Using Susceptibility Measurements on Polluted Areas by Exhaust Gases

Abstract

Exhaust gases pollution is one of the most important environmental threats; therefore its detailed study is of great importance. Rapid and cheap methods have been developed recently which is shown the dimensions of distribution of the heavy metal pollution, one of them being based on soil-magnetic parameters. These methods are cheaper and less time-consuming against chemical methods. In the present paper, it was examined the use of soil magnetic susceptibility methods designed to assess the degree of pollution in the samples taken from the soil surface of side of heavy traffic roads. Heavy metal pollution at near highways were tried to show by field and laboratory magnetic susceptibility measurements. These measurements were made to find out the distribution of heavy metallic elements deposited from exhaust gases in area near the high way. The first field was selected form west of Trabzon; the other one is west of Erzurum. When these areas were selecting, it was paid attention to little variation sediments homogeneity. Then taken samples from these areas were used to take laboratory susceptibility and geochemical measurements. The samples (taken Portland cement to be homogeny) exposed to exhaust gases, which were diesel, gasoline and gasoline containing lead for showing the changing with time. Geochemical results confirmed that near highway had relatively low magnetic susceptibility values, whereas sediments away from the highway exhibited relatively high magnetic susceptibility levels consistent with normal background geology. It is concluded that using low field magnetic susceptibility measurements could provide heavy metal pollution distribution at near highway.