You are visiting the web site of the EPSCI Program at the U.S. Dept. of Energy's Ames Laboratory, Ames, IA

Section subtopics:

Site history, location and contaminants

Technologies (you are here)

Stakeholder Events

TECHNOLOGIES

One purpose of the Ames Laboratory Expedited Site Characterization (ESC) project is to evaluate and promote both innovative and state-of-the-practice site characterization and/or monitoring technologies.

At the site in Marshalltown, Iowa, the Geophysical technologies were fielded so we could understand the subsurface geology to help predict "fate and transport" of the target contaminants. The Analytical technologies/methods are designed to detect and quantify the target contaminants. The Data Fusion technology area consists of software systems designed to rapidly integrate or fuse all site information into a conceptual site model that then becomes the decision-making tool for the site team to plan the subsequent sampling activity.

During the first stage of work, screening analytical instruments and non-intrusive geophysical techniques were fielded to qualitatively map the spatial distribution of the polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). (See Contaminants section for more details.)  Soil gas surveys, immunoassay testing (IMA), innovative optical techniques, and passive organic sorbent sensors were deployed along with the geophysical methods.

During the second phase, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) instruments and a cone penetrometer system equipped with a laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) probe quantitatively mapped the action level edges of the PAH plume(s). (See Contaminants section for more details.) Samples were be taken both by the cone penetrometer test system (CPT) and the Geoprobe sampler system.

• Electrical Conductivity logging probe (Geoprobe TM) Contractor: Geoprobe systems- Salina, KS

• Seismic Refraction Contractor: Coleman Research/Blackhawk Geosciences - Golden, CO

• Seismic Reflection Contractor: Resolution Resources - Spring Point, MI

• Ground penetrating radar (GPR)Contractor: D'Appolonia Environmental Services - Monroeville, PA

• Electromagnetic off-set logging Contractor: GEHM Corp., ENTECH Engineering - Boonville, MO

• Borehole Induction Logging Contractor: D'Appolonia Environmental Services - Monroeville, PA

• Geoprobe with portable gas chromatograph Contractor: Global Environmental-Rapid City, SD

• Immunoassay analysis Contractors:

Quantix Systems - Cinnaminson, NJ

Ensys, Inc. - Morrisville, NC

Millipore Corporation/ImmunoSystems, Inc. - Scarborough, ME

• Chemiluminescence analysis Contractor: Golder Federal Services/Tauw Milieu - Albuquerque, NM and Deventer, The Netherlands
  

• High-speed silicon chip gas chromatograph Contractor: MTI Analytical Instruments - Fremont, CA

• Passive soil gas survey Contractor: Northeast Research, Inc. - Farmington, CT

• Cone Penetrometer Truck with Laser Induced Fluorescence Contractor: Northeast Research, Inc. - Farmington, CT

• Mobile GC (gas chromatograph)-based Laboratory Contractor: McLaren-Hart Engineering Warren, NJ

• Organic contaminant extraction techniques (sonication, supercritical fluid (CO2), thermal desorption, microscale solvent, microwave-assisted) Contractors:

CEM Corporation - Matthews, NC

PACE, Inc. - Minneapolis, MN

Hewlett Packard - Rochester, NY

Ruska Instruments - Houston, TX

• 2D and 3D Data Visualization: earthVision Contractor: Dynamic Graphics - Alameda, CA

• Microsoft Excel

• Health and Safety Contractor: Layne Environmental

Please e-mail comments to: epsciwebkeeper@ameslab.gov.

Disclaimer

Last Modified: 1 January 2002 by dave eckels
Expedited Site Characterization: etd/technologies/projects/esc/technologies/technologies.html