Open-Cell Foam Environmental Indicator

Abstract

An open-cell foam structure that is used to detect and remove substances from water or air.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of removing and detecting the presence of substances from a body of water, comprising:
 providing an indicator structure made from open-cell foam material;   placing the indicator structure into a particular location of the body of water such that the open-cell foam material of the indicator structure is directly exposed to the water without any structure between the open-cell foam material and the water; and then   after a first exposure time in the body of water, removing a first portion of the open-cell foam material of the indicator structure from the water, and leaving the remainder of the indicator structure in the particular location; and then   after a second exposure time in the body of water that is longer than the first exposure time, removing a second, separate, portion of the open-cell foam material of the indicator structure from the water;   placing the first portion in a first sealed container and placing the second portion in a second sealed container, and providing the first and second sealed containers to an independent certified third-party laboratory for determining, by the independent certified third-party laboratory using an approved test protocol, the presence in the removed first and second separate portions of one or more substances that were removed from the water by the open-cell foam material of the indicator structure.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the indicator structure consists of a plurality of separate foam structures selected from the group of structures consisting of strips, strips that are longer than a height of a water column, cubes, and small pieces. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the separate foam structures are held in place in the body of water by one or more of an anchor, a weight, and a netting. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein placing the indicator structure into a particular location comprises suspending a plurality of separate indicator structures at different levels through a height of a water column. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein placing the indicator structure into a particular location further comprises placing the plurality of separate indicator structures at different locations over the entire water column of the body of water. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein placing the indicator structure into a particular location further comprises floating an indicator structure at least partially on the surface of the water. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein placing the indicator structure into a particular location into the body of water comprises casting the indicator structure into the water. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein placing the indicator structure into a particular location into the body of water comprises floating the indicator structure on a surface of the water, or coupling the indicator structure to a dock, or placing the indicator structure in a bathtub or sink. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second exposure time is at least eight hours. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substances are selected from the group of substances consisting of oil, diesel range organics, gasoline range organics, drilling fluids, biocides, glutaraldehyde, metals, organometals, metalloids, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs), pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), fertilizers, solvents, human waste, pharmaceuticals, radioactive materials, and components thereof 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substances comprise volatile organic compounds (VOCs), semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs), surfactants, oils, or greases. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the open-cell foam material comprises a silane-grafted material or a silane-modified material. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the open-cell foam material is biodegradable. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the open-cell foam material comprises a biocide. 
     
     
         15 . A method of removing and detecting the presence of one or more substances from a body of water, comprising:
 providing a plurality of separate indicator structures, wherein each indicator structure consists of a plurality of separate strips of an open-cell foam material fastened together to form a structure with a plurality of separate foam fingers;   fastening the indicator structures to a plurality of different locations along a length of a line to create a test assembly;   placing the test assembly into a body of water such that the plurality of indicator structures are each exposed to different locations in the body of water, wherein the open-cell foam material of each of the indicator structures is directly exposed to the water without any structure between the open-cell foam material and the water;   after a first exposure time in the water, removing a first indicator structure from the body of water; and then   removing some or all of the open-cell foam material from the first indicator structure; and then   placing the removed open-cell foam material into a sealed container; and then   providing the sealed container to an independent certified third-party laboratory for determining, by the independent certified third-party laboratory using an approved test protocol, the presence, in the removed open-cell foam material, of one or more substances that were removed from the water by the open-cell foam material of the indicator structure.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein removing some or all of the open-cell foam material from the first indicator structure comprises cutting parts of one or more strips of the first indicator structure. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising, after removing some or all of the open-cell foam material from the first indicator structure, returning the test assembly to the body of water for a second exposure time in the water. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising after the second exposure time, removing a second indicator structure from the body of water, and then removing some or all of the open-cell foam material from the second indicator structure, and then placing the removed open-cell foam material into a second sealed container, and then sending the second sealed container to an independent certified third-party laboratory for determining, by the independent certified third-party laboratory using an established test protocol, the presence in the removed open-cell foam material of one or more substances that were removed from the body of water by the open-cell foam material of the second indicator structure. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of indicator structures are at different levels through a depth of the body of water. 
     
     
         20 . A method of removing and detecting the presence of substances from a body of water, comprising:
 providing an indicator structure made from open-cell foam material;   placing the indicator structure into a particular location of the body of water such that the open-cell foam material of the indicator structure is directly exposed to the water without any structure between the open-cell foam material and the water; and then   after a first exposure time in the body of water, removing a first portion of the open-cell foam material of the indicator structure from the water; and then   providing the removed first portion to an independent certified third-party laboratory for determining, by the independent certified third-party laboratory using an approved test protocol, the presence in the removed first portion of one or more substances that were removed from the water by the open-cell foam material of the indicator structure.