Evaluation of natural depletion processes in areas contaminated by hydrocarbons in tropical soils using thermal sensors.

• Grant number: 23/04115-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: June 01, 2023
• End date: April 30, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Sanitary Engineering - Environmental Sanitation
• Principal Investigator: Cristina Rossi Nakayama
• Grantee: Maria Eduarda da Costa Silva
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Ambientais, Químicas e Farmacêuticas (ICAQF). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus Diadema. Diadema , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 17/50343-2 - Institutional development plan in the area of digital transformation: advanced manufacturing and smart and sustainable cities (PDIp), AP.PDIP

Abstract

The project aims at the characterization of microbial processes of degradation of petroleum hydrocarbonsassociated with the evaluation of rods instrumented with sensors for the continuous monitoring of the subsoiltemperature in source areas of contamination, located in the regional context of Brazilian tropical soils, aiming toquantify the rates of natural depletion of contaminants in the oil phase by exothermic biodegradation reactions, aprocess known as Natural Source Zone Depletion (NSZD) (Askarani et al., 2018). Assays will be carried out formicrobiological characterization, associated with the monitoring of hydrocarbons and methane, quantification ofdegrading groups by qPCR and characterization of microbial diversity by sequencing the 16S rRNA gene on theIllumina HiSeq platform. Bench tests should also be carried out to select and calibrate the sensors. Subsequently,the prototypes must be installed in the study area(s) for monitoring, for sufficient time, to generate a databasethat allows demonstrating the feasibility of the prototype for monitoring hydrocarbon biodegradation processes oilin tropical soils.