Detection of Soil Contamination Using Electrical Resistivity Tomography and Induced Polarization Methods By Tank Model

Abstract

Resistivity and induced polarization surveying were originally developed for mineral exploration but are now the of outcome new applications in the field of environmental and engineering geophysics. This paper describes an experimental setup used to carry out resistivity tomography and induced polarization tests (in the time domain) that are used in geological and geophysical surveys to characterize soil and rock. The test setup is carried out in the laboratory via the Tank model developed for this purpose. The paper describes a laboratory system used to study the influence of different contaminants in a small-scale soil stratum using two geophysical methods and describes how the behaviors of resistivity and chargeability result in contaminated and uncontaminated soils. The results of a geophysical survey were performed to identify a contaminator in the Tank model. Both techniques provided evidence of contamination. In general, the electrical resistivity method was better than the induced polarization method in providing distinct values for most kinds of contamination, Except for the contamination with salt water, both methods gave significant results.