Living sensors may detect O&G leaks

There are more than 212,000 miles of oil and gas (O&G) pipelines that crisscross America, and thousands of more miles of pipeline across the Gulf of Mexico and ocean floors. They transport some 16 billion barrels of crude oil, refined petroleum products, and liquefied natural gas annually. Monitoring for leaks is a monumental task because pipes can crack, and the results result in costly fixes for businesses and environment. Researchers at Mississippi State University, led by environmental engineer Dr. Veera Gnaneswar Gude, are working to develop bacteria-based sensors that attach to those pipes. These “living sensors” would detect hydrocarbons released by a leak and emit a wireless alert signal monitoring technicians. A larger version of the sensor could be deployed to help cleanup efforts. MSU’s new sensor works like a battery based on microorganisms that live in marine waters and sediments. Chris Reddy, a senior scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts, told Inside Science that he thought the idea of using bacteria in a sensor that attaches to the outside of a pipe was clever, but cautioned that bacteria sometime stop eating hydrocarbons. That could make it difficult to fully rely on bacteria to do a particular job. Gude presented the research at a meeting of the American Chemical Society in New Orleans. From 1998-2017, there have been more than 11,700 oil-and-gas pipeline accidents across the U.S. that have cost the industry more than $7 billion, and resulted 1,296 injuries and 334 deaths, according to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. (Source: Inside Science 03/18/18)