engleski

Environmental Hotspot Screening/Monitoring in Spremberg and Weißwasser Area, Germany: Detailed Surface/Soil Profile Magnetics

The area between Spremberg and Weisswaser, Germany, is affected and contaminated by anthropogenic input. The objective of research was to use magnetic susceptibility measurements on topsoil to detect, map and characterize anthropogenic pollution from fly-ash dust. Fieldwork was done in Eastern Germany (Lausitz area – part of so called “The black triangle”, open pit coal mining and coal power plants area) using only older forest soils to assure against recent human activity. Various field instruments were used for magnetic susceptibility detecting, mapping and soil sampling. Among other prototype of instrument for magnetic susceptibility down-hole logging: SM400, and professional GPS (Global Positioning System) instrument were used The new instrument SM400 (ZH Instruments, Brno) for in situ down-hole magnetic susceptibility measurements was first time ever tested on the field. Additional lab work includes series of experiments on room, low (from –195°C) and high temperatures (up to 700°C) in order to identify and characterize magnetic phases and susceptibility. Obtained results are found to be comparable and acceptable. It is found that major contribution to magnetic susceptibility is coming from magnetite-like phase. Magnetite particles are of spherical shape, as a final product of hard coal combustion then fast cooling in power plant’s chimneys, after oxidation of pyrite and other iron sulphides, and then spread as fly-ash by wind over the wider area. Therefore the main contribution to heavy metal contamination is given by iron. Far most important sources of contamination are, most probably, nearby thermoelectric power plants Schwarze Pumpe and Boxberg. SM400 proved to be an efficient tool for indicating and environmental monitoring of potentially contaminated areas.

Environmental monitoring; soil magnetics; magnetic susceptibility; SM400; Spremberg; Weisswasser; Germany

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