• A dynamic approach to urban road deposited sediment pollution monitoring (Marylebone Road, London, UK)

      Crosby, C.J.; Fullen, Michael A.; Booth, Colin A.; Searle, D.E. (Elsevier, 2014-06)
      The use of mineral magnetic measurements (χLF, χARM and SIRM) as a potential pollution proxy using road deposited sediment (RDS) is explored as an alternative means of monitoring pollution on a busy city road. Comparison of sediment-related analytical data by correlation analysis between mineral magnetic, particle size and geochemical properties is reported. Mineral magnetic concentration parameters (χLF, χARM and SIRM) reveal significant (p < 0.001; n = 61) associations with PM1.0, PM2.5 and PM10. Significant associations were also found with mineral magnetic concentrations (χLF and SIRM) and specific concentrations of the elements Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn and Mn (p < 0.001; n = 61). Inter-geochemical correlation analysis found strong associations (p < 0.001; n = 61) between Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn and Mn and suggest anthropogenic enrichment influences. Low χFD% measurements imply an influence of multi-domain mineralogy, indicative of anthropogenic combustion processes. SEM micrographs also support this, as all samples contain Fe spherules indicative of vehicular combustion processes. This study advocates rapid and simple initial assessment of urban pollution episodes using mineral magnetic measurements as a dynamic explorative technology.
    • Application of mineral magnetic concentration measurements as a particle-size proxy for urban road deposited sediments

      Crosby, C. J.; Booth, Colin A.; Worsley, Annie T.; Fullen, Michael A.; Searle, David E.; Khatib, Jamal M.; Winspear, C. M. (Southampton : Wessex Institute of Technology Press, 2009)
      The application of mineral magnetic concentration parameters (χLF, χARM and SIRM) as a potential particle size proxy for urban road deposited sediment collected from Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, U.K. has been investigated. Correlation analyses between each magnetic parameter and traditional particle size classes (i.e. sand, silt and clay) and respiratory health related size classes (i.e. PM10, PM2.5 and PM1.0) are reported. Significant relationships (p <0.01; n = 35) exist between clay content and two of the magnetic concentration parameters (χARM and SIRM). This is also the same for each of the PM10, PM2.5 and PM1.0 sizes. Of the three magnetic parameters, χARM displays the strongest correlation (r = 0.45; p <0.01; n = 35) values and is the most significant parameter, which is consistent with class sizes of each approach. In doing so, these associations indicate mineral magnetic associations have considerable potential as a particle size proxy for determining urban roadside particulate matter concentrations. Given the speed, low-cost and sensitivity of the measurements, this suggests magnetic techniques could be potentially used as an alternative and/or complementary technology for pilot particulate pollution investigations. Furthermore, in certain instances, it could be useful for examining linkages between respiratory health and particulate pollution and vehicle emissions.
    • Magnetic properties of agricultural topsoils of the Isle of Man: their characterization and classification by factor analysis

      Booth, Colin A.; Fullen, Michael A.; Walden, John; Smith, John P.; Hallett, Michael D.; Harris, John; Holland, Kim (Taylor & Francis, 2005)
      A classification system for land potential in agricultural use has identified five soil categories on the Isle of Man (British Isles), based on the nature and properties of parent materials. Each soil category has been sampled and analyzed in terms of mineral magnetic characteristics. This article describes these compositional data and uses multivariate statistics to determine whether Manx soil types can be classified on the basis of their mineral magnetic characteristics. Magnetic data indicate the soils contain low to moderate quantities of magnetic minerals, are dominated by low-coercivity (e.g., ferrimagnetic) mineral types, and contain a range of magnetic domain sizes. Soil parent material is identified as the primary source of magnetic minerals, but parent material texture does not influence magnetic domain size. Multivariate data analysis suggests that mineral magnetic characteristics are appropriate for distinguishing between Manx soil categories and, thus, indicates the generic potential of mineral magnetic methodologies in such studies.
    • Magnetic properties of urban street dust and their relationship with organic matter content in the West Midlands, UK

