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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2022

Phase II and III Solid Waste Management Unit Assessment and Confirmatory Sampling Report for Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances, Potential Release Location 237, Kennedy Space Center, Florida

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) Phase II and III Solid Waste Management Unit (SWMU) Assessment (SA) and Confirmatory Sampling (CS) were conducted at the John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Potential Release Location (PRL) 237, located in Merritt Island, Brevard County, Florida for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) under Contract 80KSC019D0010/80KSC019F0289. A Phase I SA and CS Report was previously submitted that identified 33 locations of concern (LOCs) at KSC associated with the storage, use, or release of materials containing PFAS. The objectives of the Phase II and III SA and CS were to: - Complete site and source characterization of identified LOCs; - Identify areas of potential concern (AOPCs) where past or present activities may have resulted in a release of PFAS to the environment; - Qualitatively characterize migration potential of released PFAS to environmental media (primarily soil, groundwater, surface water, and sediment); and - Identify potential receptors for exposure to PFAS-impacted environmental media. Surface water samples were collected from LOCs/AOPCs and locations on the KSC periphery during PFAS CS Phases I, II and III. Including duplicate samples, 143 environmental samples were analyzed for 14 PFAS compounds and 104 environmental samples were analyzed for 18 PFAS compounds. Ten of the analytes on the 14 compound list were detected at least once in surface water at KSC, with a wide range in magnitude of detections. The State of Florida has surface water screening levels (SWSLs) for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) in surface water, both for human and ecological receptors. The human health screening levels are lower than the ecological ones and are used in this report. PFOA was not detected in surface water at concentrations exceeding the SWSL at any LOC or Area of Potential Concern (AOPC). PFOS was detected in surface water at concentrations exceeding the SWSL at 28 LOCs/AOPCs, plus 42 locations on the KSC periphery. The data suggest a wide distribution of PFAS, particularly PFOS, in surface water but the sources of surface water contamination are not yet adequately understood. Sediment samples were collected during Phases II and III but not Phase I. Including duplicate samples, 104 environmental samples were analyzed for 14 PFAS compounds and 10 environmental samples were analyzed for 18 PFAS compounds. Twelve compounds were detected in sediment at KSC, with a wide range in magnitude of detections. There are currently no screening levels or cleanup target levels (CTLs) for sediment. The need to delineate and further characterize PFAS in sediment will be evaluated for those sites that move forward into Site Assessment. Groundwater samples were collected via DPT from LOCs/AOPCs and locations on the KSC periphery during PFAS CS Phases I, II and III. Including duplicate samples, 812 environmental DPT groundwater samples were analyzed for 14 PFAS compounds and 247 environmental samples were analyzed for 18 PFAS compounds. Twelve of the 14 compounds were detected in groundwater at KSC, with a wide range in magnitude of detections. The State of Florida has provisional groundwater cleanup target levels (GCTLs) for PFOA, PFOS and the additive concentration of PFOA+PFOS. PFOA was detected in groundwater at concentrations exceeding its provisional GCTL at 16 LOCs/AOPCs, with no exceedances on the KSC periphery. PFOS was detected in groundwater at concentrations exceeding its provisional GCTL at 30 LOCs/AOPCs, plus two locations on the KSC periphery. PFOA+PFOS was detected in groundwater at concentrations exceeding the provisional GCTL at 31 LOCs/AOPCs, plus two locations on the KSC periphery. Soil samples were collected during Phases II and III but not Phase I. Including duplicate samples, 292 environmental samples were analyzed for 14 PFAS compounds and 80 environmental samples were analyzed for 18 PFAS compounds. Fourteen compounds were detected in soil at KSC, with a wide range in magnitude of detections. The State of Florida has provisional soil cleanup target levels (SCTLs) for PFOA and PFOS. There were no PFOA results above its provisional SCTL. There was one LOC with a result above the provisional SCTL for residential settings. Recommendations are presented for each LOC and AOPC.

