Huge soil survey shows impact of pollution across 40 years

Scientists from the British Geological Survey have spent 40 years collecting around 58,000 topsoil samples from across the UK and have used their findings to create a geochemical map which is now available for anyone to use. 

Users of the map can select any one of 41 elements, from aluminium to zirconium and instantly see its distribution in soil across the UK. 

Specifically for this study, BGS scientists also collected and examined soil samples from parks and gardens across 25 British cities, finding ‘significantly elevated’ levels of a number of elements such as arsenic and lead.

In the interactive map, these 25 urban areas can be viewed at a an even higher resolution.

An example of how pollution has lead to these significantly high levels of elements can be seen with arsenic. Arsenic occurs naturally, with soil concentrations typically ranging from 0.1 to 40 mg/kg. It is also released into the environment through a range of human activities such as mining and manufacturing. It can also be found in wood preservatives and pesticides.

A random selection on a red (high concentration) area on the map – in the west of Devon, near the Cornwall border – showed a concentration of 413.56 mg/kg. Ten times the upper limit of the ‘typical’ range.

Other elements found in high level elements in urban areas, as a result of environmental pollution, include cadmium, calcium, copper, lead, tin and zinc.

This is the first time that such a huge amount of data has been used to evaluate environmental pollution in the UK. The BGS believe that, apart from  establishing the distribution of potentially harmful elements in the urban environment, it will enhance the understanding of interactions between people and ecosystems and help to focus further research into the effects the soil chemical environment may have on human and ecosystem health.

Paul Everett, geochemical survey expert at BGS, said: ‘This mapping project represents one of the most detailed datasets of its kind anywhere in the world. This data is useful for a multitude of purposes and will help to pave the way for enhanced decision making around the planning and development of the communities in which we live.

‘Through a greater understanding of the mix of geochemical elements, the UK can enhance its strategic land use planning. This will have a significant effect on decision making around land use, environmental hazards, food production, soil health assessments, identifying new opportunities for mineral exploration and continuing to identify and quantify human impacts on the environment.’

The data is available for all to view and download for free on the UK Soil Observatory (UKSO) web portal