Publication
Title
Magnetic monitoring of particulate matter through different environmental receptors
Author
Abstract
The negative impact of particulate matter (PM) on the living environment is undeniable. Various managerial bodies are striving to reduce PM concentrations in the atmosphere and in this respect, reliable monitoring of PM is crucial. Now that it has become clear that different PM components can give rise to different negative effects, more and more voices are calling for the source-specific composition of PM to be monitored, rather than total PM concentrations. Magnetic methods address this new approach by targeting sectors that emit magnetic PM (MPM), such as the metallurgical industry, mainly after heating or combustion of ferrous components. These methods also allow for fast and non-expensive mapping of MPM impacts at high resolution. In practice, materials (receptors) subject to MPM deposition, such as soil and plants, show enhanced magnetic properties, serving as proxy variables for the spatial impact of MPM. The potential of magnetic monitoring has already been demonstrated in homogeneous areas, but its application within the highly fragmented region of Flanders (Belgium) is as yet unknown. Some practical hurdles have to be overcome, and the potential of time-dependent monitoring, where receptors are exposed to MPM during different periods of time, has not yet been fully clarified. This dissertation examines whether and how ambient magnetic measurements can contribute to source-specific PM monitoring. In a 81-km² study area between the ports of Ghent and Antwerp (Belgium), marked by strong MPM deposition of a steel and thermal power plant, the existing good practice for magnetic soil measurements is supplemented with guidelines on suitable survey temperatures, local sampling density and depth soundings in heterogeneous areas. It is recommended not to measure at freezing temperatures and to determine local sampling densities a priori based on the local microvariability in the soil. More measurements should be done where microvariability is high. The distribution of MPM through the soil profile furthermore appears to be strongly influenced by variable land use in heterogeneous areas (forests, arable land and pasture). The spatial impact of MPM deposition is therefore more accurately revealed by integrating magnetic measurements through depth. In addition, as the thermal power plant has shut down in 2010, it is shown how temporary MPM receptors (e.g. grass leaves and plastic coated cardboards; PCCs) can discriminate current MPM deposition patterns from historical patterns revealed by soil magnetic records. Finally, magnetic, morphological and chemical analyses of MPM from the steel plant showed that the proposed magnetic methods alone do not allow for discrimination between different MPM sources. However, the methods do facilitate the shift from concentration- to composition-dependent PM monitoring by revealing total MPM impacts. The economic feasibility of setting up a magnetic network remains unclear, but this research shows that the proposed magnetic approach is suited to map local impacts of MPM pollution through time or detect the effect of mitigation measures.
Language
English
Publication
Ghent : Ghent University / University of Antwerp , 2021
Volume/pages
xxiv, 136 p.
Note
Supervisor: Smedt, De, Philippe [Supervisor]
Supervisor: Samson, Roeland [Supervisor]
Supervisor: Tack, Filip M.G. [Supervisor]
Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Record
Identifier
Creation 07.05.2021
Last edited 07.10.2022
To cite this reference