PFAS↗
NASA NTRS2016

Uncertainty of Wheat Water Use: Simulated Patterns and Sensitivity to Temperature and CO2

Projected global warming and population growth will reduce future water availability for agriculture. Thus, it is essential to increase the efficiency in using water to ensure crop productivity. Quantifying crop water use (WU; i.e. actual evapotranspiration) is a critical step towards this goal. Here, sixteen wheat simulation models were used to quantify sources of model uncertainty and to estimate the relative changes and variability between models for simulated WU, water use efficiency (WUE, WU per unit of grain dry mass produced), transpiration efficiency (Teff, transpiration per kg of unit of grain yield dry mass produced), grain yield, crop transpiration and soil evaporation at increased temperatures and elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations ([CO2]). The greatest uncertainty in simulating water use, potential evapotranspiration, crop transpiration and soil evaporation was due to differences in how crop transpiration was modelled and accounted for 50 of the total variability among models. The simulation results for the sensitivity to temperature indicated that crop WU will decline with increasing temperature due to reduced growing seasons. The uncertainties in simulated crop WU, and in particularly due to uncertainties in simulating crop transpiration, were greater under conditions of increased temperatures and with high temperatures in combination with elevated atmospheric [CO2] concentrations. Hence the simulation of crop WU, and in particularly crop transpiration under higher temperature, needs to be improved and evaluated with field measurements before models can be used to simulate climate change impacts on future crop water demand.

Sensitivity↗
NASA NTRS1992

A toy model for estimating N2O emissions from natural soils

A model of N2O emissions from natural soils, whose ultimate objective is to evaluate what contribution natural ecosystems make to the global N2O budget and how the contribution would change with global change, is presented. Topics covered include carbon and nitrogen available in the soil, delivery of nitrifiable N, soil water and oxygen status, soil water budget model, effects of drainage, nitrification and denitrification potentials, soil fertility, N2O production, and a model evaluation. A major implication of the toy model is that the tropics account for more than 80 percent of global emission.

Fung, Inez↗
NASA NTRS2022

Effect of Assimilating SMAP Soil Moisture on CO2 and CH4 Fluxes through Direct Insertion in a Land Surface Model

Soil moisture impacts the biosphere–atmosphere exchange of CO2 and CH4 and plays an important role in the terrestrial carbon cycle. A better representation of soil moisture would improve coupled carbon–water dynamics in terrestrial ecosystem models and could potentially improve model estimates of large-scale carbon fluxes and climate feedbacks. Here, we investigate using soil moisture observations from the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite mission to inform simulated carbon fluxes in the global terrestrial ecosystem model LPJ-wsl. Results suggest that the direct insertion of SMAP reduces the bias in simulated soil moisture at in situ measurement sites by 40%, with a greater improvement at temperate sites. A wavelet analysis between the model and measurements from 26 FLUXNET sites suggests that the assimilated run modestly reduces the bias of simulated carbon fluxes for boreal and subtropical sites at 1–2-month time scales. At regional scales, SMAP soil moisture can improve the estimated responses of CO2 and CH4 fluxes to extreme events such as the 2018 European drought and the 2019 rainfall event in the Sudd (Southern Sudan) wetlands. The simulated improvements to land–surface carbon fluxes using the direct insertion of SMAP are shown across a variety of timescales, which suggests the potential of SMAP soil moisture in improving the model representation of carbon–water coupling.

SMAP↗
NASA NTRS2023

Sewage Treatment Plant #1 Area, SWMU 117 Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Site Assessment Progress Report

This Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Site Assessment (SA) Progress Report (SAPR) discusses the investigation activities and findings for the Sewage Treatment Plant #1 (STP1) Area located at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida (Figure 1-1). This site has been designated Solid Waste Management Unit (SWMU) 117 under KSC’s Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action Program, as the sewage treatment plant and associated areas were identified as a potential source of PFAS to the environment. This PFAS SAPR was prepared by Tetra Tech, Inc., for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) under Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity Contract 80KSC019D0011-80KSC019F0070. This is the first progress report to document on-going SA activities; supplemental progress reports will be provided as additional data is collected. PFAS SA activities were conducted between April 2020 and March 2022 to collect additional data to supplement the existing datasets to better understand the extent of PFAS impacts to the environment in the STP1 Area. The SA for the STP1 Area covers an approximately 130-acre investigation area with multiple structures and buildings. The focus of the SA is the STP1 Complex and associated structures, including the former Polishing Pond, former Sludge Disposal8 Area, and former Spray Field. The STP1 Complex is located in the KSC Industrial Area, at the southwest corner of 4th Street SE and C Avenue SE. The STP1 Complex is located approximately ¼-mile south and downgradient of the Fire Station #1 site (SWMU 116), which is also currently undergoing a PFAS SA because of potential releases of PFAS-containing aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF). During the SA, a total of seven soil, 131 groundwater direct push technology (DPT), 24 groundwater monitoring well, and 11 surface water samples were collected between April 2020 and March 2022. Monitoring well samples were analyzed for 18 PFAS compounds, with all other samples analyzed for 28 PFAS compounds. The SA sample results were used along with historical results to evaluate the extent of PFAS impacts to the environment in the STP1 Area. Data generated to date and prior results were screened against the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) May 2022 Tap Water Regional Screening Levels (RSL) for groundwater and residential RSLs for soil (hazard quotient of 0.1). Surface water results were screened against the State of Florida Human Health Surface Water Screening Levels (SWSLs). Results from the SA showed exceedances of the applicable screening criteria for groundwater and surface water. Considering the current and historical dataset, PFOS is the prevalent PFAS compound. Based on these results, additional groundwater DPT and surface water sampling should be considered for PFAS analysis, focused on evaluating surface water bodies in the southeast portion of the Industrial Area, which discharge into the Banana River. Additionally, installation of monitoring wells should be considered to evaluate the interaction between the groundwater and surface water at the site. Collection of additional samples for TOC analysis should also be considered from representative groundwater (saturated soils) and surface water locations to further evaluate potential correlations between PFAS and TOC to provide a more comprehensive dataset to assist in fate and transport analyses.

Sewage Treatment Plant↗
NASA NTRS2020

Toward P-Band Passive Microwave Sensing of Soil Moisture

Currently, near-surface soil moisture at a global scale is being provided using National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA’s) Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) and European Space Agency’s (ESA’s) Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellites, both of which utilize L-band (1.4 GHz; 21 cm wavelength ) passive microwave remote sensing techniques. However, a fundamental limitation of this technology is that the water content can only be measured for approximately the top 5-cm layer of soil moisture, and only over low-to-moderate vegetation covered areas in order to meet the 0.04 m3/m3 target accuracy, limiting its applicability. Consequently, a longer wavelength radiometer is being explored as a potential solution for measuring soil moisture in a deeper surface layer of soil and under denser vegetation. It is expected that P-band ( wavelength of 40 cm and frequency of 750 MHz) could potentially provide soil moisture information for the top 10-cm layer of soil, being one-tenth to one-quarter of the wavelength. In addition, P-band is expected to have higher soil moisture retrieval accuracy due to its reduced sensitivity to vegetation water content and surface roughness. To demonstrate the potential of P-band passive microwave soil moisture remote sensing, a short-term airborne field experiment was conducted over a center pivot irrigated farm at Cressy in Tasmania, Australia, in January 2017. First results showing a comparison of airborne P-band brightness temperature observations against airborne L-band brightness temperature observations and ground soil moisture measurements are presented. The P-band brightness temperature was found to have a similar but stronger response to soil moisture compared to L-band.

Nan Ye↗
NASA NTRS1992

Analyses of exobiological and potential resource materials in the Martian soil

Potential Martian soil components relevant to exobiology include water, organic matter, evaporites, clays, and oxides. These materials are also resources for human expeditions to Mars. When found in particular combinations, some of these materials constitute diagnostic paleobiomarker suites, allowing insight to be gained into the probability of life originating on Mars. Critically important to exobiology is the method of data analysis and data interpretation. To that end, methods of analysis of potential biomarker and paleobiomarker compounds and resource materials in soils and rocks pertinent to Martian geology are investigated. Differential thermal analysis coupled with gas chromotography is shown to be a highly useful analytical technique for detecting this wide and complex variety of materials.

Mancinelli, Rocco L.↗
NASA NTRS1999

The Mars Environmental Compatibility Assessment (MECA) Wet Chemistry Experiment on the Mars 2001 Lander

