Electromagnetic Methods for Monitoring Subsurface Chemical Plumes from Hazardous Waste Dumps

Tracking chemical plumes below surface level that stem from the disposal of hazardous waste can aid in protecting the environment and the health of the population. From an economic standpoint, along with the ability to characterize and detect subsurface and surface contaminants with great speed and accuracy, the use of Electromagnetic (EM) methods offers a non-invasive approach. The focus of this paper is to scrutinize the utilization of GPR, TEM, and FDEM as mediums for EM technique methods in monitoring Chemical plumes. Chemical leaks from a waste dump were simulated for the purposes of setting a controlled field experiment. Different EM sensors were utilized to capture subsurface responses, and EM field data were mapped and collected from several surveys. The data were processed using advanced inversion algorithms and were then subjected to a statistical analysis to determine the resolution and sensitivity of each methodology. The findings indicated that EM methods were capable of detecting chemical plumes of great depths with significant spatial resolutions. The chemical plumes possessed strong correlations with the spatial distributions of known contaminants. The results also demonstrated the efficiency of EM methods and techniques for monitoring the environment and planning remediation. Signal attenuation and the requirement for ground truth calibration serve as primary restrictions to the research. This study improves the strategy for monitoring the subsurface hazardous waste plumbing by providing an easily applicable approach.