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Content archived on 2024-05-24

In situ monitoring of landfill related contaminants in soil and water by infrared sensing

Objective

Problems to be solved
The project will contribute to the abatement of water pollution from contaminated lands, landfills and sediments. With its capacity of on-line and real-time measurement of pollutants, measurement techniques that are not available at the moment, the proposed sensor is a valuable tool for landfill monitoring, risk assessment and control of remediation efficiency. It can, for example, improve the "use" of natural attenuation as a remediation technique. Natural attenuation, i. e. leaving remediation to natural processes without applying costly techniques, is based on the observation that there is a decrease in the contaminant concentrations that limits the extent of the contaminant plume. The key disadvantage of natural attenuation is the need to ensure that the contamination does not propagate further. The proposed sensors, placed in the vicinity of the plume may serve as a cost effective and reliable alert network. Possible emerging economic possibilities for waste disposal should strengthen EU industrial competivity. This is of special importance for the EU with its densely populated production sites.
Scientific objectives and approach
The project aims at monitoring of soil and water for landfill related contamination by an in site monitoring for soil and water by infrared sensing. A portable and rugged system will be developed that will allow sensor elements to be inserted and left in soil locations under the ground for long term monitoring of organic pollutants. The concept of a buried sensor gives the opportunity to continuously monitor organic pollutants without sampling errors. Since it is important to monitor pollutants over a long period of time, the sensor system will be optimised with regard to long-term stability.
Expected impacts
The IMSIS sensor concept is novel for landfill monitoring, its central objective is to open new possibilities for continuous monitoring and control. For this reasons it is one objective of the project to investigate and evaluate the need of end users with respect to sensor applications. Mid IR spectroscopic measurements are widely used for the analysis of samples placed inside spectrometers. This project is involved in the development and use of IR optical fibres for absorption measurements on remote locations. The development of this remote spectroscopy is on one hand an innovation with respect to real time analytical measurements inside landfills, on the other hand it opens the field of all kind of IR remote sensing applications e.g. in process control or measurements in explosion endangered environments. Within the project, there will be a development of short segments of tapered and flattened fibres that will serve as sensor elements in the sensor head. Tapering of fibres to increase sensitivity is a well-known technique in the UV and visible wavelength range. Tapering of MIR fibres is a completely new and demanding task since IR transmitting materials are difficult to process. A further improvement in sensitivity can be achieved by replacing tapered fibres by planar MIR wave-guides with a thickness of a few µm. Such devices are at present not commercially available and will be taken into consideration.

The project will contribute to the abatement of water pollution from contaminated lands, landfills and sediments. With its capacity of on-line and real-time measurement of pollutants, measurement techniques which are not available at the moment, the proposed sensor is a valuable tool for landfill monitoring, risk assessment and control of remediation efficiency. It can, for example, improve the "use" of natural attenuation as a remediation technique. Natural attenuation, i. e. leaving remediation to natural processes without applying costly techniques, is based on the observation that there is a decrease in the contaminant concentrations which limits the extent of the contaminant plume. The key disadvantage of natural attenuation is the need to ensure that the contamination does not propagate further. The proposed sensors, placed in the vicinity of the plume may serve as a cost effective and reliable alert network.

Possible emerging economic possibilities for waste disposal should strengthen EU industrial competivity. This is of special importance for the EU with its densely populated production sites.

Expected impacts
The IMSIS sensor concept is novel for landfill monitoring, its central objective is to open new possibilities for continuos monitoring and control. For this reason it is one objective of the project to investigate and evaluate the need of end users with respect to sensor applications.

Mid IR spectroscopic measurements are widely used for the analysis of samples placed inside spectrometers. This project is involved in the development and use of IR optical fibres for absorption measurements on remote locations. The development of this remote spectroscopy is on one hand an innovation with respect to real time analytical measurements inside landfills, on the other hand it opens the field of all kind of IR remote sensing applications e.g. in process control or measurements in explosion endangered environments.

Within the project, there will be a development of short segments of tapered and flattened fibres which will serve as sensor elements in the sensor head. Tapering of fibres to increase sensitivity is a well known technique in the UV and visible wavelength range. Tapering of MIR fibres is a completely new and demanding task since IR transmitting materials are difficult to process. A further improvement in sensitivity can be achieved by replacing tapered fibres by planar MIR waveguides with a thickness of a few µm. Such devices are at present not commercially available and will be taken into consideration.

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Funding Scheme

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CSC - Cost-sharing contracts

Coordinator

FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V.
EU contribution
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Address
Heidenhofstrasse 8
79110 FREIBURG (IN BREISGAU)
Germany

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Total cost

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Participants (6)

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