Airborne hyperspectral remote sensing applications in urban areas: Asbestos concrete sheeting identification and mapping

Previous studies already showed hyperspectral remote sensing attitude in recognition and identification of asbestos-containing roofs. These surfaces, used in both agricultural and urban buildings, represent a strong environmental problem for their proved toxic influence on human health, causing potential pathogenic effects on the respiratory system. In Italy, the law N(o)257/1992 forbade any use of asbestos derived materials and, for what concerns asbestos concrete sheetings, it require the Public Administrations to take a census of buildings with asbestos-containing roofs. The aim of this research was to test the possibility to use the MIVIS (Multispectral Infrared and Visible Imaging Spectrometer) airborne hyperspectral scanner to map asbestos concrete sheeting inside a metropolitan area of north Italy. The paper reports the results obtained from the application of different methods of MIVIS data processing and classification, with reference to two specific cases of study.