Magnetic separation and characterization of ferrospheres in contaminated soil
Presentation Type
Abstract
Faculty Advisor
Nina Goodey
Access Type
Event
Start Date
25-4-2025 1:30 PM
End Date
25-4-2025 2:29 PM
Description
Ferrospheres are spherical particles primarily composed of iron oxides. They are commonly associated with pollution from industrial activities and can be indicative of metal contamination in soil. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between ferrospheres and metal concentration by comparing their accumulation at different depths (0–2 cm vs. 8–10 cm), and analyzing their elemental abundance at these depths. Magnetic separation was performed to divide the magnetic and non-magnetic fractions and compare their prevalence in ferrospheres. 25R soil samples were collected from a brownfield site at Liberty State Park, Jersey City, NJ, two from the surface (0–2 cm) and two from the deeper layer (8–10 cm). Each sample was separated into magnetic and non-magnetic fractions, then analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Ten random locations from each fraction were analyzed at magnifications of 60x and 120x. Preliminary results indicated that magnetic samples from the surface layer contained higher numbers of ferrospheres (8 ferrospheres per sample) compared to non-magnetic samples (5 ferrospheres per sample) and no significant difference in count between the top and bottom magnetic samples. Ferrospheres in deeper layers appeared more irregularly shaped which could be due to the lower abundance of metals (Al, Fe, Mn) revealed through EDS analysis. These findings highlight the association of ferrosphere accumulation with metal contamination at the surface, and the potential implications for understanding metal mobility in soils. This study provides valuable insights into the role of ferrospheres in environmental contamination and their potential to act as indicators of pollution.
Magnetic separation and characterization of ferrospheres in contaminated soil
Ferrospheres are spherical particles primarily composed of iron oxides. They are commonly associated with pollution from industrial activities and can be indicative of metal contamination in soil. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between ferrospheres and metal concentration by comparing their accumulation at different depths (0–2 cm vs. 8–10 cm), and analyzing their elemental abundance at these depths. Magnetic separation was performed to divide the magnetic and non-magnetic fractions and compare their prevalence in ferrospheres. 25R soil samples were collected from a brownfield site at Liberty State Park, Jersey City, NJ, two from the surface (0–2 cm) and two from the deeper layer (8–10 cm). Each sample was separated into magnetic and non-magnetic fractions, then analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Ten random locations from each fraction were analyzed at magnifications of 60x and 120x. Preliminary results indicated that magnetic samples from the surface layer contained higher numbers of ferrospheres (8 ferrospheres per sample) compared to non-magnetic samples (5 ferrospheres per sample) and no significant difference in count between the top and bottom magnetic samples. Ferrospheres in deeper layers appeared more irregularly shaped which could be due to the lower abundance of metals (Al, Fe, Mn) revealed through EDS analysis. These findings highlight the association of ferrosphere accumulation with metal contamination at the surface, and the potential implications for understanding metal mobility in soils. This study provides valuable insights into the role of ferrospheres in environmental contamination and their potential to act as indicators of pollution.
Comments
Poster presentation at the 2025 Student Research Symposium.