Systematic analysis of environmental impacts of the Santos port channel dredged material

• Grant number: 18/25809-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2019
• End date: February 29, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biology
• Principal Investigator: Débora Martins de Freitas
• Grantee: Lorena Novaes Rosa
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB-CLP). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus Experimental do Litoral Paulista. São Vicente , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Port dredging is carried out to remove sediments and rocks from the bottom of the navigation channels, with the aim of improving vessel access and allowing the movement of larger ships. In this way, port dredging is a necessity that demands an efficient handling of the dredged material. Sediments in the estuary complex of Santos - São Vicente accumulate contaminants produced by anthropic, industrial and port activities. This contaminated sediment requires different control conditions, mainly due to the high probability of causing toxic effects on the aquatic biota. Dredging as well as the disposal of contaminated material may cause environmental impacts that have a direct or indirect association with implications on habitats, organisms, and modifications of physical and chemical parameters, such as water, area and environmental quality. Therefore, being the effects caused by dredging, the objective of this project is to analyze in a systematic way the environmental impacts caused by each technique of disposal of the dredged material of the channel of the Port of Santos. For the evaluation of the impacts will be elaborated the Matrix of Leopold modified, where the degree if significance will be given from its aspects like magnitude and importance; which will also allow to relate the mode of disposal together with the main techniques of sediment management. The results of this study will generate data to assist the management of the activity in the development of new measures to reduce the environmental impacts of the dredged material, guiding projects of environmental control and monitoring of this activity.