By the time a Colonial Pipeline leak was detected last fall during a routine inspection, vapors from the quarter-million gallons of released gasoline were so strong they prevented repairs for days on the Texas-to-New York pipeline. A biological sensor system designed by Mississippi State University scientists reportedly could alert pipeline managers about leaks much earlier, avoiding resulting environmental disasters and fuel distribution disruptions.

The new sensor approach is intended to complement the conventional use of electronic “smart pig” devices that A new device could alert authorities about pipeline leaks as soon as they begin. Source: Dabarti CGI/Shutterstock.comidentify defects by traveling through pipelines. The electrogenic bacteria-based sensor adheres to a pipeline externally and generates a measurable cathode voltage in the event of a leak.

The organic sensor includes an electrogenic anode composed of carbon-consuming bacteria. Electrons released during the bacterial metabolic process travel across a resistor to a cathode, where a different set of electron-hungry bacteria resides at the cathode. An increase in the metabolic processes of the anode bacteria will correspond to a voltage increase in the sensor and signal a potential leak.

Researchers are currently optimizing media in which to immobilize the bacteria, and are testing high-porosity plastics and bio-based films to enlarge the surface area covered by electrogenic bacteria.

The immobilized bacterial detectors might be deployed in a range of oil transport and drilling applications, including fracking. The researchers also envision spraying the sensor as a coating on the exterior of pipes to ensure continuous monitoring of the entire length.

The research was presented at the 255th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society in New Orleans during March 18-22.