Integrating Land Cover Change Analysis and Innovative Monitoring for Soil Degradation Assessment in Areas Under High Anthropogenic Pressure

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.