Effect of Thermal Change by Ground Source Heat Pumps on Groundwater and Geoenvironment in the Late Pleistocene Terrace Area of Tokyo, Japan

Soil and underground water pollution by waste heat in urban area is linked to the development of underground commercial facilities and subways and to the installation of ground source heat pump (GSHP) systems. In this study, we carried out laboratory tests of the dependence of dissolution elements on temperature, using boring core samples taken from the central Tokyo area in order to reduce the risks to underground water pollution by installed GSHP system. Our results demonstrate that we have to be careful not to risk contaminating shallow groundwater with hazardous elements, including marine and/or volcanic sediments, and by oxidizing the environment.