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PERSONNEL PROTECTION THROUGH RECONNAISSANCE ROBOTICS AT SUPERFUND REMEDIAL SITES
Citation:
Frank, U., C. Esposito, AND D. Sullivan. PERSONNEL PROTECTION THROUGH RECONNAISSANCE ROBOTICS AT SUPERFUND REMEDIAL SITES. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/J-92/140 (NTIS PB92166743).
Description:
Investigation, mitigation, and clean-up of hazardous materials at Superfund sites normally require on-site workers to perform hazardous and sometimes potentially dangerous functions. uch functions include site surveys and the reconnaissance for airborne and buried toxic environmental contaminants. orkers conducting on-site air monitoring risk dermal, ocular and inhalation exposure to hazardous chemicals, while those performing excavations also risk in addition the potential exposure to fire, explosion, and other physical injury. EPA's current efforts to protect its workers and mitigate these risks include the use of robotic devices. sing robots offers the ultimate in personnel protection by removing the worker from the site of potential exposure, especially during site investigations, when there is almost the certain encounter of unknown chemical wastes having unknown toxicity. his paper describes the demonstration of a commercially-available robotic platform modified and equipped for air monitoring and the ongoing research for the development of a ground penetrating radar (GPR) system to detect buried chemical waste drums. hese robotic devices can be ultimately routinely deployed in the field for the purpose of conducting inherently safe reconnaissance activities during Superfund/SARA remedial operations.