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Application of Fuzzy Logic to Qualify the Environmental Impact in Abandoned Mining Sites

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Abstract

This work deals with the topic of qualification and prioritization of environmental impact in abandoned mining sites using fuzzy logic. It aims to classify old mining sites and describe their environmental impact through a numeric index. This is variable in the interval [0,1], and was named as index of environmental impact (I EI). Its determination was made through a fuzzy inference system that allows the integration of several characterization components. The system was supported by data obtained in five sites in NW Portugal, which is a paradigmatic region regarding the variety of typical environmental problems provoked by old metallic mines. These sites may be considered environmental patterns as they represent such regional diversity. In a general way, the I EI can be applied to other sites where the existence of abandoned mining structures generates environmental impact.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the anonymous reviewers for the valuable comments and suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Investigação Geológica, Ordenamento e Valorização de Recursos (CIG-R), Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal

    Teresa Maria Valente & Carlos Leal Gomes

  2. Centro Algoritmi, Universidade do Minho, Campus de Azurém, 4710, Guimarães, Portugal

    Manuel Joao Ferreira

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  1. Teresa Maria Valente
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  2. Manuel Joao Ferreira
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  3. Carlos Leal Gomes
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Correspondence to Teresa Maria Valente.

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Valente, T.M., Ferreira, M.J. & Gomes, C.L. Application of Fuzzy Logic to Qualify the Environmental Impact in Abandoned Mining Sites. Water Air Soil Pollut 217, 303–315 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-010-0587-6

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