Environmental molecular diagnostics (EMD) are advanced tools that help scientists learn more about what is happening in soil, groundwater, and other environmental samples. They look at biological and chemical information that traditional testing may not detect. Many of these methods were first developed for medicine, defense, or industry but are now used to help manage contaminated sites. Environmental molecular diagnostics can provide additional evidence that helps environmental professionals make better decisions.
The guidance Environmental Molecular Diagnostics: New Site Characterization and Remediation Enhancement Tools (EMD-2, 2013) explains how these tools can be used during site investigation, cleanup, and monitoring. It describes what each method can do, as well as its strengths and limitations, and provides examples of how environmental molecular diagnostics have been used at real sites. The guidance helps readers understand how to choose the right method, collect samples, and interpret the results.
There are ten related Environmental Molecular Diagnostics Fact Sheets (EMD-1, 2011) covering an introduction to the tools, compound specific isotope analysis, polymerase chain reaction, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, microbial fingerprinting methods, microarrays, stable isotope probing, enzyme activity probes, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and sampling methods.
Topic(s): Advanced Site Characterization, EMD, Remediation Technologies, Site Characterization