      Shilton, Vaughan F.; Booth, Colin A.; Smith, Jacqueline P.; Giess, Paul; Mitchell, David J.; Williams, Craig D. (Elsevier, 2005)
      This study demonstrates significant correlations between the organic matter content of urban street dust and certain mineral magnetic properties, which accords with previous work that indicates magnetic parameters offer potential as a proxy for organic content. However, site-specific data demonstrate the relationship can be different for particular roads, even within the same area. This indicates the association may be more complex than previous work proposes and a cautionary note is required. It is recommended that the nature of the relationship between magnetic and organic properties should be fully explored for particular urban environments and individual field settings, before using magnetic measurements as a proxy for organic matter content. Furthermore, whilst soil is believed to significantly contribute to urban street dust, magnetic values in this study are much higher than those previously reported for top-soils and indicate the influence of other sources, such as anthropogenic pollutants. This suggests that using magnetic measurements to discriminate sources of urban particulates has considerable potential for development.
    • Problems and potential of mineral magnetic measurements as a soil particle size proxy

      Booth, Colin A.; Fullen, Michael A.; Walden, John; Worsley, Annie T.; Marcinkonis, Saulius; Coker, Akinwale O. (Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, 2008)
      The use of mineral magnetic concentration parameters (cLF, cARM and SIRM) as a potential particle size proxy for soil samples collected from the Isle of Man (British Isles) is explored as an alternative means of normalizing particle size effects. Comparison of soil-related analytical data by correlation analyses between each magnetic parameter and individual particle size classes (i.e. sand, silt and clay), more discrete intervals within classes (e.g. fine sand or medium silt) and cumulative size fractions (e.g. clay + fine silt) are reported. Both cLF and cARM parameters reveal significant (p <0.05; n = 46), but relatively weak (rs = 0.297 and 0.369), associations with clay content, while cLF, cARM and SIRM parameters have no significant relationship with sand and silt content or any discrete or cumulative size fractions. Contrary to earlier research findings, this indicates that magnetic measurements are not always a suitable particle size proxy and it is only certain environments and/or specific settings that are appropriate for granulometric normalization by this technique. However, if future researchers working in other soil settings can identify a formal predictable relationship, the technique is known to offer a simple, reliable, rapid, sensitive, inexpensive and non-destructive approach that could be a valuable particle size proxy for normalizing particle size effects in soil contamination studies.
    • Use of mineral magnetic concentration data as a particle size proxy: a case study using marine, estuarine and fluvial sediments in the Carmarthen Bay area, South Wales, U.K.

      Booth, Colin A.; Walden, John; Neal, A.; Smith, J.P. (Elsevier, 2005)
      Compositional (non-magnetic) data can correlate strongly with particle size, which deems it appropriate as a particle size proxy and, therefore, a reliable means of normalising analytical data for particle size effects. Previous studies suggest magnetic concentration parameters represent an alternative means of normalising for these effects and, given the speed, low-cost and sensitivity of the measurements may, therefore, offer some advantages over other compositional signals. In this work, contemporary sediments from a range of depositional environments have been analysed with regard to their mineral magnetic concentration and textural characteristics, to observe if the strength and nature of the relationship identified in previous studies is universal. Our data shows magnetic parameters (chi(LF), chi(ARM) and SIRM) possess contrasting relationships with standard textural parameters for sediment samples collected from marine (Carmarthen Bay), estuarine (Gwendraeth Estuary) and fluvial (Rivers Gwendraeth Fach and Gwendraeth Fawr) settings. Magnetic concentrations of sediments from both the marine and estuarine environments are highly influenced by the magnetic contribution of finer particle sizes; Gwendraeth Fawr River sediments are influenced by the magnetic contribution of coarser particle sizes, while sediments from the Gwendraeth Fach River are not influenced significantly by any variations in textural properties. These results indicate mineral magnetic measurements have considerable potential as a particle size proxy for particular sedimentary environments, which in certain instances could be useful for geochemical, sediment transport, and sediment provenance studies. However, the data also highlight the importance of fully determining the nature of the relationship between sediment particle size and magnetic properties before applying mineral magnetic data as a particle size proxy.