6. MEASUREMENT/MONITORING AND CHARACTERIZATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE SUBSURFACE ENVIRONMENT

The characterization and monitoring of soils, subsurface sediments, and ground water are important elements of Department of Energy (DOE) research efforts. Objectives include determining the fate and transport of contaminants generated from past weapons production activities and from current energy production activities, assessing and controlling processes to remediate contaminants, and long-term monitoring of sites. Grant applications submitted to this topic must detail why and how proposed in situ fieldable technologies will substantially improve the state-of-the-art and must include bench tests to demonstrate the technology. Projected dates for likely operational deployment must be clearly stated. New or advanced technologies that operate under field conditions with mixed/multiple contaminants and that can be deployed in 2-3 years will receive selection priority. Claims of commercial potential for proposed technologies must be supported by information such as endorsements from relevant industrial sectors, market analysis, or identification of commercial spin-offs. Grant applications that propose incremental improvements or enhancements to existing technologies are not of interest and will be declined, as will enhancements to predictive models.

For some of the following subtopics, collaboration with government laboratories or universities may speed the development of the measurement or monitoring technology. For example, the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL), a DOE scientific user facility located at the Hanford Site in Richland, WA, can provide analytical instrumentation and capabilities with direct application to sensor development and testing. Potential applicants are invited to review the Web site for the Interfacial Chemistry and Engineering group (http://www.emsl.pnl.gov/homes/ice/) and the Interfacial and Nanoscale Science Facility (http://www.emsl.pnl.gov/capabs/insf.shtml) at the EMSL. Grant applications must describe, in the technical approach or work plan, the purpose and specific benefits of any proposed teaming arrangements. Grant applications are sought only in the following subtopics:

a. Mapping Hydrogeologic Processes in the Shallow Subsurface—Accurate information about the distribution of parameters that control the shallow flow of water (vadose zone to water table), such as hydraulic conductivity, water content, and lithology are prerequisites to predict the flow and transport of contaminants. Natural heterogeneity and the large spatial variability of hydraulic conductivity are predominant factors that affect the subsurface flow. Geophysical data collected from the ground surface and between boreholes hold much promise for providing high-resolution information about the distribution of subsurface properties and associated uncertainties. In this subtopic, the emphasis is on describing water flow associated with contaminant transport processes within the complex, shallow subsurface.

Grant applications are sought to develop high-resolution geophysical sensors to: (1) detect hydrogeologic or geophysical processes that control the transport and dispersion of contaminants in the subsurface, or (2) measure mass-transfer processes and rates within and among individual flow paths in the subsurface. Small diameter applications (e.g., cone penetrometer technology (CPT) – a direct push technology for subsurface access) are of particular interest. Conventional logging tools for such applications typically provide information over relatively short distances (few cm); therefore, a technology that can provide images from tens of meters from the hole (such as the single well, crosswell, and vertical seismic profiling methods developed for larger boreholes) are desired. The following issues should be addressed and tested: coupling, resonance, and power radiation.

While geophysical characterization methods are improving and yielding higher-resolution data, they have not routinely been used to describe flow and transport processes or for guiding remediation activities. Therefore, grant applications also are sought to develop user-friendly software packages to facilitate the use of high resolution geophysical measurements for interpreting the hydrogeologic parameters. Proposed approaches must allow site personnel to utilize the dense, non-invasive information obtainable from geophysical methods for improved subsurface characterization and monitoring.

b. Real-Time, In Situ Biogeochemistry Measurements in Soils, Subsurface Sediments, Biofilms, or Groundwater—There is a need for sensitive, accurate, and real-time monitoring of biogeochemical processes and their interactions with microorganisms in contaminated soils, sediments, biofilms, or ground water environments (hereafter referred to as the subsurface). The use of highly sensitive monitoring devices in the subsurface (in situ) would allow for low-cost field deployment in remote locations and an enhanced ability to monitor processes at finer levels of resolution. For this subtopic, the following radionuclides and metals are of interest: americium, cesium, chromium, cobalt, mercury, plutonium, strontium, technetium, and uranium. Grant applications that address other contaminants will be declined.

Grant applications are sought to develop sensors and systems to detect biogeochemical processes that control the transport or transformation of contaminants (namely, the aforementioned metals and radionuclides) in the subsurface. Grant applications must provide convincing documentation (experimental data, calculations, etc.) to show that the sensing method is both highly sensitive (i.e., low detection limit) and highly selective to the target analyte (i.e., immune to anticipated physical/chemical/biological interferences). Approaches that leave significant doubt regarding sensor functionality in realistic multi-component samples will be excluded from consideration.

