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THE EFFECTS OF AIR QUALITY ON SOIL COMPOSITION IN GEORGIA, U.S.A.**

Abstract

Air and soil are two major components of a healthy ecosystem for plants and animals, which makes understanding and protecting these resources important for land management officials. In our research, we aimed to understand the relationship between air quality and soil composition in Georgia, U.S.A., by looking for correlations between the two among urban and rural locations where air pollutants may differ. We hypothesized that there is a correlation between air quality and soil composition. To examine potential correlations, in the fall of 2022 we collected soil samples within 50 m of eleven Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) air monitoring stations located from Northwest to Central Georgia. EPA air quality data from 2011-2022, showed average particulate matter concentrations differed across our eleven field sites, ranging from 8.25 ppm in rural areas to 10.25 ppm in urban areas. We used x-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF) to determine soil composition and will look for correlations between soil composition and air quality. The results will provide information about how air quality affects soil variance near Atlanta’s urban center to the rural areas of the state. Because soil and air play a major role in the water supply to cities and agricultural production, understanding the relationship between air quality and soil composition can help us mitigate future risk of unwanted pollutant contamination.

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