Correlation between Geochemical and Multispectral Patterns in an Area Severely Contaminated by Former Hg-As Mining
In the context of soil pollution, plants suffer stress when exposed to extreme concentrations of potentially toxic elements (PTEs). The alterations to the plants caused by such stressors can be monitored by multispectral imagery in the form of vegetation indices, which can inform pollution managemen...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-12-01
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| Series: | ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2220-9964/9/12/739 |
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| author | Carlos Boente Lorena Salgado Emilio Romero-Macías Arturo Colina Carlos A. López-Sánchez José Luis R. Gallego |
| author_facet | Carlos Boente Lorena Salgado Emilio Romero-Macías Arturo Colina Carlos A. López-Sánchez José Luis R. Gallego |
| author_sort | Carlos Boente |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In the context of soil pollution, plants suffer stress when exposed to extreme concentrations of potentially toxic elements (PTEs). The alterations to the plants caused by such stressors can be monitored by multispectral imagery in the form of vegetation indices, which can inform pollution management strategies. Here we combined geochemistry and remote sensing techniques to offer a preliminary soil pollution assessment of a vast abandoned spoil heap in the surroundings of La Soterraña mining site (Asturias, Spain). To study the soil distribution of the PTEs over time, twenty-seven soil samples were randomly collected downstream of and around the main spoil heap. Furthermore, the area was covered by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) carrying a high-resolution multispectral camera with four bands (red, green, red-edge and near infrared). Multielement analysis revealed mercury and arsenic as principal pollutants. Two indices (from a database containing up to 55 indices) offered a proper correlation with the concentration of PTEs. These were: CARI2, presenting a Pearson Coefficient (PC) of 0.89 for concentrations >200 mg/kg of As; and NDVIg, PC of −0.67 for >40 mg/kg of Hg. The combined approach helps prediction of those areas susceptible to greatest pollution, thus reducing the costs of geochemical campaigns. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T14:10:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3750da9c03b147138856705b0e14d4e6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2220-9964 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T14:10:33Z |
| publishDate | 2020-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information |
| spelling | doaj.art-3750da9c03b147138856705b0e14d4e62023-11-21T00:12:09ZengMDPI AGISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information2220-99642020-12-0191273910.3390/ijgi9120739Correlation between Geochemical and Multispectral Patterns in an Area Severely Contaminated by Former Hg-As MiningCarlos Boente0Lorena Salgado1Emilio Romero-Macías2Arturo Colina3Carlos A. López-Sánchez4José Luis R. Gallego5Environmental Biogeochemistry & Raw Materials Group and INDUROT, Campus de Mieres, University of Oviedo, C/Gonzalo Gutiérrez Quirós. S/N, 33600 Mieres, SpainEnvironmental Biogeochemistry & Raw Materials Group and INDUROT, Campus de Mieres, University of Oviedo, C/Gonzalo Gutiérrez Quirós. S/N, 33600 Mieres, SpainDepartment of Mining, Mechanical, Energetic and Civil Engineering, University of Huelva, 21819 Huelva, SpainEnvironmental Biogeochemistry & Raw Materials Group and INDUROT, Campus de Mieres, University of Oviedo, C/Gonzalo Gutiérrez Quirós. S/N, 33600 Mieres, SpainSMartForest Group, Department of Organisms and Systems Biology, Polytechnic School of Mieres, University of Oviedo, 36000 Mieres, SpainEnvironmental Biogeochemistry & Raw Materials Group and INDUROT, Campus de Mieres, University of Oviedo, C/Gonzalo Gutiérrez Quirós. S/N, 33600 Mieres, SpainIn the context of soil pollution, plants suffer stress when exposed to extreme concentrations of potentially toxic elements (PTEs). The alterations to the plants caused by such stressors can be monitored by multispectral imagery in the form of vegetation indices, which can inform pollution management strategies. Here we combined geochemistry and remote sensing techniques to offer a preliminary soil pollution assessment of a vast abandoned spoil heap in the surroundings of La Soterraña mining site (Asturias, Spain). To study the soil distribution of the PTEs over time, twenty-seven soil samples were randomly collected downstream of and around the main spoil heap. Furthermore, the area was covered by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) carrying a high-resolution multispectral camera with four bands (red, green, red-edge and near infrared). Multielement analysis revealed mercury and arsenic as principal pollutants. Two indices (from a database containing up to 55 indices) offered a proper correlation with the concentration of PTEs. These were: CARI2, presenting a Pearson Coefficient (PC) of 0.89 for concentrations >200 mg/kg of As; and NDVIg, PC of −0.67 for >40 mg/kg of Hg. The combined approach helps prediction of those areas susceptible to greatest pollution, thus reducing the costs of geochemical campaigns.https://www.mdpi.com/2220-9964/9/12/739soil pollutionminingmultispectral imagesUAVvegetation index |
| spellingShingle | Carlos Boente Lorena Salgado Emilio Romero-Macías Arturo Colina Carlos A. López-Sánchez José Luis R. Gallego Correlation between Geochemical and Multispectral Patterns in an Area Severely Contaminated by Former Hg-As Mining ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information soil pollution mining multispectral images UAV vegetation index |
| title | Correlation between Geochemical and Multispectral Patterns in an Area Severely Contaminated by Former Hg-As Mining |
| title_full | Correlation between Geochemical and Multispectral Patterns in an Area Severely Contaminated by Former Hg-As Mining |
| title_fullStr | Correlation between Geochemical and Multispectral Patterns in an Area Severely Contaminated by Former Hg-As Mining |
| title_full_unstemmed | Correlation between Geochemical and Multispectral Patterns in an Area Severely Contaminated by Former Hg-As Mining |
| title_short | Correlation between Geochemical and Multispectral Patterns in an Area Severely Contaminated by Former Hg-As Mining |
| title_sort | correlation between geochemical and multispectral patterns in an area severely contaminated by former hg as mining |
| topic | soil pollution mining multispectral images UAV vegetation index |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2220-9964/9/12/739 |
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