José Luis Rodríguez Gallego

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• Dr
• Professor (Full) at University of Oviedo

Industrial sites affected by anthropogenic contamination, both past and present-day, commonly have intricate pollutant patterns, and source discrimination can be thus highly challenging. To this goal, this paper presents a novel approach combining multivariate statistics and environmental forensic techniques. The efficiency of this methodology was...

Zero valent iron nanoparticles (nZVI) attract interest given their effectiveness in soil remediation. However, little attention has been given to their impacts on plants. Likewise, although fertilizers are commonly used to enhance phytoremediation, their effects on As mobilization, resulting in potential toxic effects, require further study. In thi...

Background and aim. The use of amendments to immobilize metals in polluted soils is a widely accepted remediation approach, and in the framework of the circular economy, amendments produced from mining and/or biomass waste have gained relevance. However, the application of such amendments can also mobilize metalloids. Here we propose the combinatio...

Graphene oxide (GOx) is a nanomaterial with demonstrated capacity to remove metals from water. However, its effects on organic pollutants and metal(loid)s present in polluted soils when used for remediation purposes have not been extensively addressed. Likewise, few studies describe the effects of GOx on edaphic properties and soil biology. In this...

The combination of a low-density geochemical survey, multispectral data obtained with Unmanned Aerial Vehicle-Remote Sensing (UAV-RS), and a machine learning technique was tested in the search for a statistically robust prediction of contaminant distribution in soil and vegetation for zones with a highly variable pollutant load. To this end, a nove...

This study is the first to provide detailed lists of the flora of the Cantabrian Mixed Forests, including endemics and critically endangered taxa, offering an essential foundation for biodiversity conservation in the region. Over 25 years (2000–2024), more than 200,000 records have been collected through citizen science, highlighting the role of pl...

This study evaluated two phytoremediation strategies at an active open-pit mining site within a dunite deposit, an ultramafic igneous rock rich in nickel. The strategies included phytostabilization for tailings, which are fine fractions resulting from rock processing, and phytoextraction for mining soil, composed of natural soil aggregates mixed wi...

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is essential for maintaining ecosystem health, and its depletion is widely recognized as a key indicator of soil degradation. Activities such as mining and wildfire disturbances significantly intensify soil degradation, leading to quantitative and qualitative declines in SOC. Accurate SOC monitoring is critical, yet tradit...

Wildfires have a significant impact on Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) content and fractionation. Here we used Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (DRS) and Machine Learning (ML) algorithms, particularly decision tree-based ones, to assess post-wildfire changes in labile, removable, and recalcitrant SOC fractions across six distinct areas with varying wildf...

Here we describe two innovative approaches for remediating sediments contaminated with organotin compounds (OTCs, mainly TBT) and metal(loid)s. The first involves chemical stabilization through amendments with nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI), dunite mining waste, and coal tailings, materials that have not been previously studied for OTC remediati...

Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) has emerged as a promising method for managing wet biodegradable organic wastes while producing carbon-rich materials for soil improvement. This study examined five common waste types: organic fraction of municipal solid waste, green waste, grape bagasse, wood waste, and cheese whey. They were processed by pilot-sca...

La minería de carbón en el norte de España, particularmente en Asturias, ha sido una actividad económica clave durante décadas. Sin embargo, el declive de este sector ha dejado numerosos espacios degradados, como es el caso de la mina a cielo abierto de Tormaleo. Estos lugares presentan una oportunidad única para proyectos de restauración ambiental...

Mining is a cornerstone of the productive system, particularly in sectors, such as renewable energy and electronic equipment production, where its significance is anticipated to grow in the coming years. Aligned with the principles of Nature-Based Solutions and Zero Waste policies, recycling mining waste as soil amendments could concurrently restor...

