Sediment and Particle TracingThe movement and transport of sediment and particles in water is a critical concern for many projects. EHI has formed a strategic alliance with Environmental Tracing Systems, Ltd. (ETS) to provide sediment and particle tracing services for the dredging, marine and environmental industries. By joining forces, we can provide turnkey projects. EHI provides:
ETS provides:
Recent projects have shown that combining tracing technology with comprehensive oceanographic data collection programs provides an enhanced understanding of complex circulation, sediment, and particle transport issues.
ETS's tracer technology uses fluorescent tracer particles that can be manufactured to match the size, density, and texture of almost any natural particle from sediments (clays, silts and sand) to bacteria. The tracer particles are environmentally inert and do not pose an environmental concern. They can be deployed in a variety of ways depending on the project needs. Once the particles are deployed, a series of sampling events are conducted in which sediment and/or water samples are collected on a defined grid. The samples are then analyzed to determine how much of the sediment exists (or does not exist) in a given location. |
Because of the way the particles are manufactured and analyzed, it is possible to get very low detection limits on the tracer. This means that the volume of tracer required is significantly smaller than with traditional tracing techniques. This technology can be very effective at determining the short- and long-term movement of sediments over large areas. Applications include:
|
