Papautsky The objective of this project is to develop a new breed of self-contained microelectrodes that can be used in the environment to monitor a variety of constituents in contaminated soils and sediments. These devices will consist of a microelectrode intimately connected to a microelectronic signal processor to reduce noise and increase robustness. These devices will ultimately include a transmitter to telemeter the information to a conventional data storage device and will be powered by a miniature battery. The goals of the proposed research are threefold: (1) develop the fundamental science to microfabricate the integrtated microelectrodes, (2) design, and fabricate, a microprocessor to process and amplify signals from the microelectrodes and (3) demonstrate integrated microelectrode arrays for environmental monitoring using proof-of-concept sensors. If successful, this project will have benefit at the thousands of hazardous waste sites in the US that require monitoring of the soils, sediments and ground waters for a variety of constituents, including toxic or hazardous materials and environmental parameters.
