Text

Geoklock professionals who attended the First AESAS Contaminated Site Management Conference.


July marked an important milestone for Geoklock: early in the month, the company attended the First AESAS Contaminated Site Management Conference. The event was organized by AESAS, the Brazilian Association of Environmental Engineering and Consulting Firms. Geoklock seized the opportunity to showcase the progress it has been achieving in the fields of technology application and project development.

Geoklock brought seven lectures and six posters to the conference, addressing themes that are part of its day-to-day services and products.

Emerging contaminants – an issue that has been getting growing attention worldwide – were discussed at the AESAS Conference during a session with Amélie Ritscher, an engineer with ETH Zurich and the EBP Group, of which Geoklock is also part. Geoklock hydrogeologist Norbert Brandsch, who coauthored the paper presented by Amélie, explained that emerging contaminants are usually present at very low concentrations that are currently neither detected nor monitored, but may be harmful to humans.

Brandsch said: “We decided to bring this discussion to the event because we are forerunners in this area. The EBP Group is currently working in collaboration with Swiss regulators, as well as with government agencies from other European countries, to address the issue of emerging contaminants. Geoklock and Bachema are both capable of meeting this new demand and are constantly updating their knowledge and developing innovative approaches for this theme.”

Filipe Gimenes, an environmental engineer with GEOKLOCK, presented a case study of an ecological risk assessment carried out at a site impacted with pesticides, organic compounds and metals. Gimenes believes the AESAS event provided a valuable chance to learn. Based on the responses his presentation got at the event, he also feels it has potential to grow in the company’s portfolio.

Chemical engineer Daniel Savio brought a poster on thermal technologies to the Conference. According to Savio, thermal technologies are a relevant and current subject: “This is an important type of technology that can prove widely useful in the future. The seminary provided a great opportunity for knowledge exchange.”

“The event also helped us understand the market and just how much competition there is,” said geologist Lucas Kimura, who presented a paper on Remediation with Chlorinated Solvent DNAPL Pumping. According to Kimura, this classic technique will never become obsolete, even if there are other alternatives, because it works very well in combination with other cleanup methods.

According to environmental engineer Isabela Thobias, the event created the chance for an exchange of experiences. Thobias brought a poster on intrusive vapors in automotive industrial sites to the Conference, and explained that this type of risk mitigation project can also meet the needs of Geoklock clients in other sectors, to safeguard workers at their sites.

Another project presented by Geoklock was about the Assessment of Flux Chamber Test Procedures for Impacted Sites. According to geologist Lina Araki, the poster showcased mostly improvements and adaptations made to this technology, which is primarily aimed at assessing ambient air with no external interferences. This consists of an important step taken by Geoklock in adapting projects to suit clients’ needs, and which may, in the future, turn into more partnerships with universities and technology agencies.

High-resolution technologies were also the theme selected by environmental engineer Mychelle Nunes and by geologist Bruno Ferreira. Nunes addressed Optical Image Profiler (OIP) – a tool that can be used to map occurrences of free-phase fuel and certain types of oils in the subsurface. “OIP provides quick results and effectively identifies contaminant distribution, providing the client with data that would not be available with the use of other investigation methodologies,” she mentioned. Nunes informed that this is a cost-effective technology with potential for more widespread application.

Geologist Bruno Ferreira presented “Integrated Use of High-Resolution Tools in Plume Identification and Delineation.” Ferreira explained that Geoklock used a Membrane Interface Probe attached to a Hydraulic Profiling Tool (MiHPT) for contamination plume delineation. This tool provides readings at 1.5-cm intervals, identifying pollutants and their correlation with the lithologies and their permeabilities. “We were able to identify points for optimization so we can achieve better results. And, in that manner, determine where we can grow,” said Ferreira.

Átila Pessoa’s “Data Science Application” presented an analytical and statistical methodology that evaluates data obtained from Membrane Interface Probe (MIP) investigations. Based on statistical analysis, one can identify which variables better explain the distribution of contaminant concentrations. Pessoa highlights that this is a new product, and that the conference corroborated that this approach is aligned with future data analysis trends.

A particularly interesting methodology was presented by geologist Danilo Saunite. He applied mass flow calculations in the recovery of an industrial site with potential to impact a nearby creek. According to Saunite, Geoklock utilized a simple, effective, low-cost solution, with a practical approach, which was essential in attaining satisfactory results for the client.

The AESAS event was also attended by engineer Enrico Freire, who led the session on Innovative Remediation Technologies, and by engineer Carlos Calderon, who presented the paper “Enhancement in the Removal of High Viscosity Oil through Steam Injection.”

Geoklock intends to continue attending similar events, as it understands that they create opportunities to showcase some of the work the company’s professionals have been developing to continuously improve and meet market demands.