BEES, BALLOONS AND GREENHOUSE GASES

Bees, balloons, pollen to test novel CO2 monitoring approach
July 20, 2009 (National Energy Technology Laboratory via DOE Pulse)

"Bees and pollen are not just for honey anymore. Researchers at DOE's National Energy Technology Laboratory [NETL] are using them—along with helium-filled balloons—in an innovative method to verify that no carbon dioxide (CO2) leaks from sequestration sites.

"NETL-developed chemical tracers are co-injected at low levels to fingerprint the CO2, differentiating it from natural carbon dioxide. Researchers will determine if pollen collected by bees contains measurable quantities of tracer or if bees bring back tracer from direct contact with foliage. They will use balloons to determine atmospheric variations in tracer content to assess the effectiveness of CO2 storage sites."

NETL's CCS-monitoring protocol is a little more complicated than bees and balloons. (click to enlarge)

"NETL conducted the studies at the Center for Zero Emissions Research and Technology (ZERT) research site on an agricultural field at Montana State University (MSU) in Bozeman.

"NETL researchers, in cooperation with bee experts at MSU, placed hives about 150 meters upwind and downwind from CO2 sources marked with tracers. A third control hive was located some distance from the test plot."

Bees and balloons could make CCS monitoring cheaper but not necessarily more insurable. (click to enlarge)

"Along with the samples of the bees’ pollen, sorbent packets were placed near the hive entrances to monitor hive ventilation gas for tracer. A third monitor was placed about 25 meters from each hive in order to account for any background levels of tracer near the hive. Atmospheric tracer levels were also monitored…

"To determine atmospheric variations in tracer content…NETL researchers contracted Apogee Scientific to use a large helium-filled balloon…for sequential exposures of sorbent tubes at known times and known elevations. Researchers are conducting laboratory analysis of the tracer levels…"