Author(s)

A. Kapička, E. Petrovský & H. Grison

Abstract

Several studies showed that atmospheric dust contains significant portions of minerals characterized by ferrimagnetic properties. These minerals, mostly iron oxides, can serve as tracers of industrial pollutants in soil layers. In our paper we have investigated magnetic properties of depth soil profiles from the Ore Mountains (Czech Republic), which belong to a highly contaminated, so-called Black Triangle in central Europe. Emissions are determined by considerable concentration of big sources of pollution (power plants burning fossil fuel, metallurgical and chemical industry). Increased values of magnetic susceptibility (25100  10-5 SI) were clearly identified in the top-soil layers. Thermomagnetic analyses and SEM observation indicate that the accumulated anthropogenic ferrimagnetics dominate these layers. Magnetic enhancement is limited to depths of 47 cm below the soil surface, usually in F-H or on the top of Ah soil horizons; deeper soil horizons contain mainly magnetically weak materials and are characterized by much lower values of susceptibility (up to 20  10-5 SI). Significant magnetic parameters (e.g. Curie temperature TC) and SEM results of contaminated topsoils are comparable with magnetic parameters of atmospheric dust, collected (using high-volume samplers) at the same localities. Keywords: atmospheric dust, topsoil pollution, magnetic susceptibility. 1 Introduction Results of regular monitoring provide information on the temporal development of air pollution and spatial distribution of the pollutants concentration over the territory of Czech Republic. Distribution of the pollutants is very complex and depends upon several factors. Emissions from local heating, traffic and partly

Keywords

atmospheric dust, topsoil pollution, magnetic susceptibility