This work is focused on detection of a number of chemical species relevant to civil and environmental engineering. These include: species that catalyze aging, such as moisture, oxygen and extreme pH levels; those that are symptoms or byproducts of such aging, such as dissolved ions arising from metal dissolution; as well as the species that are a result of subsurface physical failures, such as leaks of hydrocarbons and waste products from pipelines and sanitation and waste storage facilities.