We present the Three-Parameter Penalized Attributive Analysis for Upgrading (3PPAA-U) method as a tool for selecting the Best Upgrading Condition (BUC) in process engineering. Conventional approaches tend to consider only maximizing recovery (ε) and minimizing yield (γc); in contrast, the proposed 3PPAA-U introduces and seeks to maximize a third pa...

Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) at temperatures of 150-250°C and self-generated pressures of 1−5 MPa is an efficient technology to convert wet biomass wastes into stable carbon-rich solids (hydrochars) with great potential for energy production/storage, soil amendment, sustainable construction, adsorption, catalysis, etc., within a circular econom...

Spatial modelling of Soil Organic Carbon fractions in a degraded coalmining area through UAV and Sentinel-2

Here we addressed the capacity of distinct amendments to reduce arsenic (As), copper (Cu), selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn) associated risks and improve the biogeochemical functions of post-mining soil. To this, we examined nanoparticles (NPs) and/or biochar effects, combined with phytostabilization using Lolium perenne L. Soil samples were taken in a f...

The recurrence and severity of wildfire is on the rise due to factors like global warming and human activities. Mediterranean regions are prone to significant wildfire events, which cause extensive damage to ecosystems and soil properties. This study focuses on the municipality of Allande in southwestern Asturias (Spain), a region highly affected b...

Here, we propose two-parameter penalized attributive analysis, PPAA-U, a novel heuristic tool for selecting the best upgrading conditions (BUCs) for soil washing. Given a multi-component feed and a specific set of operating conditions, PPAA-U generates a quality index based on how well recoveries for key components are maximized while minimizing th...

Sucrose foams are novel nanocomposites to remediate co-contaminated soils without affecting pH and EC or Fe availability in the soils.

Phytoremediation is a cost-effective nature-based solution for brownfield reclamation. The choice of phytoextraction or phytostabilization strategies is highly relevant when planning full-scale treatments. A suitable approach to identify such species involves the evaluation of plants that grow spontaneously on the contaminated sites. Here, we sough...

We present the first application of electrostatic separation for soil washing. Soil samples were collected from the PTE-containing area of La Cruz in Linares, southern Spain. Using a single-phase high-tension roll separator with voltages ranging from 20 kV to 41.5 kV, we achieved yield values between 0.69% and 9%, with high recovery rates for certa...

Preservation of the environment of the Riutort oil shale mine for more than a century has favored the presence of a paradigmatic ecosystem of oil-degrading microorganisms. After extensive sampling and analysis by 16S rRNA sequencing, a marked prokaryotic community comprising diverse groups of bacteria (genus such as Methyl-obacter, Thiothrix, and D...

Permeable Pavement systems (PPS) are one of the most used and studied Sustainable Drainage techniques, providing great benefits in pollutant reduction. However, the fate of filtered pollutants in these systems is still not fully considered. For these reasons this experimental work analyzed the sediments deposited over two permeable surfaces commonl...

Phytoremediation is a cost-effective nature-based solution for brownfield reclamation. The choice of phytoextraction or phytostabilization strategies is highly relevant when planning full-scale treatments. A suitable approach to identify such species involves the evaluation of plants that grow spontaneously on the contaminated sites. Here, we sough...

Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) frequently coexist in soils near industrial areas and sometimes in environmental compartments directly linked to feed (forage) and food (milk) production. However, the distribution of these pollutants along the dairy farm production chain is unclear. Here, we analyzed soi...

Atmospheric concentrations of 18 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured in a rural area in northern Spain. Both the gas phase and particulate fraction were determined to evaluate the types and abundance of PAHs taken up by vegetation and the historical record of PAH deposition in an ombrotrophic peatland over the last 300 years. The...

Abandoned brownfields represent a challenge for their recovery. To apply sustainable remediation technologies, such as bioremediation or phytoremediation, indigenous microorganisms are essential agents since they are adapted to the ecology of the soil. Better understanding of microbial communities inhabiting those soils, identification of microorga...

