geochemical samples
Selenium Speciation in Coal Ash Spilled at the Tennessee Valley Authority Kingston Site
Selenium (Se) in coal ash spills poses a threat to adjacent ecosystems because of its potential to mobilize and bioaccumulate in aquatic organisms. Given that the mobility and bioavailability of Se is controlled by its valence states, we aimed to define Se speciation in coal ash solids and examine the relationships between Se speciation and the magnitude of its mobilization from coal ash. We used coal ash
samples from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)-Kingston fossil plant and the site of a coal ash spill that occurred in 2008 in Tennessee.
Phosphate Bonding on Noncrystalline Al/Fe-Hydroxide
Coprecipitates
Poorly crystalline minerals have high sorption capacities for environmentally important chemical species, but molecular-level mechanisms of sorption on complex mineral assemblages remain largely unknown. We determined the distribution of orthophosphate (PO4) bonding between Al and Fe in relation to structural properties of Al/Fe-hydroxide coprecipitates.
Accumulation Mechanism of Lead in Cyanidiales
The thermoacidophilic red algae consist of three genus and seven species, which has been often found in sulfate-enriched hot spring. Such red algae were named as Cyanidiales that is able to tolerate high temperature and acidic environments. Due to such attributes, the cyanidioales have been considered as a superior material to remove heavy metals such as lead and arsenic from industrial wastewater and mining areas. In this study, we aimed to develop the retention mechanisms of lead on cyanidioales in relation to the lead speciation.
Transformation of Phosphorus Species in the Saline Water
As the global population and the food demand increases sharply from the industrialization, the phosphorus (P) mineral resources have mined excessively for agricultural use. However, the application of P fertilizers often exceeds the amounts for plant uptake. The excess P flows into the rivers and ocean, causing the deterioration of waters and ecosystems. The wetland that locates in the land-sea margin is capable to retain the P against the deposit on the seabed. Given that the mobility and bioavailability of P is controlled by its chemical species, it is critical to develop the changes of P species as the function of salinity to mimic the situation of wetland systems. Our study sites locate in the area around the Gaomei wetland in Taichung and the associated arable lands as well as irrigation ditches. The collected arable soils and wetland sediments were incubated in various salinity (0~35‰) at pH 7.5 and room temperature over the course of three weeks. In the end of the incubation, P speciation was determined using P K-edge X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANSE) and sequential extraction method of SEDEX
Distribution and Transformation of Arsenic Species in the Fazih and Wu River
Arsenic (As) has been used in a large number of industries, resulting in the discharge of As-containing wastewater into the rivers and the accumulation in the fluvial sediments. By virtue of the biomagnification process, the elevated level of As in organisms poses serious threats to ecosystems. Due to the toxicity, mobility, and bioavailability of As is controlled by its chemical species, we aimed to determine the As distribution over the basin of the Fazih and Wu River in Taichung, which has been received the wastewater effluent from hospitals, the Taichung Industrial Park, and the Central Taiwan Science Park.
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