Magnetic particles were separated from soil and sediment samples from the Sarigiol basin in northwestern Greece in order to study their morphological characteristics with scanning electron microscopy. They appear in the form of octahedrons and spheres and they have lithogenic and anthropogenic source, respectively. The source of the lithogenic magnetic particles is the ophiolite complexes at the NE and SW part of the basin while the fly ash and its dispersion from the two power plants located in the research area is the source of the anthropogenic magnetic particles. The surface structure of magnetic particles is either simple or more complex while the average size of the spheres is 10-50 μm. Highest values of the ratio of the anthropogenic to lithogenic magnetic particles at the NE and locally at the NW, N and SW part of the study area are a strong evidence of the environmental footprint that anthropogenic activities have at the upper soil horizons of the Sarigiol basin
