5 research outputs found
Metody geoelektryczne w badaniach gruntów skażonych substancjami ropopochodnymi
Particular hazards to the environment are caused by hydrocarbon
products introduced as a result of industrial and
military activity. It leads to contamination of shallow
sub-surface layers, as well as groundwater.
The presence of hydrocarbon pollutants in the geological
environment causes changes in its many physical properties
(e.g. electrical conductivity and resistivity). This results
in the anomalies observed. However, hydrocarbons,
despite being excellent insulators, can generate both anomalies
of low conductivity (i.e high resistivity), high conductivity,
or do not cause any changes in values of the parameter
measured. Changes in its values in short time
intervals can be irregular and fall into the measurement error
range. Simultaneously, these values can gradually decrease
over the time, which is associated with the loss of
contamination weight and gradual remediation of the environment
due to natural biological processes.
The monograph presents the possibility of applying
geoelectrical methods — conductometric in frequency domain
and resistivity imaging — to identify petroleum contaminations
and to monitor the process of their bioremediation
by Yarrowia lipolytica yeast. The applied research
methodology allowed also to trace models of contamination
evolution. The results of field measurements were interpreted
by the inversion method of resistivity imaging,
1D with the conductometric one, and 2D taking the topography
into account. In the final interpretation, the laboratory
tests (determination of hydrocarbons and metals contents,
determination of mineral composition, indication of
electrical resistivity as a function of humidity, indication of
electrical conductivity as a function of the concentration of
citric acid) are included.
The study was carried out in two areas of former military
fuel bases JAR in the Borne Sulinowo and Szprotawa
sites, differing in geological structure and vegetation. Both
centers are sandy, the first one shows high resistivity whereas
the second one — low resistivity.
The complex field and laboratory studies were performed
under conditions of high-resistivity environment.
First of all, the possibility to use both methods for the
identification of perennial petroleum contamination was recognizedwith an assessment of their quality by the
correlation with historical data and results of laboratory research.
Next, the methods were applied to identify the
fresh contamination and to control their dispersion in geological
complex, together with laboratory tests and the atmogeochemical
method.
In the following research, the process of supported bioremediation
was monitored at two contamination sites: the
historical and fresh controlled ones. The influence of atmospheric
conditions on values of the parameters measured
was estimated, as well as their changes in time. Using
laboratory and atmogeochemical research, bioremediation
rate has been assessed, whereas basing on resistivity
cross-sections, the percentage loss of the contaminants has
been calculated.
Under conditions of the low-resistivity environment
such as the area of former JAR fuel storage in Szprotawa,
the research was carried out to the limited extend, along
only one profile running from the contaminated site to the
clean one. It enabled to trace evolution of contamination
from:
clean environment contamination high-resitivity
model low-resitivity clean environment
Application of geoelectrical methods enabled to investigate
qualitatively petroleum contamination sites. It also
enabled to estimate their spatial distribution, whereas parameters
measured in situ correlated well with the results of
laboratory tests.
It has been shown that, depend on the occurrence of organic
acids or their absence in the geological environment,
the contaminated sites can generate anomalies of low conductivity
or high conductivity. The presence of organic
acids depends on the geological structure and hydrogeological
and environmental conditions. In the high-resistivity
environment natural bioremediation is hindered and occurs
slowly. Thus production of organic acids is limited. In the
low-resistivity environment microorganisms populations
are various and numerous, thus natural bioremediation
occurs rapidly. As a result, a low-resistivity model of con-tamination is generated over the contaminated site just
after its contamination.
