Scholarly record
APPLICATION OF MAGNETIC METHODS FOR ESTIMATION OF THE DEGREE OF SOIL POLLUTION IN THE AREA OF VARNA – DEVNJA INDUSTRIAL ZONE
Abstract
Magnetism of soils is determined by the amount of strongly magnetic minerals, which may have different origin – inherent from the parent rocks (lithogenic); “in situ” formed during pedogenesis (pedogenic) and anthropogenic – from atmospheric deposition of particulates emitted from various industrial productions, which together with heavy metals contain also magnetic fraction. Due to the latter contribution, magnetic susceptibility of strongly polluted topsoils is significantly higher than the signal of non polluted sites. This observation is used as a basis for the application of magnetic susceptibility mapping for delineation of polluted soils. The major sources of anthropogenic magnetic particles are emissions from coal burning power plants, metallurgical and metal processing industries, cement production, mining, car traffic. The aim of the present study is to estimate the degree of topsoil pollution with heavy metals of an area of 2800 km2 by using magnetic susceptibility mapping technique. Field measurements are done in a regular grid of 4km, and soil samples for laboratory measurements are taken. Depth variations of magnetic parameters along several different soil types from the area are used to estimate the contribution from natural enhancement. A new approach is proposed to correct the data (field and laboratory) for the effect of different soil types in the area, which is not negligible factor in this case. As a result, more precise lateral distribution of the anthropogenic magnetic fraction is obtained, delineating all affected by pollution regions. The efficiency of the newly proposed method for taking into account differences in soil types is validated through correlation analysis between magnetic parameters and heavy metal content in selected samples. Correlation between the corrected magnetic susceptibility values, Co, Ni, As, Pb and the Enrichment Factors (EF = $\Sigma$Ci/Ck, Ci – measured concentrations of Pb, Zn, Cu, Co, Ni, As; Ck – background concentrations for the corresponding elements) increase after the applied correction.
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References11
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