Phys. Chem. Earth (A), Vol. 24, No. 6, pp.

541-543, 1999
Pergamon 0 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd
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Heavy Metals Contamination and Magnetic Susceptibility in Soils

Around Metallurgical Plant
0. fiuria
Department of Geochemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University MlynskA dolina 842 1.5
Bratislava Slovakia

Received 20 May 1996; revised 12 December 1996; accepted 17 November 1998

Abstract 2. The effect of soil contamination with heavy metals

A non-conventional way of utilizing magnetic on magnetic susceptibility
susceptibility - soil kappametry - was tested in the area of a
major metallurgical plant VSi KoSice (East Slovakia). 2.1. Magnetic susceptibility and heavy metals in the soils
Magnetic susceptibility values above background in soil
samples indicate higher concentrations of heavy metals in The humus horizon is the most magnetic one. It is
soil. i.e. the soil kappametly can be used as a preliminary interesting that the concentration of heavy metals increases
quick and inexpensive method for detection of higher frequently with depth but the magnetic properties of heavy
hea1.y metal contents in soils. metal compounds decrease. It is in consequence of iron and
01999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved other transient elements m a ferromagnetic state occur in
this horizon and at the same time this trend is connected to
the electron structure of non-ferromagnetic heavy metals
complexes. These metals are assumed to have the highest
concentration in the humus horizon where more kinds of
1. Introduction
organic ligands occur. These ligands are from humic and
fulvic acids but also from other nonspecific soil organic
Heavy metals are important in several ways: they are used
compounds. The dependence of magnetic properties of
industrially in technologically advanced countries. several
heavy metal complexes on organic matters is explained by
of them are serious carcinogens, some of them are
the ligand field theory which was developed during the
physiologically essential for plants and animals - and thus
1950s by the physicist J. H. van Vleck. This ligand theory
have a direct bearing on human health and agricultural
is defined by Cotton - Wilkinson (1973) like a theory of an
products - and many of them are significant as pollutans of
origin and a consequence of splitting of ions’ Inside orbits
ecosystem throughout the world. Heavy metals in soils
by their chemical surroundings.
have recently received increasing attention (Singer - Fine
It is natural that ferromagnetic metals account for the
1989. Gruntorad 1993, Hay et al. 1996, Strzyszcz 1996).
increase of values of magnetic susceptibility. Some non-
These findings also provide incentives for the introduction
ferromagnetic heavy metals also account for the increase of
of new non-conventional methods for studying heavy
values of magnetic susceptibility as a consequence of the
metals. The soil kappametry is one of these methods.
effect of humic and fulvic and nonspecific organic
compounds in the humus horizon.
It copes with a preliminary estimate of heavy metals’ total
amount in the soil to use the soil kappametry There was
(brespondence to.
verified (Curia et al. 1993) that detected values of
0. buria Department of Geochemistry Faculty of Natural
magnetic susceptibility of soils’ samples above background
Sciences Comenius University Mlynska dolina pav. G 842
indicate higher concentration of heavy metals in soil. This
IS Bratislava Slovakia
knowledge was applied to the surroundings of dry refuse
c-mail: kgecfc/lfns.uniba.sk
heap of the VSi KoSice. This metallurgical plant is located
in the east Slovakia.

541
542 0.D&a: Soils Around Metallurgical Plant

2.2. Magnetic susceptibility in soils around VSi KoSice Table 1. The average values ofmagnetic susceptibility and content of metals
at depths of 0,20 and 40 cm.
(metallurgical plant) dry refuse heap
depth Ocm n 2ocm n 4ocm n
This heap is the largest industrial dump of the VSi plant
at present. It is characterized by high concentration of
these elements: Fe, As, Mn, Cr, Pb and Hg (Hoppan - x(lO~‘SIu)
Balgava 1992). The refuse heap is located in the southern cultivated soil 96,l 89 78,5 74 78,9 27
part of the plant and east of the village of Vel’ka Ida, uncultivated soil 190,4 42 97,0 37 46,5 6
separated from the village only by a road. foot of dump 803,O 7 561,O 4
The soil around the refuse heap are built by superficial
loamy soils with thickness from 0.3 to 0.7 m. The grey Fe (%)
brown topsoil is rich in the plant residues. Deeper soils are cultivated soil 2,63 21 2,49 24 2,65
brown - grey brown sandy or clayey. These loams pass with uncultivated soil 235 4 2,52 6
depth to layers of gravels, with transitional contact between
foot of dump 7,34 2 3,31 2
them (Frankovic 1967).
Measurements were taken along profiles situated in the
southwest to the southeast part of refuse heap i.e. Ni @pm)
cultivated soil 30,57 21 31.65 24 31,22
approximately 2.5 km’. The measurement interval was 150
m. A total of 138 points on 19 profiles were measured. uncultivated soil 35,15 3 31,63 6

