Title: |
Road Testing of ‘Trigger Values’ for Assessing Site Specific Soil Quality. Phase 1 – Metals
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Resource Type: |
document --> technical publication --> report
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Country: |
United Kingdom
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Year: |
2008 |
Availability: |
Science Report – SC050054SR1
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Author 1/Producer: |
Environment Agency
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Other Authors/Producers: |
Nicholson, F. A., Boucard, T., Chambers, B. J., Merrington, G.
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Author / Producer Type: |
Agency, regulator or other governmental or inter-governmental body
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ISBN: |
978 - 1 - 84432 - 953 - 3
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EUGRIS Keyword(s): |
Contaminated land-->Contaminants-->Heavy metals Contaminated land-->Risk assessment-->Risk assessment overview Diffuse pollution-->Contaminants-->Contaminants overview Diffuse pollution-->Processes
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Short description: |
EXTRACT:
The developing policy context, including the need to develop a national soil monitoring
network, led the Environment Agency to undertake a project under the auspices of the
UK Soil Indicators Consortium to identify a number of soil quality indicators and related
‘prompt values’ to be used to assess soil quality against a range of soil related
functions. Soil quality in this context can be defined as the capacity of a specific soil to
function, within natural or managed ecosystem boundaries, to sustain plant and animal
productivity, maintain or enhance water and air quality, and support human health
habitation. ‘Prompt values’ were recommended for a set of indicators to be used within
a tiered hierarchy. ‘Prompt values’ can be considered as values or ranges of values
above or below which a level of change is understood to be critical in terms of the soil’s
fitness for a specific use. The ‘prompt values’ were based on scientific evidence,
modelled datasets and, in some cases, expert opinion.
The soil indicators, which were primarily chosen for their role in indicating adverse
effects upon the soil function of ‘environmental interaction’1, comprised: extractable
phosphorous (Olsen P), soil organic carbon (SOC), pH, bulk density, total nitrogen (N),
and aqua regia extractable (total) cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn) and
lead (Pb). This report focussed on the performance of the ‘prompt values’ for metals.
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Submitted By:
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Professor Paul Bardos WhoDoesWhat?
Last update: 10/12/2008
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