Introduction To reduce the stream of solid waste going to landfills, innovative means for beneficial use are essential. The diversity and volume of organic wastes pose singular problems and opportunities for recovery and circularity. Common processes for organics include conversion to biofuels and carbonization to biochar, typically done by torrefa...

Biochar is a promising material used for multiple remediation approaches, mainly in polluted soils. Its properties can differ depending on feedstock and pyrolysis temperature. In this context, we tested the capacity of three biochar products made from corncob, pyrolyzed at different temperatures (350, 500, and 650 °C), to remediate a mining soil af...

An innovative combination of metagenomic profiling of microbial communities and GC-MS & Pyrolysis-GC-MS fingerprinting methods were used to assess the biodegradation of contaminated soil from the Burgan oil field in Kuwait. The soil was treated with (sludge) compost in microcosms to evaluate the feasibility of this material for bioremediation purpo...

The remediation of legacy metal(loid) contaminated soils in-situ relies on the addition of [organic] amendments to reduce the mobility and bioavailability of metal(loid)s, improve soil geochemical parameters and restore vegetation growth. Two vermicomposts of food and animal manure waste origin (V1 and V2) were amended to an arsenic (As) and copper...

Due to high mercury and arsenic toxicity, post-mining Hg-As-contaminated sites can cause varied and complex environmental and health problems. The aim of the study was to demonstrate the significance of the health risk assessment tool for remediation of post-mining soil contaminated with Hg and As. The aim was achieved via (1) assessing health risk...

Present work focuses on the operational conditions for improving the degradation rates of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPHs) in contaminated soil from a machinery park were optimized at a microcosms scale along a 90-days incubation period. In this study, bioremediation strategies and an organic amendment have been tested to verify the remediation...

The remobilization of metals accumulated in contaminated soils poses a threat to humans and ecosystems in general. Tracing metal fractionation provides valuable information for understanding the remobilization processes in smelting areas. Based on the difference between the isotopic system of Cd and Zn, this work aimed to couple isotope data and th...

La mineralización de oro en el yacimiento El Valle (Asturias, España) corresponde a dos tipos diferentes de skarn (cálcico y magnésico). En este yacimiento, el Se es un elemento traza presente en la mineralización, y se ha observado que el agua drenada de la actividad minera presenta concentraciones anómalas de este metaloide. En este trabajo se ab...

Bacteria play crucial roles in the biogeochemical cycle of arsenic (As) and selenium (Se) as these elements are metabolized via detoxification, energy generation (anaerobic respiration) and biosynthesis (e.g. selenocysteine) strategies. To date, arsenic and selenium biomineralization in bacteria were studied separately. In this study, the anaerobic...

Shewanella sp. O23S (Shewanella baltica) was isolated from a dissimilatory arsenate-reducing bacteria (DARB) microbial mat that inhabits the bottom sediments from an ancient gold mine (Złoty Stok, SW Poland) [1]. This strain is unusual in its versatile metabolism of selenium (Se) and arsenic (As), being capable of both detoxification and respiratio...

Although different amendments have been used for the immobilization of metals and metalloids in contaminated soils, in most of them there are still important challenges that need to be faced in order to achieve an optimal result. In this work, a new material based on a carbon foam impregnated with goethite nanoneedles has been developed with the ai...

Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) are contaminants with high toxicity and complex geochemical behaviour and, therefore, high PTEs contents in soil may affect ecosystems and/or human health. However, before addressing the measurement of soil pollution, it is necessary to understand what is meant by pollution-free soil. Often, this background, or pol...

Mineral processing and metallurgy production centers may leave a far-reaching fingerprint of soil contamination. This scenario is particularly relevant in the mining district of Linares (Southern Spain), where former industrial sites are now dedicated to other land uses. Within this context, we selected five sectors of concern in Linares region, wh...

Control of Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) in soil-polluted areas is needed to address the potential risk that pollution poses to public health and the environment. This study describes an innovative holistic methodology to assess the distribution of PTEs. It is based on the application of multi-variate statistical and geostatistical algorithms ,...

