Contribution of geomorphological characteristics in sensitivity environmental analysis of oil in rivers: Case study of Araquá river (SP, Brazil)

Abstract

Contribution of geomorphological characteristics on the enviromental sensitivity to oil spill in rivers: Case study araquá river (SP, Brasil). Petroleum is one of the main sources of energy used by man currently. This intense utilization entails risks to the environment in relation to accidents involving spills of this product in the ecosystems, tauting socioeconomic and environmental damages. The main objective of this research is to identify and analyze the geomorphological attributes that contribute to the environmental sensitivity in fluvial environments in a section of the Rio Araquá (SP). From the identification of the Environmental Sensitivity Indexes to Oil (ESI), using the geomorphological fluvial parameters of the Araquá River, located in the city of São Pedro (SP), for this river the Environmental Fluvial Sensibility Mapping to Oil was developed. The study area presented a high sensitivity index due to the presence of numerous alluvial deposits with presence of vegetation. These deposits are due to the meandering dynamics of the fluvial course and also to the innumerable changes caused by human actions, mainly mining activities. The geomorphological mapping was fundamental for the analysis and identification of the geomorphological features and for the determination of the ESI features. Finally, the importance of the work is highlighted, since studies related to environmental sensitivity to oil in fluvial environments in the scale worked on in this research are still underdeveloped in Brazil.