Geophysical investigation using resistivity and GPR methods: a case study of a lubricant oil waste disposal area in the city of Ribeiro Preto, So Paulo, Brazil


Autoria(s): LAGO, Alexandre Lisboa; ELIS, Vagner Roberto; BORGES, Welitom Rodrigues; PENNER, Giovanni Chaves
Contribuinte(s)

UNIVERSIDADE DE SÃO PAULO

Data(s)

19/10/2012

19/10/2012

2009

Resumo

Geophysics has been shown to be effective in identifying areas contaminated by waste disposal, contributing to the greater efficiency of soundings programs and the installation of monitoring wells. In the study area, four trenches were constructed with a total volume of about 25,000 m(3). They were almost totally filled with re-refined lubricating oil waste for approximately 25 years. No protection liners were used in the bottoms and laterals of the disposal trenches. The purpose of this work is to evaluate the potential of the resistivity and ground penetrating radar (GPR) methods in characterizing the contamination of this lubricant oil waste disposal area in Ribeiro Preto, SP, situated on the geological domain of the basalt spills of the Serra Geral Formation and the sandstones of the Botucatu Formation. Geophysical results were shown in 2D profiles. The geophysical methods used enabled the identification of geophysical anomalies, which characterized the contamination produced by the trenches filled with lubricant oil waste. Conductive anomalies (smaller than 185 Omega m) immediately below the trenches suggest the action of bacteria in the hydrocarbons, as has been observed in several sites contaminated by hydrocarbons in previously reported cases in the literature. It was also possible to define the geometry of the trenches, as evidenced by the GPR method. Direct sampling (chemical analysis of the soil and the water in the monitoring well) confirmed the contamination. In the soil analysis, low concentrations of several polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were found, mainly naphthalene and phenanthrene. In the water samples, an analysis verified contamination of the groundwater by lead (Pb). The geophysical methods used in the investigation provided an excellent tool for environmental characterization in this study of a lubricant oil waste disposal area, and could be applied in the study of similar areas.

Identificador

ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY, v.58, n.2, p.407-417, 2009

0943-0105

http://producao.usp.br/handle/BDPI/27156

10.1007/s00254-008-1511-x

http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00254-008-1511-x

Idioma(s)

eng

Publicador

SPRINGER

Relação

Environmental Geology

Direitos

restrictedAccess

Copyright SPRINGER

Palavras-Chave #Applied geophysics #Electrical methods #GPR #Lubricant oil #GROUND-PENETRATING RADAR #HYDROCARBON-CONTAMINATED SITE #SOIL #Environmental Sciences #Geosciences, Multidisciplinary #Water Resources
Tipo

article

proceedings paper

publishedVersion