Background Mercury (Hg) is recognized as one of the 10 most toxic elements in nature and is much more persistent in soils than in other environmental compartments. However, an effective, environmentally friendly, economical, and large-scale applicable technology for the remediation of soils contaminated by Hg has not yet been established. This stud...

The treatment of metal‐laden industrial effluents by reverse osmosis is gaining in popularity worldwide due to its high performance. However, this process generates a polymetallic concentrate (retentate) stream in need of efficient post‐treatment prior to environmental discharge. This paper presents results on the bioremediation (in batch mode) of...

Background: Mercury (Hg) is recognized as one of the 10 most toxic elements and is much more persistent in soils than in other environmental compartments. However, an effective, environmentally friendly, economical, and applicable at large-scale technology for the remediation of soils contaminated by Hg has not yet been established. This study eval...

Mining and biomass waste were used to remediate a brownfield affected by As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn pollution in a pilot scale experiment, and a plant used for phytoremediation purposes was used as an indicator of possible toxicological effects. To carry out the experiments, plots in field conditions were treated with magnesite (mining waste), magnesite...

Industry is constantly searching for methods to treat waste fluxes in an attempt to minimize its environmental impact. Reverse osmosis (RO) is an efficient treatment system, generating a permeate stream (purified water passing through the membrane) and a retentate stream, which concentrates the constituents rejected by the membrane. Currently, a ho...

Phytoremediation of mine soils contaminated by potentially toxic elements (PTEs) requires the use of tolerant plants given the specific conditions of toxicity in the altered soil ecosystems. In this sense, a survey was conducted in an ancient Hg-mining area named “El Terronal” (Asturias, Spain) which is severely affected by PTE contamination (As, H...

Phytomanagement techniques using native species allow the recovery of contaminated soils at low cost and circumvent the ecological risks associated with the use of non-native species. In this context, a paradigmatic brownfield megasite highly contaminated by As and Pb was sampled in order to analyze soil–plant interactions and identify plant specie...

The determination of soil screening levels (SSLs) for contaminant elements is a key factor to calculate the Risk-Based Soil Screening Levels (RBSSL), which mark the threshold of ecotoxicological risk for human health. Despite of their importance in health studies, obtaining these values (SSLs) is often complex since they depend on multiple factors...

Here we addressed the remediation of a soil severely contaminated by Cu, Cd, Pb and Zn. In this regard, we tested the capacity of magnesite and biochar, inorganic and organic soil amendments respectively, to reduce metal availability and improve soil properties. To this end, 1-kg pots containing the polluted soil were amended with either magnesite...

Nanoscale Zero-Valent Iron (nZVI) is a cost-effective nanomaterial that is widely used to remove a broad range of metal(loid)s and organic contaminants from soil and groundwater. In some cases, this material alters the taxonomic and functional composition of the bacterial communities present in these matrices; however, there is no conclusive data t...

Nanoremediation is a promising technology for soil reclamation. This approach consists of soil amendment with nanomaterials to immobilize inorganic pollutants by means of sorption, precipitation, or oxidation/reduction mechanisms. The core-shell structure of zero-valent iron nanoparticles supports several immobilization mechanisms, as demonstrated...

In the context of soil pollution, plants suffer stress when exposed to extreme concentrations of potentially toxic elements (PTEs). The alterations to the plants caused by such stressors can be monitored by multispectral imagery in the form of vegetation indices, which can inform pollution management strategies. Here we combined geochemistry and re...

In this work, we studied the soil washing of an As-polluted soil utilizing Wet High Intensity Magnetic Separation (WHIMS) after pre-treatment with nanoparticles. First, Fe-Ni nanoparticles of high saturation magnetization and appropriate size were synthesized. Soil samples were then pre-treated with a dose of nanoparticles before undergoing magneti...

