Contaminación fisicoquímica de acuíferos por los lixiviados generados del relleno sanitario El Carrasco, de Bucaramanga

Abstract

Introduction. The poor management of the leachates generated at the solid waste final disposal site in El Carrasco, Bucaramanga, Colombia, has been worrying environmental authorities for some years because its risk of contamination for the soil and the water in the disposal and closed areas. Objective. To establish the migration route for the leachates generated in El Carrasco landfill, in Bucaramanga, and in the direct and indirect areas of influence of the disposal site, by means of the analysis and the interpretation of the data obtained by the use of geoelectric units. Materials and methods. IT tools were used, including geographic information systems, the Modelmouse software, 180 meters deep vertical electrical soundings with a mesh modeling model comprised of 45 lines and 35 columns -10x10m- and six layers that met the units identified in the direct disposal area by means of a stratigraphic profile. Results. The results of the modeling developed within the MODFLOW environment show an East-West flow in most of the layers. The same happens with the flow established by the load coming from the Santander mountain range, where the resistivity rates are very low. Conclusion. Low resistivity zones associated, generated by the leachates, and fully saturated zones that were poorly managed in the disposal site, were identified for the area studied, by means of methodologies that combine geophysics, geology, hydrogeology and geochemistry.