Magnetic properties of roadside dust: A case study in Baghdad City, Iraq

Abstract

Abstract Magnetic measurements were carried out on roadside dust from the main urban area of Baghdad City, Iraq. The area is heavy traffic as the highway passes through the area from the southern provinces and the roadside represents an effective trap for dust. Concentration-related magnetic parameters, such as magnetic susceptibility (χ), anhysteretic remanent magnetization (ARM), saturation isothermal remanent magnetization (SIRM), and S-ratio of samples had been measured for four areas (A, B, C, and D). Results showed that a magnetite-like phase prevails the magnetic phases of the street dust. Concentration-dependent magnetic parameters of samples increased on the main roads. Mass-specific magnetic susceptibility (ꭕ) is strongly correlated with the susceptibility of Anhysteritic remanent magnetization (χARM) where the correlation coefficients are 0.7 and 0.9, respectively, indicating that the major participant is ferro(i)magnetic minerals (magnetite). S-ratio supports our hypothesis as the mean values were 0.96, 0.95, 0.97, and 0.96 for the four areas (A, B, C, and D), respectively. The primary anthropogenic sources of street dust magnetic particles are vehicle emissions, tire abrasion, and building materials. These findings enable the use of magnetic techniques as straightforward, quick, and non-destructive tools for determining the levels of heavy metal contamination during the process of urbanization.