Application of electric polarization to contaminant detection in soils
Preliminary experiments indicate the feasibility of constructing for field use a contaminant-detection instrumentation based on dielectric measurements. This study applies the technique of time-domain reflectometry to assess characteristic "signatures" of some selected contaminants and soil–contaminant mixtures. The results imply that a proper differentiation between various signatures can be attained, allowing an assessment in regard to soil–contaminant status. The proposed technique is similar in principle to the induced-polarization method applied in mineral exploration. Key words: electric polarization, contaminant transport, dielectrics, induced polarization, nonpolar liquids, time-domain reflectometry, relaxation, contaminant–soil interaction.