The Mars Environmental Compatibility Assessment (MECA) is an instrument suite that will fly on the Mars Surveyor 2001 Lander Spacecraft. MECA is sponsored by the Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS) program and will evaluate potential hazards that the dust and soil of Mars might present to astronauts and their equipment on a future human mission to Mars. Four elements constitute the integrated MECA payload: a microscopy station, patch plates, an electrometer, and the wet chemistry laboratory (WCL). The WCL consists of four identical cells, each of which will evaluate a sample of Martian soil in water to determine conductivity, pH, redox potential, dissolved C02 and 02 levels, and concentrations of many soluble ions including sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium and the halides. In addition, cyclic voltammetry will be used to evaluate reversible and irreversible oxidants present in the water/soil solution. Anodic stripping voltammetry will be used to measure concentrations of trace metals including lead, copper, and cadmium at ppb levels. Voltammetry is a general electrochemical technique that involves controlling the potential of an electrode while simultaneously measuring the current flowing at that electrode. The WCL experiments will provide information on the corrosivity and reactivity of the Martian soil, as well as on soluble components of the soil which might be toxic to human explorers. They will also guide HEDS scientists in the development of high fidelity Martian soil simulants. In the process of acquiring information relevant to HEDS, the WCL will assess the chemical composition and properties of the salts present in the Martian soil.

Grannan, S. M.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Analysis Results for Lunar Soil Simulant Using a Portable X-Ray Fluorescence Analyzer

Lunar soil will potentially be used for oxygen generation, water generation, and as filler for building blocks during habitation missions on the Moon. NASA s in situ fabrication and repair program is evaluating portable technologies that can assess the chemistry of lunar soil and lunar soil simulants. This Technical Memorandum summarizes the results of the JSC 1 lunar soil simulant analysis using the TRACeR III IV handheld x-ray fluorescence analyzer, manufactured by KeyMaster Technologies, Inc. The focus of the evaluation was to determine how well the current instrument configuration would detect and quantify the components of JSC-1.

Boothe, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Remote sensing aided procedure for conifer growth modeling in the northeastern Sierra Nevada

The objective of this study was to use remotely-sensed data with ground-acquired data for preparing inputs to a mathematical model for generation of a potential conifer growth map of a wildland area. The study area, jointly selected by the resource managers of the U.S. Forest Service at the Plumas National Forest and researchers, covers approximately 500 sq km in the northeastern scrapment of Sierra Nevada. The approach involved a computerized databank based on both remotely-sensed and ground-acquired data. The remotely-sensed data included Landsat Multispectral Scanner (MSS) data, NOAA-5 Very High Resolution Radiometer (VHRR) data and U-2 Color infrared photography. The ground data included U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) topographic maps, Defense Mapping Agency (DMA)/USGS digital terrain data, soil maps, and vegetation data. The results included a series of maps for the final product as well as the intermediate products. The intermediate products were potential evapotranspiration, aspect, and soil plant available water.

Smith, H. G.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Microwave Processing of Planetary Surfaces for the Extraction of Volatiles

In-Situ Resource Utilization will be necessary for sustained exploration of space. Volatiles are present in planetary soils, but water by far has the most potential for effective utilization. The presence of water at the lunar poles, Mars, and possibly on Phobos opens the possibility of producing LOX for propellant. Water is also a useful radiation shielding material , and valuable to replenish expendables (water and oxygen) required for habitation in space. Because of the strong function of water vapor pressure with temperature, heating soil effectively liberates water vapor by sublimation. Microwave energy will penetrate soil and heat from within much more efficiently than heating from the surface with radiant heat. This is especially true under vacuum conditions since the heat transfer rate is very low. The depth of microwave penetration is a strong function of the microwave frequency and to a lesser extent on soil dielectric properties. Methods for complex electric permittivity and magnetic permeability measurement are being developed and used for measurements of lunar soil simulants. A new method for delivery of microwaves deep into a planetary surface is being prototyped with laboratory experiments and modeled with COMSOL MultiPhysics. We are planning to set up a planetary testbed in a large vacuum chamber in the coming year. Recent results are discussed.

Ethridge, Edwin C.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Microwave Processing of Planetary Surfaces for Volatile Extraction

In-Situ Resource Utilization will be necessary for sustained exploration of space. Volatiles are present in planetary soils, but water by far has the strongest potential for effective utilization. The presence of water at the lunar poles, Mars, and possibly on Phobos opens the possibility of producing LOX for propellant. Water is also a useful radiation shielding material and water (and oxygen) are expendables that are also required for habitation in space. Because of the strong function of water vapor pressure with temperature, heating soil effectively liberates water vapor by sublimation. Microwave energy will penetrate soil and heat from within much more efficiently than heating from the surface with radiant heat. This is especially true under vacuum conditions since the heat transfer rate is very low. The depth of microwave penetration is a strong function of the microwave frequency and to a lesser extent on soil dielectric properties. Methods for measuring the complex electric permittivity and magnetic permeability are being developed and have been measured for some lunar soil simulants at 0.5, 2.45, and 10 GHz from room temperature down to liquid nitrogen temperature. A new method for delivery of microwaves deep into a planetary surface is being prototyped with laboratory experiments and modeled with COMSOL MultiPhysics. We have plans to set up a planetary testbed in a large vacuum chamber in the coming year. Recent results will be presented.

