Reconnaissance environmental magnetic study of urban soils, dust and leaves from Bogotá, Colombia

Rock-magnetic investigations of environmental samples, such as soils, dust and leaves, can provide useful information on environmental stress. Aim of this paper is to report on the first magnetic survey carried out on environmental samples from Bogotá, Colombia, which is the fifth most populated cit...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Studia geophysica et geodaetica 2013-10, Vol.57 (4), p.741-754
Main Authors: Reyes, Bertha Aguilar, Mejía, Victoria, Goguitchaichvili, Avto, Escobar, Jaime, Bayona, Germán, Bautista, Francisco, Morales, Juan C., Ihl, Thomas J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Air pollution
Atmospheric Sciences
Biomass
Dust
Earth and Environmental Science
Earth Sciences
Environmental stress
Geophysics/Geodesy
Heavy metal content
Leaves
Magnetic fields
Magnetic studies
Public transportation
Sambucus nigra
Soil contaminants
Soils
Structural Geology
Studies
Urban areas
Urban studies
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Summary:Rock-magnetic investigations of environmental samples, such as soils, dust and leaves, can provide useful information on environmental stress. Aim of this paper is to report on the first magnetic survey carried out on environmental samples from Bogotá, Colombia, which is the fifth most populated city of Latin America. We studied three kinds of samples in order to evaluate their potential as pollution markers: soils, urban dust and leaves of the Sauco (Sambucus nigra) tree. Standard magnetic methods were used to analyze the three groups of samples, with special emphasis on leaves investigated here for the first time for environmental purposes. Samples were collected along two perpendicular transects in an area of the city presumably unpolluted, with two different systems of public transportation. Thermomagnetic curves obtained from soils and atmospheric dust show clearly defined ferrimagnetic phase (probably magnetite) as the main magnetic carrier. Curves of acquisition of isothermal remanent magnetization confirm the ferrimagnetic character of magnetic particles. Frequency-dependent magnetic susceptibility was found between 0 and 10%, suggesting less-important contribution of ultrafine super-paramagnetic magnetite. The apparent contradictory results between soils and the rest of samples may reflect different accumulation period for magnetic particles, being shorter for leaves and urban dust than for soils.
ISSN:0039-3169
1573-1626
DOI:10.1007/s11200-012-0682-9