The system uses chemically sensitive fiber optic sensors called optrodes. A bundle of sensors is buried in the soil. A change in the light reflectivity of a particular sensor indicates the presence of a specific contaminant. Research to improve disposal methods is carried out at a number of DOE sites. Various cover systems are tested to identify the best way to ensure buried low-level waste is isolated from the environment.
Robots have many applications in environmental restoration and waste management.
Contaminated sites can be safely excavated by robots equipped for digging and handling large objects. Robotics may be the only way to safely disassemble highly radioactive systems. Using robotic equipment, high-level waste storage tanks can be emptied without human exposure. Shown here is a Direct Sampling Ion Trap Mass Spectrometry field analysis characterization instrument developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. The instrument allows low levels of many types of organic pollutants to be analyzed in the field without extensive sample preparation, speeding up the process as much as ten times compared with conventional methods.