Ethridge, Edwin C.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Aggregating available soil water holding capacity data for crop yield models

The total amount of water available to plants that is held against gravity in a soil is usually estimated as the amount present at -0.03 MPa average water potential minus the amount present at -1.5 MPa water potential. This value, designated available water-holding capacity (AWHC), is a very important soil characteristic that is strongly and positively correlated to the inherent productivity of soils. In various applications, including assessing soil moisture status over large areas, it is necessary to group soil types or series as to their productivity. Current methods to classify AWHC of soils consider only total capacity of soil profiles and thus may group together soils which differ greatly in AWHC as a function of depth in the profile. A general approach for evaluating quantitatively the multidimensional nature of AWHC in soils is described. Data for 902 soil profiles, representing 184 soil series, in Indiana were obtained from the Soil Characterization Laboratory at Purdue University. The AWHC for each of ten 150-mm layers in each soil was established, based on soil texture and parent material. A multivariate clustering procedure was used to classify each soil profile into one of 4, 8, or 12 classes based upon ten-dimensional AWHC values. The optimum number of classes depends on the range of AWHC in the population of oil profiles analyzed and on the sensitivity of a crop to differences in distribution of water within the soil profile.

Seubert, C. E.↗
NASA NTRS1999

The MSP 2001 Mars Environmental Compatibility Assessment (MECA)

The Mars Environmental Compatibility Assessment (MECA) will evaluate the Martian environment for soil and dust-related hazards to human exploration as part of the Mars Surveyor Program 2001 Lander. Sponsored by the Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS) enterprise, MECA's goal is to evaluate potential geochemical and environmental hazards that may confront future Martian explorers, and to guide HEDS scientists in the development of high fidelity Mars soil simulants. The integrated MECA payload contains a wet-chemistry laboratory, a microscopy station, an electrometer to characterize the electrostatics of the soil and its environment, and arrays of material patches to study the abrasive and adhesive properties of soil grains. The instrument will acquire soil samples with a robotic arm equipped with a camera. MECA will examine surface and subsurface soil and dust in order to characterize particle size, shape, hardness, and also physical characteristics that may provide clues to mineralogy. MECA will characterize soil/water mixtures with respect to pH, redox potential, total dissolved ions, and trace toxins. MECA will determine the nature of electrostatic charging associated with excavation of soil, and the influence of ionizing radiation on material properties. It will also observe natural dust accumulation on engineering materials. To accomplish these objectives, MECA is allocated a mass of 10 kg within an enclosure of 35 x 25 x 15 cm. The Wet Chemistry Laboratory (WCL) consists of four identical cells that will accept samples from surface and subsurface regions accessible to the Lander's robotic arm, mix them with water, and perform extensive analysis of the solution. Ion-selective electrodes and related sensors will evaluate total dissolved solids, redox potential, pH, and the concentration of many soluble ions and gases in wet Martian soil. These electrodes can detect potentially dangerous heavy-metal ions, emitted pathogenic gases, and the soil's corrosive potential. Experiments will include cyclic voltammetry and anodic stripping voltammetry. Complementary to the Viking experiments, the chemical laboratory will characterize the water-soil solution rather than emitted gases. Nonetheless, through analysis of dissolved gases it will be able to replicate many of the Viking observations related to oxidants. MECA's microscopy station combines optical and atomic-force microscopy (AFM) in an actively focused, controlled illumination environment to image particles from millimeters to nanometers in size. Careful selection of substrates allows controlled experiments in adhesion, abrasion, hardness, aggregation, magnetic and other properties. Special tools allow primitive manipulation (brushing and scraping) of samples. Soil particle properties including size, shape, color, hardness, adhesive potential (electrostatic and magnetic), will be determined using an array of sample receptacles and collection substrates. The simple, rugged atomic-force microscope will image in the submicron size range and has the capability of performing a particle-by-particle analysis of the dust and soil. On Earth, the earliest forms of life are preserved as microfossils. The atomic-force microscope will have the required resolution to image down to the scale of terrestrial microfossils and beyond. Mounted on the end of the robot arm, MECA's electrometer actually consists of four types of sensors: an electric field meter, several triboelectricity monitors, an ion gauge, and a thermometer. Tempered only by ultraviolet-light-induced ions and a low-voltage breakdown threshold, the dry, cold, dusty martian environment presents an imposing electrostatic hazard to both robots and humans. The field meter will measure the ambient field on nearby objects while the triboelectric sensors, using identical circuitry, will measure the charge accumulated on test substances as they are dragged through the soil by the arm. The ion chamber, open to the environment, will sense both charged dust and free ions in the air. Over and above the potential threat to electronics, the electrostatic environment holds one of the keys to transport of dust and, consequently, Martian meteorology. Viewed with the robot arm camera, the abrasion and adhesion plates are strategically placed to allow direct observation of the interaction between materials and soils on a macroscopic scale. Materials of graded hardness are placed directly under the robot arm scoop to sense wear and soil hardness. A second array, placed on the lander deck, is deployed after the dust plume of landing has settled. It can be manipulated in a primitive fashion by the arm, first having dirt deposited on it from the scoop and subsequently shaken clean. A third array will passively collect dust from the atmosphere. In addition to objectives related to human exploration, the MECA data set will be rich in information relevant to basic geology, paleoclimate, and exobiology issues. To understand both contemporaneous and ancient processes on Mars, the mineralogy, petrology, and reactivity of Martian surface materials should be constrained. The MECA experiment will shed light on these quantities through its combination of chemistry and microscopy. MECA will be capable of measuring the composition of ancient surface water environments, observing microscopic evidence of geological (and biological?) processes, inferring soil and dust transport, comminution and weathering mechanisms, and characterizing soil horizons that might be encountered during excavation.

