A Fuzzy-Based Analysis of Air Particle Pollution Data: An Index IMC for Magnetic Biomonitoring

Abstract

Airborne magnetic particles may be harmful because of their composition, morphology, and association with potentially toxic elements that may be observed through relationships between magnetic parameters and pollution indices, such as the Tomlinson pollution load index (PLI). We present a fuzzy-based analysis of magnetic biomonitoring data from four Latin American cities, which allows us to construct a magnetic index of contamination (IMC). This IMC uses four magnetic parameters, i.e., magnetic susceptibility χ, saturation isothermal remanent magnetization SIRM, coercivity of remanence Hcr, and SIRM/χ, and proposes summarizing the information to assess an area based exclusively on magnetic parameters more easily. The fuzzy inference system membership functions are built from the standardization of the data to become independent of the values. The proposed IMC is calculated using the baseline values for each case study, similar to the PLI. The highest IMC values were obtained in sites close to industrial areas, and in contrast, the lowest ones were observed in residential areas far from avenues or highways. The linear regression model between modeled IMC and PLI data yielded robust correlations of R2 > 0.85. The IMC is proposed as a complementary tool for air particle pollution and is a cost-effective magnetic approach for monitoring areas.

Worldwide Examination of Magnetic Responses to Heavy Metal Pollution in Agricultural Soils

“…In addition to traditional analytical methods, recent advancements have introduced the use of fuzzy models in magnetic monitoring. For instance, a study by Chaparro proposed a magnetic index (IMC) that leverages fuzzy clustering, fuzzy arithmetic, and a fuzzy inference system to analyze relationships between the IMC and PLI, suggesting a promising approach for broader application in environmental matrices such as soils and sediments [45]. The application of magnetic susceptibility measurement techniques for the characterization of soils and geochemistry has consistently been a focal point of research.…”