Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) of Epilithic Material in Streams has a Potential for Monitoring Impact from Mining

Abstract

There is an increasing demand for cost-effective methods for environmental monitoring, and here we assess the potential of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) on epilithic material from streams (material covering submerged stones) as a new method for monitoring the impact of pollution from mining and mining-related industries. NIRS, a routine technique in industry, registers the chemical properties of organic material on a molecular level and can detect minute alterations in the composition of epilithic material. Epilithic samples from 65 stream sites (42 uncontaminated and 23 contaminated) in northern Sweden were analyzed. The NIRS approach was evaluated by comparing it with the results of chemical analyses and diatom analyses of the same samples. Based on Principal Component Analysis, the NIRS data distinguished contaminated from uncontaminated sites and performed slightly betterthan chemical analyses and clearly betterthan diatom analyses. Of the streams designated a priori as contaminated, 74% were identified as contaminated by NIRS, 65% were identified by chemical analysis, and 26% were identified by diatom analysis. Unlike chemical analyses of water samples, NIRS data reflect biological impacts in the streams, and the epilithic material integrates impact over time. Given that, and the simplicity of NIRS-analyses, further studies to assess the use of NIRS of epilithic material as an inexpensive environmental monitoring method are justified.