Andrea Falcone

Dr. Andrea Falcone


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

1Year (2026-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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10 February 2026 in Sustainability
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
MDMariagrazia D'Emilio
Mariagrazia D'Emilio
Rosa ColuzziRosa Coluzzi
Rosa Coluzzi
AFAndrea Falcone
Andrea Falcone
VIVito Imbrenda
Vito Imbrenda
Filomena LoffredoFilomena Loffredo
Filomena Loffredo
Maria RagostaMaria Ragosta
Maria Ragosta
Soil monitoring is increasingly important for environmental sustainability and biodiversity protection, as urbanization and industrial development expose fertile land to pollution risks. Soil quality can be assessed through physical–chemical parameters and by analyzing land use evolution, highlighting the need for integrated procedures that jointly address land use transitions and soil health. This study assesses temporal soil changes (2004–2019) in an area affected by impactful industrial activities (Tito Scalo, Southern Italy), alongside major land use transformations. We explore the potential of a procedure based on a combination of standard techniques: analysis of land use/cover changes, magnetic susceptibility measurements from two field surveys (2004 and 2019) as a proxy for heavy metal concentrations, and 226Ra soil concentration measurements, proving to be a decisive factor in better interpreting the evolution of magnetic susceptibility values. Results show that, despite increased industrial activities and expanded sealed areas, magnetic susceptibility values decrease in the second survey. This suggests that policy measures, including temporary suspension of certain industrial activities and remediation efforts, positively influenced environmental quality. The proposed procedure is low-cost, time-efficient, and independent of local geological, bioclimatic, or socio-economic conditions, making it suitable for monitoring areas under high anthropogenic pressure and for evaluating the effectiveness of remediation and recovery strategies supporting mitigation or remediation actions and enabling functional redevelopment of remediated sites.