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Procedia Environmental Sciences 10 (2011) 1370 – 1375

2011 3rd International Conference on Environmental
Science and Information Application Technology (ESIAT 2011)
Conference Title

Magnetic Properties as Indicator of Heavy Metal
Contaminations in Roadside Soil and Dust Along G312
Highways
Peng Qian 1,2,a, Xiangmin Zheng 1, Limin Zhou 1,Qingfeng Jiang 2, Guoyu
Zhang 1, Jian’er Yang 1
1

. Key Lab. of Geographic Information Science of MOE, East China Normal University, Shanghai
2
. School of Geography, Nantong University, Nantong China 226007.
a
qianppdd@163.COM

China

200062;

Abstract
The magnetic properties and heavy metal contamination were used to test the relationship between the anthropogenic
magneticparticles and heavy metals contents in samples of roadside soil and dust from service districts along G312
highways. The results show notable linear correlation between lf and SIRM. Also, low S-300mT values indicate
that the ferrimagnetic minerals contribute more to SIRM, however, incomplete anti-ferromagnetic minerals account
for low proportion. Low values of fd% and the ratios of ARM/SIRM, ARM/ showthe existing of coarsegrained roadside soil and window sill dust. The roadside soils mainly contain single domain and multi-domain
magnetic minerals, and the dusts multi-domain grain magnetic minerals.
lf, SIRM, which are sensitive to
ferrimagnetic minerals, appear similar variations with heavy metals Pb, Zn, Cu. Therefor, coarse-grained (multidomain) ferrimagnetic minerals, which absorbedheavy metals, are the main pollutions in roadside soil and dust along
G312 highways.

© 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of Conference ESIAT2011
© 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of [name organizer]
Organization Committee.
Keywords: soil; dust; magnetic property; contamination; highways

1.Introduction

Highways play an important role in the transportation of productions and lives with the development
of the economy. However, the roadside soil and residential area have been polluted seriously [1, 2] due to
the rapid increasing flow of motor vehicles along highways[3].The pollution sources from highways
include vehicle exhaust, tire-friction fragment, machine oil from engines, androad pitch, etc. Part of the
pollution materials deposit into roadside soil, and the primary heavy metal in these pollutions is Pb,
including other minor metal elements such as Ni, Cd, As, Hg, Cu, Zn[4]. The accumulation of heavy
metals in the roadside soil has potential damage to ecosystem and the food chain, hence threaten the
health of human being[5]. Part of the pollution materials isblown by air to residential area and the air-

1878-0296 © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of Conference ESIAT2011 Organization Committee.
doi:10.1016/j.proenv.2011.09.219

Peng Qian et al. / Procedia Environmental Sciences 10 (2011) 1370 – 1375

blown fine-grained particles (PM10) carrying the heavy metals may influence the human health incase of
inhaling these particles[6].
Environmental magnetism is a relative new science filed that has been developed for 40 years since
1970s[7]. Magnetic measurement, which is quick, simple and economical, has been used extensively in
earth science and environmental science. The application of magnetic measurement to issues of heavy
metal pollutions has been used for different samples such asroadside tree leaves[8], atmospheric
particulates[9], soil[10], marine sediments[11], and river sediments[12].
In this study, the typical human effect particles were investigated, and the magnetic properties and
heavy metal contaminations were used to study the relationships between the anthropogenic magnetic
particles and heavy metals. This research develops a very useful tool to monitor...