Standards for the contents of heavy metals and metalloids in soils

Abstract

In line with the present-day ecological and toxicological data obtained by Dutch ecologists, heavy metals/metalloids form the following succession according to their hazard degree in soils: Se > Tl > Sb > Cd > V > Hg > Ni > Cu > Cr > As > Ba. This sequence substantially differs from the succession of heavy elements presented in the general toxicological GOST (State Norms and Standards) 17.4.1.02-8, which considers As, Cd, Hg, Se, Pb, and Zn to be strongly hazardous elements, whereas Co, Ni, Mo, Sb, and Cr to be moderately hazardous. As compared to the general toxicological approach, the hazard of lead, zinc, and cobalt is lower in soils, and that of vanadium, antimony, and barium is higher. The new sequence also differs from that of the metal hazard in soils according to the Russian standard on the maximal permissible concentration of mobile metal forms (MPCmob): Cu > Ni > Co > Cr > Zn. Neither an MPCmob nor an APCmob has been adopted for strongly hazardous thallium, selenium, and vanadium in Russia. The content of heavy metals in contaminated soils is very unevenly studied: 11 of them, i.e., Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni, Cd, Cr, As, Mn, Co, Hg, and Se, are better known, while the rest, much worse, although there are dangerous elements (Ba, V, Tl) among them.