The necessity of ascertaining contamination by dust using soil spectral reflectance as its indicator

Pollution of the urban environment by human disturbances and activities is a negative externality of urbanization, therefore becoming a great concern due to the serious problems associated with human health. The mobilization of heavy metals into the biosphere by human activities has become an important process in the geochemical recycling of these metals. Though the risks of exposure to road dust have been reported to be higher for individuals than those in soil, little attention has been paid to the occurrence characteristics of heavy metals in dust and its associated health risks to the population. In the present studies, the physical, chemical and spectral signatures gained from dust and soil constituents would be differentiated based on their reflectance in specific bands of the electromagnetic spectrum. It is expected that the analysis of road dust and soil samples will indicate spectral signatures exhibiting differences in specific wavelengths of the spectrum, hence, indicating their spectral discrimination, as well as the presence of heavy metals showing its reflectance based on its concentration. The expected outcome of this study can be used to provide a theoretical basis for controlling the risk of heavy metals exposure to population. © The Authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2021.