Magnetic properties of street dust from Chibi City, Hubei Province, China: Its implications for urban environment

Abstract

Magnetic measurements and heavy metal analyses were performed on street dusts from the main urban area of Chibi (赤壁) City, Hubei (湖北) Province, China. Results revealed that a PSD/MD (pseudo-single-domain/multi-domain) magnetite-like phase dominates the magnetic phases of the street dust. Concentration-related magnetic parameters, such as magnetic susceptibility (χ), anhysteretic remanent magnetization (ARM), and saturation isothermal remanent magnetization (SIRM) of samples increased in the main roads but appeared lower in the landscape area of the Lushui (陆水) Lake and closely correlated with the concentration of heavy metal Fe, Cu, and Co, and the correlation coefficients are 0.786 for Fe-χ, 0.548 for Cu-χ, and 0.580 for Co-χ, respectively. However, much strong correlations between SIRM and the concentrations of heavy metal suggest that SIRM is a better indicator for heavy metal pollution in the street dust in the study area. The magnetic particles in the street dust are mainly derived from anthropogenic activities, such as vehicle emissions, abrasion of tires, coal combustion, cement works, and building materials. These results make it possible to use magnetic techniques as simple, rapid, and nondestructive tools for assessing the heavy metal pollutions in urbanization process.

Keywords

environmental magnetism / street dust / heavy metal / Chibi City

References

[1] Boyko T., Scholger R., Stanjek H., . Top Soils Magnetic Susceptibility Mapping as a Tool for Pollution Monitoring: Repeatability of In Situ Measurements. Journal of Applied Geophysics, 2004, 55: 249-259.

[2] Dearing J. A., Hay K. L., Baban S. M. J., . Magnetic Susceptibility of Soil: An Evaluation of Conflicting Theories Using a National Data Set. Geophysical Journal International, 1996, 127: 728-734.

[3] Dunlop D. J., Özdemir. Rock Magnetism: Fundamentals and Frontiers, 1997, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

[4] Georgeaud V. M., Rochette P., Ambrosi J. P., . Relationship between Heavy Metals and Magnetic Properties in a Large Polluted Catchment: The Etang de Berre (South of France). Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, 1997, 22: 211-214.

[5] Goddu S. R., Appel E., Jordanova D., . Magnetic Properties of Road Dust from Visakhapatnam (India)—Relationship to Industrial Pollution and Road Traffic. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, 2004, 29(13–14): 985-995.

[6] Hanesch M., Rantitsch G., Hemetsberger S., . Lithological and Pedological Influences on the Magnetic Susceptibility of Soil: Their Consideration in Magnetic Pollution Mapping. Science of the Total Environment, 2007, 382(2–3): 351-363.

[7] Hanesch M., Scholger R., Rey D.. Mapping Dust Distribution around an Industrial Site by Measuring Magnetic Parameters of Tree Leaves. Atmospheric Environment, 2003, 37: 5125-5133.

[8] Hansen L. D., Silbermann D., Fisher G. L.. Crystalline Components of Stack-Collected, Size-Fractioned Coal Fly Ash. Environmental Science and Technology, 1981, 15: 1057-1062.

[9] Harrison R. M., Yin J.. Particulate Matter in the Atmosphere: Which Particle Properties Are Important for Its Effects on Health. Science of the Total Environment, 2000, 249(1–3): 85-101.

[10] Hoffmann V., Knab M., Appel E.. Magnetic Susceptibility Mapping of Roadside Pollution. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 1999, 66(1–3): 313-326.

[11] Hunt A., Jones J., Oldfield F.. Magnetic Measurements and Heavy Metals in Atmospheric Particulates of Anthropogenic Origin. Science of the Total Environment, 1984, 33: 129-139.

[12] Iordanidis A. J., Buckman A. G., Triantafyllou A. A.. Fly Ash-Airborne Particles from Ptolemais-Kozani Area, Northern Greece, as Determined by ESEM-EDX. International Journal of Coal Geology, 2008, 73: 63-73.

[13] Jordanova D., Hoffmann V., Fehr T.. Mineral Magnetic Characterization of Anthropogenic Magnetic Phases in the Danube River Sediments (Bulgarian Part). Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 2004, 221: 71-89.

[14] Kapička A., Jordanova N., Petrovský E., . Magnetic Study of Weakly Contaminated Forest Soils. Water Air and Soil Pollution, 2003, 148(1–4): 31-44.

[15] Kim K. W., Myung J. H., Ahn J. S., . Heavy Metal Contamination in Dusts and Stream Sediments in the Taejon Area, Korea. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 1998, 64: 409-419.

[16] Kim W., Doh S. J., Park Y. H.. Two-Year Magnetic Monitoring in Conjunction with Geochemical and Electron Microscopic Data of Roadside Dust in Seoul, Korea. Atmospheric Environment, 2007, 41(35): 7627-7641.

