Geophysical studies in impacted areas by petroleum products may be described by anomalies of both low and high resistivity, confirmed as contaminant by chemical analyses. This apparent contradiction can reflect processes of contaminants degradation, directly associated with its residence time in the soil, through the generation of by-products that change the physical properties of the soil and groundwater, principally for the mineral dissolution by action of organic acids and by neoformation minerals of oxides and hydroxides minerals. This paper presents the application of electrical resistivity and induced polarization methods in a contaminated industrial area for benzene, toluene, xylene, 1,2 dichloroethene and inorganic salts, in natural attenuation process. The results indicated the mineral neoformation in the center and adjacencies of contaminated area, as it suggested the alterations in physical parameters measured.
mineralization; geophysics; chargeability; electrical resistivity; natural attenuation; biodegradation; non-aqueous phase liquid
