This project will provide new technology to measuresoil microbial metabolic activity and/or degradative chemicalactivities in situ and in real time. This technology will be usedto examine the kinetics of remediation processes and to monitorremediation effectiveness. The technology will be used forcalorimetric analysis of heat production from soil microbemetabolic activity or other chemical reactions involved indegradation. For this, a thermal probe will constructed based ona recently designed, sensitive heat flux sensor. The probe willbe constructed so that it can be inserted in the soil and usedto monitor rates of heat production from microbial organisms andabiotic chemical reactions when appropriate substrates, nutrientsor other chemicals are added. The rationale is that the heatproduction rates from biological sources are proportional to themetabolic activity of viable soil microbes. For abioticapplications, the heat rate will be proportional to the level ofcatalysts or chemical reactants involved in reaction at the probesite. This project focuses on use of the probe for bioremediationapplications. Data will be collected to establish the essentiallink between laboratory evidence that microbes can degrade thecontaminant and field evidence that the contaminant isdisappearing.Anticipated PcesultslPotential Commercial Applications asdescribed by the awardee: Since heat fluxes universally accompanychemical or biochemical reactions, there are many potentialnonremediation related applications for a robust, sensitive,real-time, in-situ monitor. Monitors will be useful, for example,in tracking fermentations, chemical processes, and mechanicalheat fluxes.
