Spectroscopic signatures for expeditious monitoring of contamination risks at abandoned coal mine sites

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2025

Authors

Aurora Futuro Silva (Author) FEUP; Jelena Milinovic (Author) FCUP; Patrícia Santos (Author) Other

Journal

The Journal is awaiting validation by the Administrative Services.

Title: CHEMIE DER ERDE-GEOCHEMISTRY

Vol. 85

ISSN: 0009-2819

Indexing

Scopus - 0 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-018-J6Y

DOI: 10.1016/j.chemer.2025.126292

Abstract (EN): Soil acts as a natural `filter¿, playing a crucial role in the transfer of geogenic and anthropogenic pollutants from abandoned coal mine sites to surrounding water bodies. Key indicators of soil contamination, such as pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and organic matter (OM), expressed as loss-on-ignition (LOI), can signal contamination risks when they deviate from optimal ranges. To enable sustainable risk assessment through monitoring of pH, EC, and LOI, streamlined spectroscopic techniques Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), near-infrared (NIR), Raman, and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) were applied in combination with multivariate analysis (MVA), to soil samples from two abandoned coal mines in NW Portugal. Partial least squares (PLS) regression models demonstrated that XRF spectroscopic data provided the most accurate assessment of soil pH, EC, and LOI at the local scale (R2 = 0.92¿0.99). The most significant spectroscopic signatures, identified through weighted regression coefficients (Bw), enabled robust predictions of these key soil parameters. These findings highlight that these geochemical variables outperform molecular spectroscopy techniques for efficient and environmentally relevant risk monitoring of contamination in abandoned coal mine sites. © 2025 The Authors

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific