New Research Uses ‘Earth Pigs’ to Develop Non-Invasive Soil Pollution Monitoring Method

In a bid to combat soil pollution, researchers at the University of Milan-Bicocca are turning to an unusual source for information: earth pigs. These ancient crustaceans have colonized the mainland and exhibit gregarious behavior that changes when exposed to contaminated soil. By studying this behavior, the team hopes to develop a non-invasive method for monitoring soil pollution that is rapid, economical, and uses artificial intelligence tools to differentiate between healthy and contaminated soil.

Lorenzo Federico, project manager of the team, explains that monitoring soil contamination is essential in order to combat its effects. By observing how earth pig behavior changes when exposed to polluted soil, they can determine the level of pollution present. The goal is to create a prototype that combines automatic analysis procedures with piglet aggregation in a Plexiglas arena equipped with an infrared micro-camera. This will allow researchers to quantify behavioral changes quickly and accurately.

To fund the development of this innovative prototype, a crowdfunding campaign has been launched on Ideaginger.it platform. The project “Many Little Pigs!” has been selected by A2A for co-financing and aims to raise 10,000 euros from supporters who can contribute to this unique approach to soil pollution assessment that combines biology, ecology, and artificial intelligence technologies. Supporters may even receive rewards such as having their own soil analyzed for contamination by these little pigs!