Here we tested the capacity of zero valent iron nanoparticles (nZVI) combined with two organic amendments, namely, compost and biochar, to immobilize metal(oid)s such as As, Cu, Pb, and Zn. In addition, the effects of the amendments on the development of Brassica juncea L., a plant widely used for phytoremediation purposes, were also examined. To p...

Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) is a hazardous compound for human health and for environmental compartments. Its transfer and deposition through the atmosphere affects soil quality. In this context, we quantified the content of BaP and other Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the soils of a prominent Coal Region in Transition to test whether the soil...

Commercial magnetite nanoparticles (NPs) were used to immobilize As and organic pollutants, mainly PAHs, in a polluted soil. The composition, structure and morphology of the NPs were examined by means of electron microscopy, X-ray analysis, infrared spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, thermogravimetric analysis, and magnetic property determinat...

The demand for soils for recreational uses, gardening, or others in urban and periurban areas is increasing, and thus the presence of polluted technosols in these areas requires nature-based in situ remediation technologies. In this context, the capacity of three amendments, namely zero valent iron nanoparticles (nZVI), compost and a mixture of com...

A bioslurry reactor was designed and used to treat loamy clay soil polluted with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). To this end, biostimulation alone, or combined with bioaugmentation with two bacterial strains (Rhodocccus erythropolis and Pseudomonas stuzeri) previously isolated from the polluted site, was applied. The PAH concentrations dec...

Background Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) is a hazardous compound for human health and for environmental compartments. Its transfer and deposition through the atmosphere affects soil quality. In this regard, soil screening levels are commonly used to monitor the degree of soil contamination. However, these thresholds are often established without considering...

Arsenic is a potentially toxic element of concern for environmental compartments, and it is a frequent pollutant in many abandoned industrial sites. In this study, geochemical and hydrogeological tools were used to determine the long-term effects of As-rich pyrite ash disposal (83,000 m³ as estimated by geostatistical tools) in a brownfield located...

Hg and As mining-metallurgy plants have severely impacted environmental compartments. La Soterraña site (northern Spain) has been previously studied in this context. However, here we used a novel multi-purpose forensic approach to examine accumulations not only of mining-metallurgical waste (volumes above 80,000 t) but also C&D waste as a repositor...

The environmental forensics approach is most often applied in petroleum and fuel spill incidents, for which sophisticated chemical fingerprinting procedures have evolved. In cases in which pollutant discharges occur in settings with prior contamination, more care must be taken in source discrimination, requiring further advances in methodology. Add...

The application of new learning methodologies in subjects related to engineering is required for students to develop their transversal skills, such as teamwork, creativity, problem-solving and the development of scientific thinking. On this account, Design Thinking was applied in the Mining Resources Prospecting module of the bachelor's degree in M...

In the interest of applying active learning methodologies, the students of the Wastes and Polluted Soils module of the Master's degrees in Civil Engineering of the University of Oviedo participated in an applied activity following the case-method approach. Through interdisciplinary working groups, students had to outline a preliminary design with p...

The capacity of graphene oxide nanoparticles (nGOx) to reduce or increase As and metals availability in polluted soils was compared with that of zero valent iron nanoparticles (nZVI). The nanomaterials used in this study were characterized by X-ray techniques, CHNS-O analysis, dynamic light scattering, and microscopy procedures such as atomic force...

Samples from 13 beaches along the northern Spanish coast, a region with a history of heavy industries, were first screened to identify signs of pollution. High concentrations of Hg and Ba on Vega beach were found, both elements belong to the fluorite ore paragenesis, mined in the surroundings. Samples of beach and fluvial sediments, and nearby soil...

Background An essential requisite for controlling and monitoring mercury in the environment is to identify its species in different types of soils and sediments, as this will help not only to establish its mobility in the environment and ecosystem and the degree of its toxicity, but also to establish the source of contamination. The objective of th...

