Multi-methodological geophysical approach for contamination detection in a high flood risk area (southern Italy)

Due to very fast industrial growth and urbanization, problems of environmental contaminations are growing rapidly. The soil and groundwater pollution is one of the most important concerns that have received attention at local, regional and global levels because of their impact on public health. The use of geophysical techniques is of great help for environmental studies because they not only give the localization of polluted areas, but also provide an estimate of the extent of contamination, through the determination of the most likely contaminated volumes. To identify possible soil and groundwater contamination, integrated analysis of resistivity, chargeability and self-potential data has been performed in a survey area located in the town of Castel San Giorgio (Salerno, Italy) in the western basin of Solofrana river valley. This area is periodically affected by flooding induced by severe or significant rainfall, which cause the river to overflow and contribute to potential soil and groundwater contamination by heavy metals discharged from the tanning plants operating in the upper part of the valley.