Australian company Risatec has developed a mobile soil sampling and analysis unit which will help with environmental conservation on mining sites by identifying areas of soil leaching for treatment.

The world-first system, patented and developed by Risatec with technology partner J3 Technology, is based on handheld computers using Microsoft Windows Mobile technology. They are finalising field testing with two leading Australian mining organisations and are looking to manufacture in the near future.

Acid sulphate soils and acid rock drainage can cause significant negative environmental impact on surrounding ecosystems through the formation and leaching of sulphuric acid. This can cause changes in soil pH levels leaving land infertile and barren. To address the need for accurate analysis of soil acidity, Risatec has developed and commercialised a portable scientific instrument for measurement of sulphide sulphur, a component of acid sulphate soils and acid rock drainage.

The technology called RISA (Reduced Inorganic Sulphur Analyser), allows chemical analysis of soil levels in the field. With the push of a button, RISA can determine the level of the sulphide component of acid-producing compounds in soil and rock samples. This allows fast on-site evaluation and identification of land requiring remediation and treatment to prevent environmental disasters.

Georges Garrone from Risatec says: "This has been a very exciting project to work on as there is no equivalent mobile instrument available anywhere else. Currently the monitoring for the reducible forms of inorganic sulphur, which causes these problems, requires expensive time-consuming testing in a laboratory. The established methods can also produce results that overstate the potential problem, resulting in inappropriate treatment and costly environmental remediation.

"We saw a gap in the market to develop a reliable and inexpensive scientific instrument, which can produce timely field results for firms or government agencies involved in the management and remediation of acid drainage."

Technology partner J3 Technology implemented the design of the RISA Controller, a hand-held computer which controls the reaction cycle and stores results that can be downloaded to a printer or other computers. The Windows Mobile platform allowed J3 Technology to develop this custom software in a familiar environment and to deliver an effective solution on a Pocket PC.

Research and development phases have been successfully completed and the technology is patented and ready to enter the manufacturing stage. Risatec anticipates RISA will have applications primarily in mining but also in agriculture, mineral exploration, land development, road building, land remediation, coal mining processing and transport, research and allied activities.

www.risatec.com