Magnetic and ground probing radar measurements for soil pollution mapping in the industrial area of Val Basento (Basilicata Region, Southern Italy): a case study

• Published in: Environmental earth sciences Vol. 49; no. 3; pp. 389 - 404
• Main Authors: Chianese, D, D'Emilio, M, Bavusi, M, Lapenna, V, Macchiato, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin Berlin/Heidelberg : Springer-Verlag 2006; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Basilicata Region (Southern Italy); Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Environmental monitoring; Exact sciences and technology; Geophysics: general, magnetic, electric and thermic methods and properties; Ground probing radar (GPR); Heavy metals; Industrial areas; Industrial pollution; Internal geophysics; Magnetic Susceptibility; Magnetometry; Pollution; Pollution levels; Pollution monitoring; Pollution, environment geology; Radar; Soil pollution; Soils; Spatial distribution; Studies; Surficial geology; Topsoil; Vehicle emissions; Waste disposal; Basilicata Italy; Southern Europe; Italy; Italy, Basilicata; waste disposal; chemical industry; heavy metals; kriging; Basilicata Region (Southern Italy); case studies; pollution; human activity; spatial distribution; electromagnetic methods; Magnetometry; Ground probing radar (GPR); soils; Soil Pollution; magnetic anomalies; high resolution; exploration; Europe; industrial waste; pollutants; ground-penetrating radar; contamination; industrial areas; magnetic susceptibility; strategy; radar methods
• ISSN: 0943-0105; 1866-6280; 1432-0495; 1866-6299
• DOI: 10.1007/s00254-005-0082-3

The joint application of electromagnetic techniques for near-surface exploration is a useful tool for soil pollution monitoring and can also contribute towards describing the spatial distribution of pollutants. The results of a geophysical field survey that was carried out for characterizing the heavy metal and waste disposal soil pollution phenomena in the industrial area of Val Basento (Basilicata region, Southern Italy) are presented here. First, topsoil magnetic susceptibility measurements have been carried out for defining the spatial distribution of superficial pollution phenomena in the investigated area. Second, detailed and integrated measurements based on a high-resolution magnetic mapping and ground probing radar (GPR) profiling have been applied to investigate the subsurface in two industrial areas located in more polluted sites that were identified during the first phase. Our monitoring strategy discloses the way to rapidly define the zone characterized by high pollution levels deriving from chemical industries and traffic emissions and to obtain the way information about the presence of local buried sources of contamination.