| Title | Ground Penetrating Radar as a Functional Tool to Outline the Presence of Buried Waste: A Case Study in South Italy |
| Abstract | The ability of the ground penetrating radar (GPR) method as a rapid preliminary survey to detect the presence of illegally buried waste is presented in this paper. The test site is located in the countryside of "Sannicandro di Bari" (Southern Italy) and has a surface area of 1500 m2. A total of five parallel profiles were acquired in 2014 using a geophysical survey system instrument (GSSI) equipped with 400 and 200 MHz antennae in the monostatic configuration. Two of the five profiles were registered in a control area to compare a natural condition to a suspected waste buried zone. As a result of a processing and elaboration workflow, GPR investigations allowed us to interpret the signal qualitatively within a maximum depth of about 3 m, identifying many signal anomalies, whose characteristics can be considered typical of buried waste. The GPR response of the three profiles acquired in the suspected area showed substantial differences not found in the control's profiles. Anomalies related to the presence of intense scattering, of dome structures not attributable to cavities, but rather to a flattening and compacting of different layers, therefore, less electrically conductive, were identified in the suspected area. The interpretation of the results obtained by the GPR profiles was confirmed by excavations carried out with bulldozers. Large quantities of solid waste illegally buried (e.g., waste deriving from construction and demolition activities, bituminous mixtures, discarded tires, glass, plastic, municipal waste) were revealed in all the sites where anomalies and non-conformities appeared compared to the control natural soil. |
| Source | Sustainability (New Rochelle, N.Y. Online) 13 (7) |
| Keywords | ground-penetrating radar; GPR; geophysics; buried waste detection; South Italy |
| Journal | Sustainability (New Rochelle, N.Y. Online) |
| Editor | Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., New Rochelle, NY, Stati Uniti d'America |
| Year | 2021 |
| Type | Articolo in rivista |
| DOI | 10.3390/su13073805 |
| Authors | Carmine Massarelli, Claudia Campanale and Vito Felice Uricchio |
| Text | 450577 2021 10.3390/su13073805 ground penetrating radar; GPR; geophysics; buried waste detection; South Italy Ground Penetrating Radar as a Functional Tool to Outline the Presence of Buried Waste A Case Study in South Italy Carmine Massarelli, Claudia Campanale and Vito Felice Uricchio Istituto di Ricerca Sulle Acque The ability of the ground penetrating radar GPR method as a rapid preliminary survey to detect the presence of illegally buried waste is presented in this paper. The test site is located in the countryside of Sannicandro di Bari Southern Italy and has a surface area of 1500 m2. A total of five parallel profiles were acquired in 2014 using a geophysical survey system instrument GSSI equipped with 400 and 200 MHz antennae in the monostatic configuration. Two of the five profiles were registered in a control area to compare a natural condition to a suspected waste buried zone. As a result of a processing and elaboration workflow, GPR investigations allowed us to interpret the signal qualitatively within a maximum depth of about 3 m, identifying many signal anomalies, whose characteristics can be considered typical of buried waste. The GPR response of the three profiles acquired in the suspected area showed substantial differences not found in the control s profiles. Anomalies related to the presence of intense scattering, of dome structures not attributable to cavities, but rather to a flattening and compacting of different layers, therefore, less electrically conductive, were identified in the suspected area. The interpretation of the results obtained by the GPR profiles was confirmed by excavations carried out with bulldozers. Large quantities of solid waste illegally buried e.g., waste deriving from construction and demolition activities, bituminous mixtures, discarded tires, glass, plastic, municipal waste were revealed in all the sites where anomalies and non conformities appeared compared to the control natural soil. 13 Published version https //www.mdpi.com/2071 1050/13/7/3805 Articolo in rivista Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. 1937 0709 Sustainability New Rochelle, N.Y. Online Sustainability New Rochelle, N.Y. Online Sustainability New Rochelle, N.Y. Online claudiacampanale CAMPANALE CLAUDIA vitofelice.uricchio URICCHIO VITO FELICE carmine.massarelli MASSARELLI CARMINE |
