Tracing of traffic-related pollution using magnetic properties of topsoils in Daejeon, Korea

Abstract

AbstractThe present study was designed to explore the possibility of roadside pollution screening using magnetic properties of topsoil samples in Daejeon, South Korea. Low-field magnetic susceptibility, frequency dependence of magnetic susceptibility, susceptibility of anhysteretic remanent magnetization, isothermal remanent magnetization (IRM) acquisition and demagnetization, back-field IRM treatment, and thermal demagnetization of composite IRM were determined for roadside topsoil samples. Magnetic susceptibility measured on 238 samples from the upper 5 cm of the topsoils ranged from 8.6 to 82.5 × 10–5 SI with a mean of 28.3 ± 10.8 × 10–5 SI. The proximal zone, 55 m wide area situated on either side of the main street, exhibited an enhancement of magnetic susceptibility. In areas distant from the main street, low magnetic susceptibility (< 50 × 10–5 SI) was observed. The topsoil samples exhibited significant susceptibility contrasts, suggesting that two dimensional magnetic mapping was effective in identifying traffic-related pollution. A few magnetic hotspots with intensities of magnetic susceptibility near or over 50 × 10–5 SI might reflect the difference in topographic elevation and surface morphology. Among various IRM-related parameters, remanence of coercivity was most significant statistically. In most samples, IRM component analysis provided dual coercivity components. Thermal demagnetization of composite IRM and morphological observation of magnetic separates suggest angular magnetite produced by vehicle non-exhaust emissions spherical magnetite derived from exhaust emission to be the dominant contributors to the magnetic signal. It is likely that lower- and higher-coercivity components represent the presence of coarse-grained angular magnetite and fine-grained spherical magnetite, respectively.