Study and modelling of the pollution in the groundwater of the Najerilla River aquifer (Spain). Application of solid phase microextraction to the analysis of groundwater pollutants (Spanish text)

The past uncontrolled spills form an important painting and varnishing industry and from other smaller ones devoted to the manufacture of furniture and varnishing activities were the sources of the VOCs plume detected in the groundwater of the Najerilla river aquifer. The main object of this work is the studying of the pollution episode.; In this work, a simple and rapid method for the analysis of volatile organic and polar compounds from polluted groundwater samples by solid-Phase Microextraction (SPME) coupled with gas chromatography (CG) is developed. Different types of fibres were studied and the extraction process was optimised. The fibre that proved to be the best to analyse this kind of samples was headspace-GC. This method was allowed to determine the 13 VOCs identified in the polluted underground samples providing good sensitivity and reproducibility. The optimised method was successfully applied to the analysis of groundwater samples.; In this work a flow model using Visual Modflow was adjusted. The mathematical flow models reproduce successfully the behaviour of the polluted aquifer. Calculated levels by the mathematical model and observed head showed a good regression. The normalized root mean squared residual was 2.18%.; The transport models of acetone, BTEX, MIBK and TMBs were adjusted using Visual Modflow. This model reproduce successfully the plume evolution of these pollutants. The results obtained showed an high degradation kinetic for acetone in groundwater and a high recalcitrant character for the TMBs.; Finally this work had studied three possible remediation alternatives using particles tracking. A qualitative study of these alternatives was developed and the evolution of the TMBs pollution was estimated taking account the best option.