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Environment

Research Area

How we support the Environment industry

A detailed understanding of environmental issues such as pollution, climate change and environmental remediation plays an important role in protecting human health, the environment, and preparing land for redevelopment. Therefore, there is a high demand to find long-term solutions to environmental problems we are currently facing. In order to overcome these issues, it is crucial to use advanced analytical techniques to study various materials in the areas of microbiology, geology, and geochemistry.

Diamond’s facilities are uniquely placed for complex, advanced studies, providing essential understanding of the problems and potential solutions related to environmental research.

Materials Science

  • Study the structure and defects of various materials under operating condtions, e.g. pitting corrosion, poisoning of catalysts;
  • Monitor the interaction of materials with mineral surfaces;
  • Time resolved measurement of nanoparticle nucleation and growth.

Environmental Remediation

  • Image growth and characterisation of microbial community diversity and mineral phases within biofilms;
  • Study metal speciation of toxic materials to handle the remediation of environmental contamination;
  • Study of rocks, soils, sediments, plant materials, pollutants and radioactive waste issues relating to climate change;
  • Study processes used for the disposal of toxic materials.

Alternative Energy Sources

  • Structural investigations of advanced materials including solar batteries, fuel cells, electrocatalysts and semiconductors;
  • Investigate the structure of new porous materials used for hydrogen storage;
  • Investigate surface structure and ordering in polymer photovoltaic devices.

Efficient Use of Resources

  • Studies of catalytic processes in petroleum refining to maximise the efficiency of fossil fuels;
  • Study ion-exchange materials for nuclear waste remediation;
  • Exploring the use of biomineralising bacteria for the low energy and low cost production of metal nanocatalysts;
  • Investigations on microorganisms used in biohydrogen production.
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The environmental impact of the Mount Polley mine disaster

A UK–Canada research team used X-ray absorption spectroscopy at Diamond Light Source to study vanadium speciation following the Mount Polley mine tailings dam failure—revealing natural attenuation processes in affected ecosystems.

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