The distribution of Potentially Toxic Elements is a major concern in environmental science since an exposure to high concentrations may affect human, animal or plant health. In this regard, soils are highly exposed to the entrance of hazardous elements due to diffuse pollution. Thus giving rise to areas where the concentrations of certain pollutant...

Evaluación de la contaminación por Hg y As en los suelos del entorno de la mina de La Soterraña (Asturias): Aproximación mediante geoquímica e imágenes dron multiespectrales Mercury and arsenic soil pollution assessment in the surroundings of La Soterraña mine (Asturias): A geochemical and multispectral imagery camera drone approach. Resumen: La ri...

Gold ores in skarns from the El Valle deposit (Asturias, Spain) are formed by two different Cu-Au skarn types, calcic and magnesian in the Cambrian limestones and dolostones. In the Skarn mineralization, Se is an abundant trace element. Due to the mining activity of the gold deposit, the drained water presents anomalous Se concentrations. The objet...

The circular economy seeks to minimize the use of raw materials and waste generation. In this context, here we addressed the use of dunite mining tailings and subproducts to stabilize metal(oid)s in polluted soils. We first characterized the dunite mining tailings and subproducts, and a paradigmatic polluted soil in depth to determine their chemica...

The inorganic content of the well-preserved 3.2-m record of Las Conchas bog (NW Spain), covering 8000 cal yr BP., was analysed. To study natural vs. human contributions, we applied an innovative approach, namely the sequential study of multivariate statistics (factor analysis followed by clustering of the factor score matrix) and enrichment factors...

The capacity of two iron-based nanomaterials, namely goethite nanospheres (nGoethite) and zero valent iron nanoparticles (nZVI), to immobilize As in a polluted soil was evaluated and compared. The composition and morphology of the products were studied by energy dispersive X-ray analysis and transmission electron microscopy, while zeta potential an...

Identifying inorganic and organic soil contaminants in urban brownfields can give insights into the adverse effects of industrial activities on soil function, ecological health, and environmental quality. Liberty State Park in Jersey City (N.J., USA) once supported a major rail yard that had dock facilities for both cargo and passenger service; a p...

Evaluar Evaluar la efectividad del uso de nZVI en un ensayo en campo para reducir la disponibilidad de As y Hg en el brownfield de El Terronal, así como su estabilidad en el tiempo. Objetivo Metodología Agradecimientos: proyectos CTM2016-78222-C2-1-(AEI/FEDER, UE), FP-16-NANOREMED (IMIDRA), LIFE+ project I+ DARTS (LIFE11 ENV/ES/000547), Grupo de in...

Soil Screening Levels (SSLs) for contaminant elements are threshold values of reference, and they are required by many environmental studies and laws. SSLs are based on soil geochemical background data from sampling areas that are often extensive (regional SSLs). Regional SSLs are sometimes inappropriate for interpreting the true risk of pollution...

En este trabajo se presentan las propuestas de estudiantes del Master de Ingeniería de Caminos de la Universidad de Oviedo para los baldíos industriales del eje fluvial del Nalón a su paso por Langreo. Los componentes principales del estudio son la regeneración ambiental de los terrenos contaminados mediante técnicas de fitorremediación y lavado de...

In the last decade, several laboratory-scale experiments have shown the use of nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) to be effective in reducing metal(loid) availability in polluted soils. The present study evaluates the capacity of nZVI for reducing the availability of As and Hg in brownfield soils at a pilot scale, and monitors the stability of the i...

Soil screening levels (SSLs) are reference threshold values required by environmental laws, established based on soil geochemical background data from often-extensive sampling areas. Such areas are often inappropriate for interpreting the true risk of pollution in small areas, since they overlook local factors (e.g., geology, industry, and traffic)...

The impact of mining activities on the environment is vast. In this regard, many mines were operating well before the introduction of environmental law. This is particularly true of cinnabar mines, whose activity has declined for decades due to growing public concern regarding Hg high toxicity. Here we present the exemplary case study of an abandon...