Evaluating the impact of a cemetery on groundwater by multivariate analysis
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Data
2023-01-06
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Resumo
Water analyses in conjunction with hydrological and geotechnical investigations were carried out to assess the potential for groundwater contamination from the decomposition of buried human
bodies. Water samples were collected from 2007 to
2018 in three monitoring wells built within the cemetery area. Water quality was evaluated based on the
determination of 25 analytical parameters (20 physical–chemical and 5 microbiological). Laboratory
data reported by the local sewage water company for
water collected in household cisterns located outside the cemetery area were also evaluated. Multivariate
analysis showed a similar pattern between iron content, turbidity, and rainfall data collected at the rainfall station closest to the study area. This behavior is
a direct consequence of soil leaching (oxisol). The
physical characterization of the soil of the unsaturated
area above the aquifer indicates that the absorption of
body waste by the soil is favored, preventing surface
contaminants from reaching the aquifer. This work
also found that the water samples collected outside
the cemetery area do not comply with the Brazilian
limits for drinking water. In conclusion, water samples collected from monitoring wells located within
the cemetery area have little to none impact on both
subsurface and underground contamination.
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Aquifer, Water analysis, Oxisol, Multivariate analysis, Human remains
Citação
SABA, Elias. D.; SABA, Jordana M.; MENDES, Thiago A.; OLIVEIRA, Anselmo E. de. Evaluating the impact of a cemetery on groundwater by multivariate analysis. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, Dordrecht, v. 195, e270, 2023. DOI: 10.1007/s10661-022-10895-y. Disponível em: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10661-022-10895-y. Acesso em: 14 jun. 2023.