Note: when you collect the sample, the sample itself becomes somewhat magnetized. So, while you can put the sample under a microscope and check what you have (I found many spheres in between metallic debris), you can improve the sample and get rid of almost all the magnetized, metallic debris by heating it to a high temperature -- and removing water at the same time.
Put the sample in a test tube and gradually heat it, but not too fast as it may crack the glass. Heating randomizes the iron atoms and the substance loses its magnetism, or most, and the sample becomes easier to manipulate.
Put the cooled sample on a flat surface, a porcelain plate works fine, and gently tap the plate which gradually sorted the spheres at the bottom. ((For ex-hippies, this technique should be familiar if only for a different, more "recreational' purpose"!! ))
Those small round, barely visible spheres that collect at the bottom are what you see in the Photo 3 above -- a line of demagnetized microspheres.
I encourage you to try it, if only to show yourself what it is that coal-burning coal plants contaminate our air, our land, our water and just how widespread and prevalent are the particles" Do your own checking around, get samples from different sources.
Living around a coal plant, I think, will result in far greater concentrations (per square yard) of these metallic spheres than say, a sample that comes from a remote valley region like in Idaho, Montana, or maybe your neighborhood -- but I think that these days, there isn't any region that doesn't have at least a few of these metallic spheres per square foot.
I'll be collecting samples for both pollutant particles like these from the ground -- as well as for micrometeorites using a wide basin -- but doing this from ground-surface samples has been an eye-opener.
Very similar in appearance to my images, Photo 4 is from a Physics website that has a Defense Department photo of micrometeorites. Many have a translucent appearance. Note the two with a pearl-like appearance at the lower left.
(Photo 4) Defense Department photo from physics website showing micrometeorites.
Thought I'd pass this on to those interested in contamination from coal-plants -- and other sources.
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Portions of Dr. Izquierdo's letter to me (translated) regarding source of spheres:
(English version)
Dear Mr."(Plenum)",
I received your email with images attached.
