Scientists Develop New Geochemical "Fingerprint" to Trace Contaminants in Fertilizer
A team of international scientists has discovered toxic metals in certain fertilizers used worldwide with the help of a new tool that can identify the spread and impact of such contaminants on natural resources. The study’s lead author and a PhD student at Duke University, Robert Hill, said that they can identify variations of elements by looking at rocks, as well as fertilizers generated from those rocks, to show how fertilizers’ isotope ‘"fingerprint’" matches their original source.
This studied was supported by funds from the National Science Foundation.