Background concentrations of trace elements in soils for risk assessment

A.R. Anuar, . and Che Fauziah I., . (2008) Background concentrations of trace elements in soils for risk assessment. [Proceedings Paper]

In order to assess whether a soil has been contaminated by heavy metals background or benchmark values are needed against which a comparison can be made. Also in terms of environmental risk assessment European Commission 2003 it is important to note that the data available for metal toxicity assessment for invertebrates plants and soil microbes uses the ambient background soil concentrations as a control to which metal doses are added in the testing procedure. Worldwide there is as yet no agreed method for the estimation of a local or soil-type specific background concentration. On top of that in Malaysia there are currently no gazetted locally determined soil quality reference values for heavy metals or toxic metals. The Department of Environment of Malaysia is still using the Dutch ABC standards during their enforcement if the case is related to heavy metal contamination. Also heavy metal monitoring is one of the requirements of the Malaysian Farm Accreditation Scheme SALM. Besides Tiller 1992 recommended to consider the range of values found in non-urban soils preferentially in regional agricultural; forest and virgin soils in order to establish soil background heavy metal concentrations to assess the extent of urban soil contamination. Thus there is a need to establish levels of heavy metals found in soils commonly used for agricultural production in Malaysia. Regional background values for metals in soils have been typically estimated from the geometric mean median or the 95th percentile concentration ranges of extensive survey data sampled from sites with presumed negligible anthropogenic inputs Kabata Pendias et al 1992. Another approach which is thought to be appropriate is that the background concentration should be set at a chosen parameter example median or 90th percentile from the frequency distribution of the background concentrations of trace metals International Organisation for Standardisation ISO 2005. The third approach uses the relationships between trace elements and semi-conservative elements such as Fe Al and Mn to predict the expected values of trace elements in top soils. The limitations or drawbacks of each approach will be discussed in the presentation.Examples will be used to illustrate some of these limitations using studies done in Malaysia and elsewhere in the world. In Malaysia soil samples totaling 241 samples 0-15 cm was taken from agricultural production forested and uncultivated regions. A reconnaissance survey approach using the main roads within a region and not soil typewith sampling points approximately 25 km apart was chosen as the basis of the investigation since the level source and distribution of heavy metal pollution in Malaysia was unknown. Intensive agricultural areas were sampled more rigorously.

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Abstract

In order to assess whether a soil has been contaminated by heavy metals background or benchmark values are needed against which a comparison can be made. Also in terms of environmental risk assessment European Commission 2003 it is important to note that the data available for metal toxicity assessment for invertebrates plants and soil microbes uses the ambient background soil concentrations as a control to which metal doses are added in the testing procedure. Worldwide there is as yet no agreed method for the estimation of a local or soil-type specific background concentration. On top of that in Malaysia there are currently no gazetted locally determined soil quality reference values for heavy metals or toxic metals. The Department of Environment of Malaysia is still using the Dutch ABC standards during their enforcement if the case is related to heavy metal contamination. Also heavy metal monitoring is one of the requirements of the Malaysian Farm Accreditation Scheme SALM. Besides Tiller 1992 recommended to consider the range of values found in non-urban soils preferentially in regional agricultural; forest and virgin soils in order to establish soil background heavy metal concentrations to assess the extent of urban soil contamination. Thus there is a need to establish levels of heavy metals found in soils commonly used for agricultural production in Malaysia. Regional background values for metals in soils have been typically estimated from the geometric mean median or the 95th percentile concentration ranges of extensive survey data sampled from sites with presumed negligible anthropogenic inputs Kabata Pendias et al 1992. Another approach which is thought to be appropriate is that the background concentration should be set at a chosen parameter example median or 90th percentile from the frequency distribution of the background concentrations of trace metals International Organisation for Standardisation ISO 2005. The third approach uses the relationships between trace elements and semi-conservative elements such as Fe Al and Mn to predict the expected values of trace elements in top soils. The limitations or drawbacks of each approach will be discussed in the presentation.Examples will be used to illustrate some of these limitations using studies done in Malaysia and elsewhere in the world. In Malaysia soil samples totaling 241 samples 0-15 cm was taken from agricultural production forested and uncultivated regions. A reconnaissance survey approach using the main roads within a region and not soil typewith sampling points approximately 25 km apart was chosen as the basis of the investigation since the level source and distribution of heavy metal pollution in Malaysia was unknown. Intensive agricultural areas were sampled more rigorously.

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Item Type:	Proceedings Paper
Additional Information:	Available at Perpustakaan Sultan Abdul Samad Universiti Putra Malaysia 43400 UPM Serdang Selangor Malaysia. mal S590.2 S683 2008 Call Number
AGROVOC Term:	TRACE ELEMENTS
AGROVOC Term:	SOIL DEFICIENCIES
AGROVOC Term:	HEAVY METALS
AGROVOC Term:	AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS
AGROVOC Term:	MALAYSIA
Geographical Term:	MALAYSIA
Depositing User:	Ms. Suzila Mohamad Kasim
Last Modified:	24 Apr 2025 05:13
URI:	http://webagris.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/11243

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