Oxide-Coated Films - an Improved IRIS Technology.

The documentation of reducing conditions in soils is important in the study, monitoring, and delineation of hydric soils and wetlands. Over the last decade, IRIS (Indicator of Reduction In Soils) technology has moved from the periphery into more common use in hydric soils studies. Their appeal has been their ease of use (install and leave unattended for a month) and their conceptual simplicity, and IRIS technology has been approved for use by the National Technical Committee for Hydric Soils (NTCHS). Recent developments in IRIS applications have also utilized Mn oxide paint, in addition to the more commonly used iron oxide paint. While IRIS technology has encompassed a variety of forms, most commonly used are PVC tubes and less frequently PVC panels. There are, however, several challenges when using traditional PVC IRIS tubes. These include: 1) abrasion or scratching of the tubes during transport; 2) abrasion of the tubes upon insertion (especially in sandy or dense soil conditions); 3) difficulty in acquiring a 2 dimensional image from a 3 dimensional cylindrical structure; 4) expense of shipping/transport due to their weight and size; 5) long term storage issues; 6) general environmental/sustainability concerns related to using large quantities of non-reusable plastic tubing. This paper will report on the development and testing of a system for the delivery/installation of oxide-coated plastic films into the soil, which eliminates many of the problems and issues associated with the use of more traditional IRIS devices, while still preserving the benefits.