Development of Biodegradable Films for Remote Sensing of Ions in Soil

Sodium alginate films are biodegradable films that show promise for environmental uses because of their ability to adsorb ions. In the context of remote sensing, this property may be useful as the adsorbed ions may change the dielectric properties of the film. Preliminary testing was performed to determine whether there was sufficient difference in dielectric properties between films soaked in solutions with NaCl and MgCl2 in combination with or in the absence of CaCl2. Initial results indicate that there is no discernable difference between properties of films soaked in NaCl or MgCl2 alone. However, it appears that the addition of CaCl2 to the solution improved the ability to discern between the two ions. This property may make these films useful in creating biodegradable sensors that can determine the presence of salinity-inducing ions in soil.