Abstract
To implement the Soil Protection Act of 1986, the Dutch Ministry of Housing, Physical Planning, and Environment has recently proposed a list of soil quality reference values. These values are, as yet, insufficiently based on ecotoxicological evidence. In this paper, a three-step procedure of risk assessment for soil contaminants is proposed. Arguing from experimental results concerning no observed effect concentrations for a set of selected soil organisms, the method aims at protecting a certain fraction of soil life, taking factors such as soil organic matter and clay content into account. When applied to cadmium, a concentration protecting 95% of soil invertebrates is estimated as 0.16 μg/g for a standard soil. The value of 0.8 μg/g, as proposed by the Dutch authorities, may, given the present variation and uncertainty of toxicity data, protect about 85% of the soil invertebrate fauna. It is concluded that even low levels of cadmium in soil may endanger the functioning of some sensitive soil animal species.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
