Magnetic anomalies of forest soils in the Upper Silesia–Northern Moravia region

• Published in: Environmental pollution (1987) Vol. 156; no. 3; pp. 618 - 627
• Main Authors: Magiera, Tadeusz, Kapička, Ales, Petrovský, Eduard, Strzyszcz, Zygmunt, Fialová, Hana, Rachwał, Marzena
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2008; Elsevier
• Subjects: Analysis methods; anthropogenic activities; Applied sciences; atmospheric deposition; dust emissions; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Environmental Monitoring - instrumentation; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Exact sciences and technology; forest soils; Heavy metals; Industrial Waste - analysis; industrial wastes; Iron oxides; magnetic anomalies; magnetic properties; Magnetic susceptibility; Magnetics; magnetism; Metals, Heavy - analysis; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; mineral soils; organic horizons; Particulate Matter; Poland; Pollution; Pollution sources. Measurement results; Pollution, environment geology; Soil - analysis; Soil and sediments pollution; soil magnetometry; Soil Pollutants - analysis; soil pollution; spatial distribution; topsoil; Topsoil profiles; Trees; urban areas; Czech Republic; Poland; Europe; Poland, Slaskie, Upper Silesia; Czech Rep; Topsoil profiles; Iron oxides; Heavy metals; Magnetic susceptibility; Atmospheric fallout; Magnetic monitoring; Regional scope; Forest soil; Urban area; Soil pollution; Spatial variation; Heavy metal; Industry; Trace element; Depth profile; Pollution source; Anomaly; Magnetic properties; Anthropogenic factor
• ISSN: 0269-7491; 1873-6424
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2008.06.030

Previous investigations revealed a strong magnetic anomaly due to soil magnetic enhancement in the industrialized cross-border area of Upper Silesia (Poland) and Northern Moravia (Czech Republic). Since industrial and urban dusts contain magnetic particles, this soil magnetic enhancement is assumed to be of anthropogenic origin, caused by a high concentration of atmospherically deposited magnetic particles, accumulated in topsoil layers. This assumption is proved by investigations of vertical profiles of magnetic susceptibility along a transect crossing the border area of the two countries. The results show that the population of magnetic minerals in the organic horizon is different from that in the mineral horizons. The vertical distribution of magnetic susceptibility and thermomagnetic analysis suggests negligible lithogenic contribution. The observed relationship between magnetic susceptibility and some heavy metals, confirmed by micromorphological observations and microchemical analysis of magnetic particles separated from the organic horizons of forest topsoil, has proved the usefulness of soil magnetometry for pollution study. On-site magnetic measurement of vertical topsoil profiles was applied for pollution study related to industrial dust deposition.