Chlorinated solvents contamination conceptual model for the shallow aquifer in the Jurubatuba channel region in São Paulo (SP)

Abstract

The Jurubatuba Industrial Park, a former industrial neighbor in the southern region of São Paulo City, is regionally contaminated due to the widespread presence of chlorinated solvents in the groundwater. The contamination has become a major issue since the detection of contaminants in many deep production wells along the region. The Jurubatuba features make this case exceptionally complex and challenging, given the presence of crystalline bedrock aquifer and the contaminants mobility and toxicity. The responsible parties for the contamination have carried out many studies in detail to address the problem. However, an integrated study joining all site-specific available data have never been done to characterize the problem in an appropriate scale.In this context, the master thesis aims to prepare an integrated conceptual model to better understand the geology, contaminant source areas and its distribution as well as indicating regions with lack of information or dubious data. The methodology adopted is a GIS-based approach where all available data in site-specific technical reports, available by the São Paulo Environmental Agency (CETESB), will be used to prepare a 3D model to characterize the hydrogeology and contaminants distribution. The next planned activity includes an exchange at the G360, at the University of Guelph (Canada), a research group that has a strong and broadly recognized experience in brownfields contamination characterization, especially by chlorinated solvents. The main objective of this exchange is to give a relevant technical and scientific support to the data interpretations, and to use specific software tools and know how. At first, the expected results through the exchange are the support to the data treatment and interpretation, improving the regional contamination conceptual model, which will bring substantial academic contributions to the MSc thesis. Secondly, a participation in advanced hydrogeology courses, fieldworks and data processing. Furthermore, the exchange will contribute valuably to the improvement of the English language, main scientific language. The exchange program is expected to start in February 2014, for six months period. (AU)