Development of In-House Reference Materials for the Composition of Soils Polluted With Heavy Metals

Abstract

Pollution of agricultural soils with heavy metals is an acute problem both in Russia and globally. The use of standard methods for soil monitoring is hampered by the need to regularly modernize monitoring equipment. Therefore, the development of matrix multicomponent reference materials (RM) for the composition of soils contaminated with heavy metals in concentrations exceeding their limiting values in natural soils is a highly relevant research task.To develop in-house multicomponent RMs of soil composition with the certified value of mobile forms of copper, zinc, lead, cadmium, nickel, cobalt and manganese in concentrations exceeding their trace levels.Soils for the development of RMs were collected in residential areas of the Vladimir Oblast and Chelyabinsk Oblast subjected to technogenic pollution. Samples were prepared according to a conventional methodology. The metrological characteristics of the developed RMs were determined by the method of interlaboratory comparison with the participation of 59 accredited testing laboratories. The mobile forms of heavy metals were determined by the atomic absorption method. An assessment of the error and uncertainty of the certified RM value was performed.Two in-house RMs of the composition of soils containing mobile forms of copper, zinc, lead, cadmium, nickel, cobalt and manganese at the level of tens of maximum allowable concentrations were developed. The developed RMs were found to be homogeneous in terms of all certified indicators. The calculated error did not exceed admissible values. The shelf life of RM samples was determined to be two years.The developed in-house RMs can be used for supporting agroecological monitoring and research programmes.