SEDIMENT QUALITY ASSESSMENTS IN CARBON DIOXIDE CAPTURE AND STORAGE IN MARINE AREAS: AN OVERVIEW

The critical threshold of 400 ppm ofcarbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere was reached on May 2013. Newsystems to capture and store carbon dioxide are currently being developed. Thestorage of CO2 in marine geological formations is one of a portfolioof different options under study to reduce current levels of atmospheric CO2.Storage sites well selected, monitored and managed should ensure permanentcontainment, however, it is necessary to determine the risk of leakage to themarine environment.  The proposedintegrated model for evaluate the quality of the marine environment underdifferent leakage scenarios can contribute to determine the potential pathwaysand environmental effects of leakage of stored CO2 to the marineenvironment. Moreover, this model satisfies the requirements set in theFramework and Guidelines of Risk Assessment and Management of the stored CO2under the seabed set by the OSPAR Convention and the London Protocol to protectthe marine environment. Modified classical methodologies based on aweight-of-evidence approach are used to determine the impact of CO2leaks in the ecosystem quality.  Keywords: Carbon dioxide, Storage, Sequestration, Integrated Method, Risk Assessment,Sediments.