It has been shown that immediately after contamination
of the sandy environment, there is a distinctive increase inelectrical resistivity, which is related to high resistivity of
hydrocarbons. Moreover, the progression of bioremediation
with Yarrowia lipolytica yeast can be effectively and
continuously monitored by modern geoelectrical methods
The application of electromagnetic methods for polymetallic prospecting in mining conditions
The paper presents selected results of geophysical surveys carried out in the “Polkowice-Sieroszowice”
copper mine in Lower Silesia, Poland. The aim of complex geophysical measurements was the analysis of the
usefulness of selected electromagnetic methods for locating ore mineralisation zones in mining conditions. The
results were obtained from surveys conducted along profiles designed on the side-wall by the roof, in the middle
and the floor of the excavation. Electromagnetic Profiling and Ground Penetrating Radar techniques were applied
for outlining the mineralisation zones consisting of Cu, Pb and Fe. The variability of geophysical recordings depending
on the degree of mineralisation and distribution of fractures induced by mining activity were analysed.
The results of geophysical surveys were correlated to petrophysical parameters and laboratory data concerning
the percentages of Cu, Pb and Fe in samples taken from the side-wall at the survey site
Assessment of elements mobility in anthropogenic layer of historical wastes related to glass production in Izera Mountains (SW Poland)
A geophysical survey conducted in the remote forest glade, located in the IzeryMountains (SWPoland), revealed
the existence of an anthropogenic layer of historical glasswastes dumped in this area during the activity of a glass
factory in the 18th and 19th centuries and domestic wastes dumped during the second part of the 20th century.
The aim of the study was assessment of potential ecological risk related to the release of potentially toxic elements
to the soil, groundwater and surfacewaters. The assessmentwas done on the base of classical geochemical
analysis supported by calculation of environmental indices as well as on mobility of elements (leaching test and
BCR sequential extraction). As an innovative aspect in the geostatistical interpretation of the data, somemagnetic
parameters (magnetic susceptibility-χ, χ/Fe ratio)were also used. It allowed for a better understanding of the relationship
of PTEs with various forms of iron. The BCR sequential extraction found that among the PTEs, only Zn
(up to 43%)was in a potentially mobile fraction probably occurring in ionic form, associatedwith iron oxides only
by surface adsorption forces. The leaching has shown a slight increase in Zn and Cu content in the surfacewaters;
however, itwas not considered to be a real ecological threat because the pHof thewastematerial and soil cover is
N6.0 and the scenario of a radical decrease in pH is rather unrealistic. The other PTEs were associated with more
stable E2, E3 and E4 fractions. Zinc, similar to Ni, Co and Cu inwaste samples,was highly correlatedwithmagnetic
parameters (χ and χ/Fe). Itmeans that a considerable part of these metalswas associatedwith ferrimagnetic iron
oxides, although they can also occur in the form of inclusions in aluminosilicates and enclosed in glassy phases
Integrated geophysical and geochemical methods applied for recognition of acid waste drainage (AWD) from Zn-Pb post-flotation tailing pile (Olkusz, southern Poland)
Long-term underground exploitation of Zn-Pb ores has led to drainage of the area and formation of a huge dumping
ground in the form of a pile. In its vicinity, processes of acid drainage have developed as a result of contamination of
soils and groundwater. Geochemical transformations of mineral contents of waste can significantly affect physical and
chemical properties of the soils and the bedrock. At the prospect of termination of the mining activity in the near
future, determining the routes of the pollution migration, ability to monitor acid drainage processes and assessment of
the risk of heavy metal pollution are really crucial. The paper presents a proposal for solving this problem by means of
geophysical methods: Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT), Time Domain-Induced Polarisation (TDIP), Frequency
Domain Electromagnetics (FDEM) and shallow-depth magnetometric surveys combined with geochemical investigations.
The obtained results of geophysical surveys have been confirmed by geochemical investigations. The applied
ERT and TDIP methods make it possible to identify the spread of the zones of pollution around the tailing pile, but
their effectiveness depends on humidity of the ground. Soil magnetometry and shallow-depth induction profiling are a
good tool to identify the medium contaminated with minerals redeposited by aeolian processes and allow to determine
the range of the dust spread from the pile. It has been shown that the range of impact of the geochemical changes
around the tailing pile is high and depends not only on directions and dynamics of water flow from the pile but also
on aeolian transport