Hecht, M. H.↗
NASA NTRS2024

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Confirmatory Sampling Report, South Repeater Building (SWMU 121), Kennedy Space Center, Florida

This Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Confirmatory Sampling (CS) Report was prepared by AECOM Technical Services, Inc. (AECOM) for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) under Contract 80KSC019D0010, Task Order 80KSC021F0096. The purpose of this report is to document CS activities at the South Repeater Building, Solid Waste Management Unit (SWMU) 121, formerly known as the Area 3 Repeater Building (A3RB). A Phase I SWMU Assessment and Confirmatory Sampling Report (NASA 2019) and a Phase II and III SWMU Assessment and Confirmatory Sampling Report (NASA 2022b) were previously submitted detailing Center-Wide assessment activities performed at the John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida that identified 33 locations of concern and 19 areas of potential concern at KSC associated with the storage, use, or release of materials containing PFAS. A review of the analytical results from investigation derived waste samples collected in 2020 from the South Repeater Building area indicated concentrations of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) were above Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) provisional Groundwater Cleanup Target Levels of 70 nanograms per liter (ng/L) at a concentration of 1,750 ng/L. Following this review, the KSC Fire Chief was contacted; the Chief recalled fighting a brush fire in 1998 in the area, during which an unknown volume of aqueous film-forming foam was used to extinguish the fire. The Phase II and Phase III SWMU Assessment Report recommended this area proceed to CS. Historical results in this area are provided in Appendix A . PFAS CS activities were contracted at the South Repeater Building. Initial CS activities were conducted in accordance with the PFAS Assessment and Mitigation Work Plan (AECOM 2022), which was submitted to the NASA Remediation Project Management team and accepted by the team on November 1 and 8, 2021. The objectives of the PFAS CS were to: - - Confirm and begin to assess the extent of PFAS affected media in the South Repeater Building area. - - Identify locations for groundwater, soil, surface water, and soil core sampling. - - Qualitatively characterize the migration potential of released PFAS to environmental media (soil, groundwater, and surface water). The following activities were completed to meet the PFAS CS objectives: - - Installation of monitoring wells via direct push technology (DPT) and rotosonic techniques - - Groundwater, soil, and surface water sampling - - Collection of soil cores to evaluate site lithology - - Development of initial PFAS plume characterization

PFAS↗
NASA NTRS2004

Effects of Subsurface Sampling & Processing on Martian Simulant Containing Varying Quantities of Water