[17] Lu S. G., Bai S. Q.. Study on the Correlation of Magnetic Properties and Heavy Metals Content in Urban Soils of Hangzhou City, China. Journal of Applied Geophysics, 2006, 60: 1-12.

[18] Lu S. G., Bai S. Q., Cai J. B.. Magnetic Properties and Heavy Metal Contents of Automobile Emission Particulates. Journal of Zhejiang University SCIENCE B, 2005, 6(8): 731-735.

[19] Lu S. G., Zheng Y. W., Bai S. Q.. A HRTEM/EDX Approach to Identification of the Source of Dust Particles on Urban Tree Leaves. Atmospheric Environment, 2008, 42: 6431-6441.

[20] Magiera T., Strzyszcz Z.. Ferrimagnetic Minerals of Anthropogenic Origin in Soils of Some Polish National Parks. Water Air and Soil Pollution, 2000, 124: 37-48.

[21] Maher B. A.. Magnetic Properties of Some Synthetic Sub-micron Magnetites. Geophysical Journal International, 1988, 94: 83-96.

[22] McLennan A. R., Bryant G. W., Stanmore B. R., . Ash Formation Mechanism during Combustion in Reducing Conditions. Energy Fuels, 2000, 14: 150-159.

[23] Mullins C. E.. Magnetic Susceptibility of the Soil and Its Significance in Soil Science—A Review. Journal of Soil Science, 1977, 28: 223-246.

[24] Petrovský E., Ellwood B. B.. Maher B. A., Thompson R.. Magnetic Monitoring of Pollution of Air, Land and Waters. Quaternary Climates, Environments and Magnetism, 1999, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 279-322.

[25] Petrovský E., Kapička A., Jordanova N., . Low-Field Magnetic Susceptibility: A Proxy Method of Estimating Increased Pollution of Different Environmental Systems. Environmental Geology, 2000, 39: 312-318.

[26] Querol X., Alastuey A. S., Lopez-Soler A., . Mineral Composition of Atmospheric Particulates around a Large Coal-Fired Power Station. Atmospheric Environment, 1996, 30: 3557-3572.

[27] Rogge W. F., Hildemann L. M., Mazurek M. A., . Sources of Fine Organic Aerosol, 3. Road Dust, Tire Debris, and Organometallic Brake Lining Dust: Roads as Sources and Sinks. Science of the Total Environment, 1993, 27: 1892-1904.

[28] Sokol E. V., Maksimova N. V., Volkova N., . Hollow Silicate Microspheres from Fly Ashes of the Chelyabinsk Brown Coals (South Urals, Russia). Fuel Processing Technology, 2000, 67: 35-52.

[29] Spiteri C., Kalinski V., Rosler W., . Magnetic Screening of a Pollution Hotspot in the Lausitz Area, Eastern Germany: Correlation Analysis between Magnetic Proxies and Heavy Metal Contamination in Soils. Environmental Geology, 2005, 49(1): 1-9.

[30] Strzyszcz Z., Magiera T.. Record of Industrial Pollution in Polish Ombrotrophic Peat Bogs. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, 2001, 26: 859-866.

[31] Thompson R., Oldfield F.. Environmental Magnetism, 1986, London: Allen and Unwin 124-140.

[32] Urbat M., Lehndorff E., Schwark L.. Biomonitoring of Air Quality in the Cologne Conurbation Using Pine Needles as a Passive Sampler—Part I: Magnetic Properties. Atmospheric Environment, 2004, 38: 3781-3792.

[33] Versteeg J. K., Morris W. A., Rukavina N. A.. The Utility of Magnetic Properties as a Proxy for Mapping Contamination in Hamilton Harbor Sediments. Journal of Great Lakes Research, 1995, 21: 71-83.

[34] Xie S. J., Dearing J. A., Bloemendal J., . The Organic Matter Content of Street Dust in Liverpool, UK, and Its Association with Dust Magnetic Properties. Atmospheric Environment, 2000, 34: 269-275.

[35] Xie S., Dearing J. A., Bloemendal J., . Association between the Organic Matter Content and Magnetic Properties in Street Dust, Liverpool, UK. Science of the Total Environment, 1999, 241(1–3): 205-214.

[36] Yang T., Liu Q. S., Chan L. S., . Magnetic Investigation of Heavy Metals Contamination in Urban Topsoils around the East Lake, Wuhan City, China. Geophys. Geophysical Journal International, 2007, 171: 603-612.

[37] Yang T., Liu Q. S., Chan L. S., . Magnetic Signature of Heavy Metals Pollution of Sediments: Case Study from the East Lake in Wuhan, China. Environmental Geology, 2007, 52(8): 1639-1650.

[38] Yang T., Liu Q. S., Zeng Q. L., . Environmental Magnetic Responses of Urbanization Process: Evidence from the Lake Sediments in the East Lake, Wuhan, China. Geophysical Journal International, 2009, 179: 873-886.