Grant applications also are sought for integrated sensing and controller/signal processing systems for autonomous or unattended applications of the above measurement needs. Innovative integration of components (such as micro-machined pumps, valves, and micro-sensors) into a complete sensor package with field applications in the subsurface will be considered responsive to this subtopic. Approaches of interest could include fiber optic, solid-state, chemical, or silicon micro-machined sensors; or biosensors (devices employing biological molecules or systems in the sensing elements) that can be used in the field. Biosensing systems may incorporate, but are not limited to, whole cell biosensors (i.e., chemiluminescent or bioluminescent systems), enzyme or immunology-linked detection systems (e.g., enzyme-linked immunosensors incorporating colorimetric or fluorescent portable detectors), lipid characterization systems, or DNA/RNA probe technology with amplification and hybridization. As substantial progress has been made in fiber optics and chemical sensing technology in the last decade, grant applications that propose minor adaptations of readily available materials/hardware, and/or can not demonstrate substantial improvements over the current state-of-the-art, are not of interest and will be declined.

c. Sensor Technology for Monitoring Tank or Landfill Waste—Grant applications are sought for the long-term and continuous monitoring of gases or liquids that are contained within, or could be released from, DOE tanks or DOE landfills containing mixtures of contaminants. Sensors would be used to detect and/or quantify contaminants, or their degradation products, in off-gases, effluents, or other samples. Sensors could also be used in situ to monitor changes in waste chemistry during storage. Contaminants of interest include a number of metals and radionuclides (americium, cesium, chromium, cobalt, mercury, plutonium, strontium, technetium, and uranium); anions such as nitrate; chelators; extractants such as tributyl phosphate; and gases such as ammonia, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and methane. Relevant wastes are expected to contain more than one type of contaminant; therefore, the sensor technology must be both sensitive and specific for targeted contaminant(s). Development of robust sensors, capable of use with high-level waste, is encouraged. Moreover, sensors suitable for use with other waste types (such as low-level, mixed or solid wastes) and sites (DOE landfills or slit trenches) are desirable.

References:

1. Dandridge, A. and Cogdell, G. B., “Fiber Optic Sensors - Performance, Reliability, Smallness,” Sea Technology, 35(5):31, May 1994. (ISSN: 0093-3651)

2. Egorov, O. B., et al., “Radionuclide Sensors Based on Chemically Selective Scintillating Microspheres: Renewable Column Sensor for Analysis of ⁹⁹Tc in Water,” Analytical Chemistry, 71(23):5420-5429, December 1, 1999. (ISSN: 0003-2700)

3. Natural and Accelerated Bioremediation Research Program Plan, Washington, DC: U.S. DOE Office of Biological and Environmental Research, September 1995. (Report No. DOE/ER -0659T) (NTIS Order No. DE96000157)(Full text available at: http://www.osti.gov/dublincore/gpo/servlets/purl/109499-kE8l99/webviewable/109499.pdf)

4. Research Needs in Subsurface Science: U.S. Department of Energy Environmental Management Science Program, Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2000. (ISBN: 0309066468) (Full text available at: http://books.nap.edu/openbook/0309066468/html/index.html)

5. Riley, R. G., et al., Chemical Contaminants on DOE Lands and Selection of Contaminant Mixtures for Subsurface Science Research, Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Energy, April 1992. (Report No. DOE/ER- 0547T) (NTIS Order No. DE92014826) (Available from NTIS. Telephone: 1-800-553-6847. Website: http://www.ntis.gov/support/orderingpage.htm)

6. Rivera H., et al., “A Microsensor to Measure Nanomolar Concentrations of Nitric Oxide,” Sensors, 11(2):72-73, February 1994. (ISSN: 0746-9462)

7. Publications by EMSL Scientists and External Users of the William R. Wiley Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, 2003: http://www.emsl.pnl.gov/docs/

8. Oak Ridge Operations (ORO) Technology Needs Database Web site, U.S. Department of Energy, 2001: http://www.em.doe.gov/techneed/

9. Nevada Test Site (NTS) Technology Needs Web site, U.S. Department of Energy, 2001: http://www.nv.doe.gov/programs/envmgmt/blackmtn/TDSTCGTechnologyNeeds.htm

10. A National Roadmap for Vadose Zone Science and Technology , U.S. DOE Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, August 2001: http://www.inel.gov/vadosezone/

11. U.S. DOE Grand Junction Office, Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Ground Water Project Web site, 2003: http://www.gjo.doe.gov/

12. Natural and Accelerated Bioremediation Research (NABIR) Program activities at UMTRA sites Web site, 2003: http://www.pnl.gov/nabir-umtra/index.stm

13. CLU-IN: Hazardous Waste Clean-Up Information Web site, Environmental Protection Agency, Technology Innovation Office, 2003: http://www.clu-in.org/

14. Linking Legacies: Connecting the Cold War Nuclear Weapons Production Processes to Their Environmental Consequences, U.S. DOE Office of Environmental Management, 1997. (Report No. DOE/EM-0319) (Full text available at: http://legacystory.apps.em.doe.gov/index.asp)

15. Landfill stabilization focus area: Technology Summary, Tank Technology Guide, U.S. DOE Office of Environmental Management, 1995. http://www.tanks.org/DocumentSearchResultsSingle.asp?DocumentID=1827

16. Landfill Assessment and Monitoring System, Sandia National Laboratories Environmental Program, http://www.sandia.gov/Subsurface/factshts/ert/lams.pdf

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