Background value of magnetic susceptibility in forest topsoil: Assessment on the basis of studies conducted in forest preserves of Poland

Publication date: 15 February 2016
Source:Geoderma, Volume 264, Part A
Author(s): Adam Łukasik, Tadeusz Magiera, Jarosław Lasota, Ewa Błońska
Magnetic susceptibility measurement helps detect the presence of natural and anthropogenic ferro/ferrimagnetic minerals in the soil. In this study, the topsoil horizons were studied for magnetic susceptibility and heavy metal (HM) contents. The samples were collected from 171 soil profiles located in forest preserves equally distributed over an area of Poland. The investigated soils represented a broad range of distinctive soil types. The magnetic susceptibility values (mean χ=23×10⁻⁸ m³·kg⁻¹) and heavy metal contents were relatively low, for both the upper organic and mineral horizons. These findings suggest that the forest preserve soils were only slightly polluted because of urban and industrial dust depositions. Due to the origin of the soil samples, the obtained results helped determine the background value for the magnetic susceptibility of the forest topsoil in Polish lowlands and uplands.