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Magnetic measurements and pollutants of sediments from Cauvery and Palaru River, India

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Environmental Geology

Abstract

Rock-magnetic techniques have become a useful tool in environmental issues; in particular, magnetic studies constitute an alternative way to study pollution in different media. The present contribution focuses on magnetic parameters as pollution indicators, especially from their relationship with contents of heavy metals. The work was carried out in two Indian rivers located in Tamil Nadu, southern India. Several sediment samples were collected and studied in the laboratory using magnetic techniques, magnetic susceptibility, anhysteric remanent magnetization, isothermal remanent magnetization, and chemical techniques to determine contents of heavy metals. Magnetic mineralogy indicates the predominance of ferrimagnetic minerals; although magnetite-like minerals are the main magnetic carriers, antiferromagnetic minerals can be present as subordinate carriers. Concentration-dependent magnetic parameters revealed noticeable differences between both rivers, e.g. magnetic susceptibility is four times higher in Cauvery than in Palaru River. Moreover, such increase can be interpreted as “magnetic enhancement” and therefore related to the pollution status. This magnetic enhancement indicated a different pollutant contribution in both rivers, and also, a different spatial distribution along these rivers, where critical (or more polluted) sites were identified. On the other hand, univariate and multivariate statistical analyses—e.g. PCoordA, Multifactorial Analysis of distance, PCA and RDA—were examined, revealing a link between magnetic and chemical variables. Among magnetic parameters, the concentration-dependent magnetic parameters (e.g. magnetic susceptibility) seem to be the most relevant for this study.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the Annamalai University, Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (UNCPBA), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), LEMIT, CICPBA and CONICET for their financial support. We also would like to express our thanks to Dr. Sandra Jurado and Raúl Pérez for their support in chemical determinations. The authors thank the anonymous reviewers for their useful suggestions as well.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CONICET and Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (UNCPBA), Pinto 399, CP 7000, Tandil, Argentina

    Marcos A. E. Chaparro, Ana M. Sinito, Claudia Marinelli & Mauro A. E. Chaparro

  2. Centro de Geociencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Blvd. Juriquilla No. 3001, CP 76230, Juriquilla, Querétaro, México

    Marcos A. E. Chaparro

  3. Department of Physics, Annamalai University, Annamalainagar, 608 002, Tamil Nadu, India

    V. Ramasamy, S. Mullainathan & S. Murugesan

Authors
  1. Marcos A. E. Chaparro
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  2. Ana M. Sinito
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  3. V. Ramasamy
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  4. Claudia Marinelli
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  5. Mauro A. E. Chaparro
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  6. S. Mullainathan
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  7. S. Murugesan
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Correspondence to Marcos A. E. Chaparro.

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Chaparro, M.A.E., Sinito, A.M., Ramasamy, V. et al. Magnetic measurements and pollutants of sediments from Cauvery and Palaru River, India. Environ Geol 56, 425–437 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-007-1180-1

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