Aquifer recharge capacity assessment of an anthropogenically impacted wetland by the DC resistivity geophysical method

Abstract

Population growth and social and economic development demand increasing volumes of water for public supply, especially in scenarios where surface sources such as rivers may not meet the basic demands for the population. In southeastern Brazil, with emphasis on the Piracicaba region, there is a conflict over water use regarding agricultural and industrial activities, where the sugar-alcohol sector is widely highlighted. The region has thousands of hectares of sugarcane cultivated, which requires intensive use of fertilizers and pesticides, in addition to the need for large volumes of water in the production of sugar and ethanol, where the main effluent produced is represented by vinasse, used as fertilizer complement and soil hydration in sugarcane fields. This work presents the results of a geophysical diagnosis in a closed wetland, located in a sugarcane field region, to evaluate the hydrogeological function of this environment in aquifer recharge and the risks that land use can cause in the quality and availability of surface and underground water resources. The geophysical survey consisted of nine lines of electrical resistivity tomography in Schlumberger arrangement, submitted to 2D processing and inversion followed by interpolation and generation of 3D visualization models. The results indicate a direct connection between water accumulated in the wetland and the aquifer underneath, separated by an aquitard interface about 44 m thickness. The study points out to the high vulnerability to the input of pesticides and vinasse effluent from the surrounding sugarcane fields to the interior of the wetland, given the absence of riparian forest or buffer zone, in addition to the risk of contamination of surface and groundwater. Understanding the local hydrological dynamics should subsidize the sustainable use of the soil providing preservation of water resources, with emphasis on aquifers, a source of increasing importance in the face of the imminent scarcity of surface resources.