Analysis of Spiders for Heavy Metals and Volatile Compounds

Elaine Langone Center, Terrace Room

The accumulation of heavy metals in indicator species, such as Wolf Spiders, is being studied to determine if levels of cadmium, and other heavy metals, can be detected. Detection of metals can provide information on the potential transfer of metals in the food chain. Spiders and soil have been collected from several brownfield sites, will be dried and extracted, and will be analyzed by flame or graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy for cadmium and a variety of other metals. Live spiders (Tigrosa Huello and Gladicosa) will also be analyzed for volatiles utilizing solid phase microextraction and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry to identify compounds that may be used for potential natural crop pesticides.