Geostatistical risk estimation at waste disposal sites in the presence of hot spotsGeostatistical risk estimation at waste disposal sites in the presence of hot spots Peer-Reviewed Journal Publication Δημοσίευση σε Περιοδικό με Κριτές 2015-11-022009enThe present paper aims to estimate risk by using geostatistics at the wider coal mining/waste disposal site of Belkovskaya, Tula region, in Russia. In this area the presence of hot spots causes a spatial trend in the mean value of the random field and a non-Gaussian data distribution. Prior to application of geostatistics, subtraction of trend and appropriate smoothing and transformation of the data into a Gaussian form were carried out; risk maps were then generated for the wider study area in order to assess the probability of exceeding risk thresholds. Finally, the present paper discusses the need for homogenization of soil risk thresholds regarding hazardous elements that will enhance reliability of risk estimation and enable application of appropriate rehabilitation actions in contaminated areasΔημοσίευση σε επιστημονικό περιοδικό http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Journal of Hazardous Materials2-3164 1185–1190 Komnitsas Konstantinos Κομνιτσας Κωνσταντινος Modis Kostas Elsevier Geostatistics Spatial trend Risk assessment Coal wastes Hot spots