Magnetic susceptibility was measured in three horizons - foot of dump 37,09 2 34,67 2
at the land surface, at a depth of 20 cm and at the depth of
40 cm. In addition it was measured in cultivated and Co @pm)
uncultivated soils (Tab. 1). cultivated soil 8,07 21 7,02 24 8,28
The values of magnetic susceptibility decrease with the uncultivated soil 8.80 4 7,22 6
depth and the highest values are at the soil surface as a foot of dump 5,61 2 9,95 2
consequence of heavy metals from the atmosphere
accumulating in the topsoil to a depth of lo-15 cm
Cd (PP~)
(Alloway 1990). This explanation does not apply to the
cultivated soil 1,26 21 1.22 24 1,21
cultivated soils, because these are overturned yearly. Their
uncultivated soil 0,98 4 0,94 6
values of magnetic susceptibility differ little each other and
foot of dump IO,39 2 2,99 2
are lower than the values of uncultivated soil. On the other
hand these values are higher in cultivated soil at a depth of
40 cm. The heavy metals contents in the soil have also this Pb @pm)
dependence, based on the correlation between magnetic cultivated soil 36,00 21 35,21 24 33,51
susceptibility values and heavy metals concentration uncultivated soil 39,33 4 39,04 6
(Curia et al. 1993). This is very evident from the foot of dump 293,20 2 87,90 2
dendogram (Fig. 1) which shows the weak relation of
both Ni and Co with kappa because they represent only zn (PPN
cultivated soil 61,20 21 60,92 24 56,60

1 .o 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.0 uncultivated soil 64,60 4 69,14 6

foot of dump 1060,lO 2 306,40 2

Hg
kappa Hg (PPm)
Fe cultivated soil 0,089 21 0,086 24 0,080
uncultivated soil 0,104 4 0,094 6
ZIl
Nm foot of dump 1,500 2 1,175 2

Cd
Pb background values, while other elements and especially Fe
co show strong relation with kappa due to their antrophogenic
origin.
Ni
The samples near the refuse heap show differences
particularly due to the refuse heap material there. Values of
Fig. 1 Dendogram showing the groups revealed by the heavy magnetic susceptibility and heavy metals are several times
metals at the surface soil higher than their values in surroundings.
 0. fit&a: Soils Around Metallurgical Plant 543

Fig. 3 The Isolines of heavy metals content at the sod surface ippm)

The clrange in tnagnetic susceptibility values as

dependence on their distance from the refused heap is The author is gratefid to Open Society Fund Bratislava Slovakia. Geoproduct
Banskri Bystrica Slovakia and EnviGeo Bansk& Hyntrica Slovakia for their
shoun in the figure 2. This figure shows the spatial financial support
variation of magnetic susceptibility values at the soil
surface. The highest values of magnetic susceptibility and
hence heavy metals content are near the refuse heap and J. References
to the south and the southwest.Higher values of
magnetic susceptibility were found at the reference point in Alloway. B.J. (eds.). Heavy metals in soils. Blackie -
this direction, 7 krtt from the village of GomboS. while the Glasgow and London. 339.1990
same vahtes were measured at 1.5 km southeast of the Cotton. F A.. Wilkinson. F.K.S .Anorganic Chemlstq >\c.ldenua Praha.
refuse heap. This is due to prevailing winds. 1102. 1973 (In Czech)
&?a. 0.. (iregor. T.. Antalovi. S The efiect of the heaw metals soil
The individual heavy metal does not correspond directly
contamination on magnetic susceptibility. Acta I!niv. Carol Cieol37 (I-
to magnetic susceptibility. but their sum corelates with Z), 13%143,1993
magnetic susceptibility values (compare Fig. 2 and Fig. 3). Frankovii-, .I, One stage - research VS.% aluv~um of IlomLd TIYZI. IGIIP
zilina Geofond Bratislava. 35, 1967 (In slow&)
There are the same forms of isolines there and the
(inmtorz5d. J.. New possibilities for utilizing magnetic susceptibility
influence of traffic too. Similar trends of changes of heavy mra..urement m sods Geol. ptizkum Pmha. 7-X. 206.21 I. 1993 (In
metals content were observed at depths of 20 cm too. Czech)
Hay, K.L.. Daring, J.A., Baban, S.M.J.. A preluninar); attempt to &dent!@
pollution partlculatss m English topsod. using magnetic susceptibility.
Annales Geophysicae Part 1, Supplement I to Volume 14. EGS. 145. 1996
Hoppan. J , BalgavP. V., Dv retised heap - material rcvaluatmn .APS-
3. Conslusion ECOS K&x. 12. 1992 (In slovak)
I. The magnetic susceptibility values decrease with their Mikl’qev, J.V.. ?ogolev. St... A continuity of the solI magnetic

distance from the source of contamination (refuse heap). susceptihihty anomahes and the hthogrochemical acrohcs of the OI-LI
clement\ in the space Vest I.eningr un-ta, 7. 14. 26-3X 1990 (In nxs )
2. Enhanced magnetic susceptibility values occur in the Singer. M.J., Fine. P., Pedogenic factors affecting magnetic susceptibility of
uppermost part (humus horizon) of the soil profile and nathem California soils. Soil. Sci. Sac Am. J.. 53, 1 119-l127. 1989
they decrease downward. Strz)iszcz, Z,., Hea\?/ metals contamination and magnetic susceptibility m

3. Changes of heavy metal levels in soils are accompanied

cods of southern Poland. Annales Geophysicae Part I. Supplement I to
Volume
14. EGS. 146. 1996
with magnetrc susceptibility values.
1. Values of a magnetic susceptibility of soil’s samples
above background indicate higher concentration of heay
metals in soil. i.e. the soil kappametry can be used like a
preliminary quick and cheap method for the detection of a
higher content of heavy metals in the soil.