Parques eólicos, vulnerabilidade e qualidade das águas subterrâneas nas áreas do entorno da comunidade da Praia de Xavier, Camocim – CE

Abstract

Renewable energy sources have a great role in mitigating negative impacts from traditional energy sources. Brazil has invested extensively in the wind energy sector, eased environmental laws and studies to attract investors and expanded the installation of new wind farms. The Northeast region stands out in this process, with the coast of Ceará as one of the main destinations for the installation of these developments that swell quickly and poorly planned, often disregarding hydrogeological, geomorphological and socio-environmental aspects. It is in this context that the traditional fishing community of Praia de Xavier and its surroundings, which is 370 km from the state capital, Fortaleza, is located at the western end of the Ceará coastal region, in the municipality of Camocim and integrates the rural area. Of one of the three districts of the municipality, Amarelas. This research aimed to study the interference of the wind farm on sedimentary aquifers around the community of Praia de Xavier, as well as the vulnerability and quality of groundwater. The well registration and groundwater analyzes were updated, as well as the vulnerability map was elaborated by the GOD method, underground flow, characterization of the foundations of the wind towers to verify their interference on the dune aquifer, vibrations and modeling with the help of Petrel software and CMEX IMEX simulators. The results of the research are demonstrated through (1) changes in the quality of groundwater, (2) a predominance of moderate to high natural vulnerability of the aquifer to pollution in the areas surrounding the wind farm, (3) not finding the presence of intrusion saline in the analyzed groundwater samples, (4) groundwater is classified as bicarbonated (70%) and magnesian (60%), (5) bacteriological analyzes indicated the contamination of well water by total and thermotolerant coliforms at very high rates above that required by the Ministry of Health, (6) inadequate engineering works caused disturbances on the dune field, the aquifer and its recharge zone, (7) the modeling verified the variation in the permeability of the land, natural depletion of the aquifer and relationship with producing wells. It was found that the wind farm was built in an area of high vulnerability that covers the aquifer recharge zone, which, together with other engineering works interventions, such as compaction, waterproofing the dunes, reduces the renewal of its reserves in the rainy season, affecting its static level and the recharge of the interdunar lagoons.