New magnetic proxies to reveal source and bioavailability of heavy metals in contaminated soils

Environmental magnetism plays an important role in monitoring heavy metal pollution, but most studies are confined to indicating only the levels of heavy metals using magnetic parameters. This study established new magnetic proxies for accurately depicting the sources and bioavailability of heavy metals in contaminated soils. We observed different relationships between χ and SIRM in the soils contaminated by non-ferrous metal smelting compared to those polluted by coal combustion and steel smelting. Furthermore, we found that the soft magnetic components (IRMsoft) in the soils were mainly controlled by the non-ferrous metal smelting activities, while the hard magnetic components (HIRM) might be affected by the iron erosion. These new magnetic proxies enriched the source composition spectrum and improved the accuracy of the source apportionment analyses (principal component analysis and positive matrix factorization), yielding a result that was comparable to that by Pb isotope fingerprinting. We also found strong relationships between magnetic parameters (especially IRMsoft) and bioavailable fractions of heavy metals, indicating that magnetic measurement may be a powerful tool for monitoring the bioavailability of heavy metals. This study expands the application fields of magnetism in environmental science research. [Display omitted] •SIRM/χ ratio can discriminate magnetic particles from different emission sources.•HIRM and IRMsoft can distinguish pollutants from Pb/Zn smelting and steel smelting.•IRMsoft is a reliable indicator of heavy metal bioavailability.•Magnetic parameters improve the reliability of PCA and PMF analyses.