In Situ Monitoring of Toxic Metals and Chlorinated Solvent Plumes using a Portable, Dual Sensor LIBS/Raman Device

The Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management is responsible for the deactivation and decommissioning (D&D) of facilities involved in the production and manufacture of nuclear weapons materials. The presence of radionuclides and other chemicals has resulted in both point and non-point sources contaminant sources of groundwater, surface water and soils. Direct monitoring of the surface and subsurface is vital for the detection and characterization of behavior of these contaminants. However, there are large knowledge gaps in contaminant behavior in the subsurface. Monitoring of contaminants is difficult and behaviors of contaminant transport cannot always be predicted by fate and transport modeling. The goal of this Phase I project is to develop a ruggedized, field portable monitoring device for the rapid monitoring and screening for hazardous substances, such as heavy metals, radionuclides and chlorinated solvents on the surface and in the subsurface. This dual sensor instrument will be equipped to monitor soils, sludge, slurries, groundwater and surface water using a fusion of LIBS and Raman spectroscopy and integrated into a cone penetrometer. The combination of these two