A Study about Submarine Sewage Outfalls in the Coastal Region of the State of Paraná - Brazil (26oS 48oW)

Abstract

The following study aims to investigate the dispersion of pollutants in the coastal region of the State of Paraná, located on the southeastern continental shelf of Brazil, which includes two important estuarine systems, Paranaguá Estuarine Complex and Guaratuba Bay. Initially, hydrodynamic simulations were performed through the Delft3D modeling system, with the hydrodynamic module (FLOW); subsequently, the dispersion of pollutants was evaluated, using the Delft3D water quality module (WAQ). Considering that submarine sewage outfalls constitute an excellent solution for an efficient and sustainable management of effluents, the question to be addressed in the study is the possibility of evaluating this solution through numerical modeling. The results of the models are indicative of the best locations for the construction of submarine emissaries, thus constituting an important subsidy in the treatment of sewage in the coast of the State of Paraná, especially for coastal cities that suffer great environmental pressure due to activities related to tourism, fishing and maritime transport. The conclusion of the research is that the implementation and management of submarine outfalls must be done with suitable modeling of both hydrodynamics and dispersion, together with monitoring programs based on field measurements, to validate the models.