Nano-Scale Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry: A Paradigm Shift in Soil Science
Table 2
Summarizing several soil science studies employing NanoSIMS from 2005 to 2023 to emphasize advancements in the field.
S. no.
Country
Title of the study
Parameters studied/outcome
Authors
1
Germany
“Elucidating soil structural associations of organic material with nano-scale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS)”
A carefully designed experiment was conducted, focusing on primary soil particles derived from the fine silt and clay fractions, along with soil aggregates measuring less than 6.3 μm. The study involved two distinct soil types, namely an Albic Luvisol and a Haplic Chernozem. In this investigation, a tracer composed of a blend of amino acids labeled with and was employed
“Submicron scale imaging of soil organic matter dynamics using NanoSIMS -from single particles to intact aggregates”
An experimental study was executed in the laboratory, employing soil particles sourced from the fine silt and clay fractions of an Albic Luvisol. In addition, occluded particulate organic material and intact soil aggregates from a Haplic Chernozem were incorporated into the experimental setup. The inquiry utilized a tracer comprising a blend of amino acids labeled with and
“Nanoscale investigation of the association of microbial nitrogen residues with iron (hydr)oxides in a forest soil O-horizon”
The objective was to document the initial micro-scale changes associated with introducing chitin labeled with and into environments predominantly influenced by fungi within the O-horizons of ancient forest soils
“A NanoSIMS study on the distribution of soil organic matter, iron and manganese in a nodule from a stagnosol”
Investigated the spatial allocation of Fe and Mn in stagnosols, with a specific focus on their interaction with OM NanoSIMS for submicrometer-scale spatial resolution
“NanoSIMS investigation of glycine-derived C and N retention with soil organo-mineral associations”
Assessed the surface allocation of and derived from glycine in particles randomly extracted from soil density fractions through the application of NanoSIMS
“Advancement in the application of NanoSIMS and Raman microspectroscopy to investigate the activity of microbial cells in soils”
Devised an optimized procedure for efficiently extracting cellular extracts from soils, streamlining the process to enable subsequent application of single-cell methods
“Nanoscale evidence of contrasted processes for root-derived organic matter stabilization by mineral interactions depending on soil depth”
The objective of this investigation was to explore the fate of root material labeled with and at depths of 30 and 90 cm following a three-year incubation period. Furthermore, the study sought to elucidate the characteristics of organic matter stabilized through interactions with metal oxides
“Nitrogen-rich microbial products provide new organo-mineral associations for the stabilization of soil organic matter”
Employing NanoSIMS, this investigation scrutinized changes in C and N within a vertisol and an Alfisol following a 365-day incubation with pulse-labeled lucerne (Medicago sativa L., enriched with and ). The primary objective was to differentiate newly introduced organic matter from the pre-existing SOM
“Complexation by organic matter controls uranium mobility in anoxic sediments”
Harnessing advanced nanoscale imaging techniques, specifically NanoSIMS and scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM), in conjunction with a density-based fractionation method, this study systematically and microscopically separated organic and mineral components from alluvial sediments contaminated with uranium
“Zinc and cadmium mapping by NanoSIMS within the root apex after short-term exposure to metal contamination”
Validation of NanoSIMS as an effective instrument for spatial identification and visualization of specific ultra-trace metal isotopes, such as , within actively developing root tips
“Soil organic matter is stabilized by organo-mineral associations through two key processes: The role of the carbon to nitrogen ratio”
Leveraging NanoSIMS, this investigation delved into the amalgamation and fixation of residues labeled with and originating from lucerne (Medicago sativa) and buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) throughout the incubation period within a vertisol situated in temperate Australia
“Porosity and organic matter distribution in jarositic phyto tubules of sulfuric soils assessed by combined μCT and NanoSIMS analysis”
This study employed a combination of X-ray computed microtomography (μCT) and NanoSIMS to examine jarositic phyto tubules, aiming to elucidate porosity and the spatial distribution of OM at the scale most relevant for microbial processes
“Microscale carbon distribution around pores and particulate organic matter varies with soil moisture regime”
Examining the influence of soil moisture conditions on microscale C gradients using an inventive mapping procedure to analyze particulate organic matter and C distribution within the soil matrix
“Iron (hydr)oxide formation in Andosols under extreme climate conditions”
Assessed the ecological significance of terrestrial Fe cycling by examining the pathways of Fe-(hydr)oxide transformation in acidic topsoils of south patagonian Andosols derived from rhyolitic tephra
“Enhanced loss but limited mobility of pyrogenic and organic matter in continuous permafrost-affected forest soils”
Examined the vertical mobility, allocation in soil fractions, and decomposition losses of extensively -labeled pyrogenic organic matter along with its precursor ryegrass organic matter
