Abstract
The application of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to the simultaneous analysis of heavy metal concentration in soil samples was demonstrated in this paper. Two spectral techniques, namely, attenuated total reflectance (ATR) and diffuse reflectance (DRIFT), were applied and the whole infrared spectral region, i.e., far IR, mid IR, and near IR were considered in this work. Spectral data with reference to the results of laboratory analysis enabled the development of calibration partial least squares (PLS) models. The PLS models for the ATR near IR were characterized by a good fit and good prediction abilities. According to the results obtained, the most accurate description and prediction were realized in the case of mid/far and near IR for the mercury and nickel concentration in soil. Application of far IR slightly improved the prediction possibilities of the model. The construction of PLS models based on the Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra enables the perception of FT-IR spectroscopy as a supplementary method that is useful in the estimation and monitoring of the contamination level in soils.
Highlights
The assessment of the degree of soil pollution with heavy metals is still a serious challenge for scientific departments dealing with this problem
The application of Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) enables the simultaneous determination of several harmful metals in soil samples, which impacts the cost, speed, and effectiveness of environmental monitoring
Such results indicated that FT-IR can be considered as a supplementary method to other traditionally used instrumental methods for determining metal content, such as ICP-OES
Summary
The assessment of the degree of soil pollution with heavy metals is still a serious challenge for scientific departments dealing with this problem. The recognition of areas potentially contaminated with heavy metals is legally sanctioned in many countries. A typical procedure for determining the degree of contamination of soil is based on sampling in accordance with the designated grid, an analysis of the contamination levels in the laboratory, and the interpretation of test results based on geostatistical methods. Used methods for determining heavy metal content, such as inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry [3], are time-consuming and expensive. In connection with the above, potential use of infrared spectroscopy as a new, less time-consuming, and less expensive method for determining the physicochemical parameters of soils has been studied for several years
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