Magnetic response of Arsenic pollution in a slag covered soil profile close to an abandoned tungsten mine, southern China

Previous studies indicated serious soil arsenic (As) pollution of large spatial extent related to tungsten mining. We performed systematic analyses of magnetic parameters and As contents of a slag covered soil profile close to the abandoned tungsten mine in southern China, in order to discuss the feasibility of using sensitive, non-destructive, and cost-effective magnetic methods for monitoring the soil arsenic content in such arsenic pollution areas. The results indicate that arsenic sulfide entered from slags into the underlying soil and changed to iron arsenate and moveable arsenic ion. The arsenic ions were transported from the upper to the lower part of the soil profile, leading to more serious arsenic pollution at lower levels of the section. Pedogenesis and oxidation of the entered iron and arsenic sulfide resulted in coexistence of magnetite/maghemite and hematite, with different contributions at depths of 125–195 cm, 60–125 cm, and 0–60 cm. The arsenic content is significant positively correlated with the hematite concentration given by the magnetic parameter HIRM and negatively correlated with the S(−300) ratio that measures the relative contributions of magnetite(+maghemite) and hematite. The S(−300) ratio is effective for semi-quantification of soil arsenic content, and may be also used for soil arsenic pollution assessment and monitoring in similar settings of tungsten mining.