The presence of water-ice in the Martian subsurface is a subject of much debate and excited speculation. Recent results from the gammaray spectrometer (GRS) on board NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft indicate the presence of large amounts of hydrogen in regions of predicted ice stability. The combination of chemistry, low gravitational field (3.71 m/s(exp 2)) and a surface pressure of about 6.36 mbar at the mean radius, place limits on the stability of H2O on the surface, however, results from the GRS indicate that the hydrogen rich phase may be present at a depth as shallow as one meter in some locations on Mars. The potential for water on Mars leads directly to the speculation that life may once have existed there, since liquid water is the unifying factor for environments known to support life on Earth. Lubricant-free drilling has been considered as a means of obtaining water-rich subsurface samples on Mars, and two recent white papers sponsored by the Mars Program have attempted to identify the problems associated with this goal. The two major issues identified were: the engineering challenges of drilling into a water-soil mixture where phase changes may occur; and the potential to compromise the integrity of in-situ scientific analysis due to contamination, volatilization, and mineralogical or chemical changes as a result of processing. This study is a first attempt to simulate lubricantfree drilling into JSC Mars-1 simulant containing up to 50% water by weight. The goal is to address the following: 1) Does sample processing cause reactions or changes in mineralogy which will compromise the interpretation of scientific measurements conducted on the surface? 2) Does the presence of water-ice in the sample complicate (1)? 3) Do lubricant-free drilling and processing leave trace contaminants which may compromise our understanding of sample composition? 4) How does the torque/power required for drilling change as a function of water content and does this lead to unexpected thermal effects?

Menard, J.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Mars Environmental Compatibility Assessment (MECA): Identifying the Hazards of the Martian Soil

Sometime in the next decade NASA will decide whether to send a human expedition to explore the planet Mars. The Mars Environmental Compatibility Assessment (MECA) has been selected by NASA to evaluate the Martian environment for soil and dust hazards to human exploration. The integrated MECA payload contains three elements: a wet-chemistry laboratory, a microscopy station, and enhancements to a lander robot-arm system incorporating arrays of material patches and an electrometer to identify triboelectric charging during soil excavation. The wet-chemistry laboratory will evaluate samples of Martian soil in water to determine the total dissolved solids, redox potential, pH, and quantify the concentration of many soluble ions using ion-selective electrodes. These electrodes can detect potentially dangerous heavy-metal ions, emitted pathogenic gases, and the soil's corrosive potential. MECA's microscopy station combines optical and atomic-force microscopy with a robot-arm camera to provide imaging over nine orders of magnitude, from meters to nanometers. Soil particle properties including size, shape, color, hardness, adhesive potential (electrostatic and magnetic), will be determined on the microscope stage using an ar-ray of sample receptacles and collection substrates, and an abrasion tool,. The simple, rugged atomic-force microscope will image in the submicron size range and has the capability of performing a particle-by-particle analysis of the dust and soil. Although selected by NASA's Human Exploration and Development of Space Enterprise, the MECA instrument suite also has the capability to address basic geology, paleoclimate, and exobiology issues. To understand both contemporaneous and ancient processes on Mars, the mineralogical, petrological, and reactivity of Martian surface materials should be constrained: the NMCA experiment will shed light on these quantities through its combination of chemistry and microscopy. On Earth, the earliest forms of life are preserved as microfossils. The atomic-force microscope will have the required resolution to image down to the scale of terrestrial microfossils and beyond.

Meloy, T. P.↗
NASA NTRS2000

BOREAS TE-9 In Situ Diurnal Gas Exchange of NAS Boreal Forest Stands

The BOREAS TE-9 team collected several data sets related to chemical and photosynthetic properties of leaves in boreal forest tree species. The purpose of the BOREAS TE-09 study was threefold: 1) to provide in situ gas exchange data that will be used to validate models of photosynthetic responses to light, temperature, and carbon dioxide (CO2); 2) to compare the photosynthetic responses of different tree crown levels (upper and lower); and 3) to characterize the diurnal water potential curves for these sites to get an indication of the extent to which soil moisture supply to leaves might be limiting photosynthesis. The gas exchange data of the BOREAS NSA were collected to characterize diurnal gas exchange and water potential of two canopy levels of five boreal canopy cover types: young jack pine, old jack pine, old aspen, lowland old black spruce, and upland black spruce. These data were collected between 27-May-1994 and 17-Sep-1994. The data are provided in tabular ASCII files. The data files are available on a CD-ROM (see document number 20010000884), or from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC).

Hall, Forrest G.↗