In-Situ Characterization Technique for Screening Contaminated Soils

An innovative field sampling system for screening contaminated soils has been developed using laser ablation coupled with inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (LA-ICP-AES) technology. This sampling approach provides in-situ real-time analysis of trace inorganic elements and is conducted through a mobile testing facility that consists of an instrumentation vehicle called the Mobile Demonstration Laboratory for Environmental Screening Technologies (MDLEST) and an attached trailer called the Robotic Sampling Accessory (RSA). The RSA provides automated sampling capabilities through an attached three-degree-of-freedom robot that is equipped with a surface-sampling probe. The MDLEST-RSA was successfully tested at a Department of Energy (DOE) site in Fernald, Ohio, during the fall of 1992. This paper provides a description of the analysis technique, the MDLEST and RSA, and results of the field demonstration. In addition, benefits, limitations, and future plans are also discussed.