Multifractal IDW interpolation and fractal filtering method in environmental studies: an application on regional stream sediments of (Italy), Campania region

In recent years environmental geochemical mapping has assumed an increasing relevance and separation of background values to evaluate pollution is, probably, even more critical than the separation between background and anomalies in mineral prospecting studies. The recognition of background values assumes particular relevance as a function of national environmental legislation, which fixes intervention limits for some elements, such as the harmful ones (e.g. As, Cd, Hg, Pb). In this paper a recently developed multifractal IDW interpolation method and a fractal filtering technique are applied to separate natural background and anthropogenic values for the compilation of environmental geochemical mapping from stream sediment samples of Campania region (Italy), where no mineralization occurs. To discuss the application of these recently developed techniques the elements Pb and U were selected because they show two completely different situations, the high Pb values being mostly of anthropogenic origin and high U values being mostly of geogenic origin. The new fractal filtering method works well in both extreme situations. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.