ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF CEMETERY USING THE CAPACITIVE RESISTIVITY GEOPHYSICAL METHOD

Abstract

The objective of the present study is to demonstrate the applicability of the geophysical method of Capacitive Resistivity for the detection of anomalies of low electrical resistivities associated with possible contamination by trace metals in the soil of an area used as a cemetery. The geophysical survey was carried out in a portion of the Necropolis Nossa Senhora Aparecida, located in the municipality of Piedade (SP), as part of confirmatory environmental investigation of the site, with the points with the most prominent anomalies of resistivities used to define the positioning of the soundings for soil collection and determination of trace metal concentrations through chemical analyses. The results obtained indicated the correspondence between the highest concentrations of metallic contaminants in the subsurface and the reductions in the electrical resistivity values verified by Capacitive Resistivity, pointing out the ability of this underground tracking methodology as a support tool in confirmatory evaluation of suspected contamination sites for decision making regarding the definition of the most suitable points for carrying out soundings and soil samplings.