Lead - Soil

EPA recommended reference values compared to other guideline values and standards (all in mg/kg dw):

Leadi EPA
recommended
reference
values
NZ guide-
line ME240,
(1997) ii
derived /
adopted
Canada Netherlands:
reference
values iii iv /
Intervention
value
US EPA
Region 9 v / Hawaii vi
Japan
Environmental
Quality
Standards for
Soil Pollution vii
Australia
NEPM
Korea viii
precaution
level /
regulatory
level
Austria ix
trigger level
/
Intervention
level
Belgium x Czech xi
republic
2M HNO3
/ aqua
regia extr.
Denmark

ecotox
Germany
xii xiii
UK xiv France xv
SSDV xvi
/ FIV
Spain Italy Sweden Taiwan
Residential
50% produce
    140 50 / 530 - / 200     100 / 500 120 / 200 50 400   200 / 400 100 80
Residential
10% produce
    140 70 / 530 - / 200     100 / 500 120 / 200 50 400   200 / 400 100 80
Residential 0%
produce - high
density
residential
    140 - / 530 - / 200   100 / 500 120 / 700 50 400   200 / 400 100 80
Children's play
areas
playgrounds /
kindergartens
  140 214 / 530 100 / 500 120 / 200 50 200 200 / 400 80
Vegetable
gardens
  70 70 / 530

100 / -

120 / 200 50 0.1 (an)   200 / 400 80
Agriculture
(no residence)
    70 50 / 530

0.01 mg/L

100 / - 120 / 200 50 / 100 50 0.1 (an)   200 / 400 80
Nature   50 / 530 100 / - ??   1200 200 / 400 100 300
Parks with
nature values,
sport,
recreation
  140 210 / 530   400 / 1000 100 / 500 120 / 700 1000 200 / 400 100 300
Other green,
berms,
industry,
infrasturcture
   

600

530 / 530    

400 / 1000

120 / 2500 2000   200 / 2000 1000 300
To protect
groundwater
if < 5 m from
surface
0.01 mg/L 25 10 300
To protect
groundwater if > 5 m from
surface
25 10 300
To protect
groundwater
if saline
 

(H) Human Health based only, (E) Ecological investigation levels, (I) Intervention level (Dutch) remediation required urgently

General comment:

General remark:

i More information on lead see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/lead

ii http://www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/hazardous/timber-guide-jun97/ (June 1997)

iii National land use specific reference values: a basis for maximum values in Dutch soil Policy, RIVM rapport 711701053 (2007); http://www.rivm.nl/bibliotheek/rapporten/711701053.pdf , The Dutch background and intervention level are based on ‘standard’ soil with 10% organic matter and 25 % clay.  An adjustment of the guideline levels is required for other soil types.  This correction is contaminant specific.

iv The Dutch Guidelines for soil protection are the first source of reference in Singapore (Code of practice on Pollution Control 2000 with amendments made in Feb 2001, June 2002 and Feb 2004)

v Region 9 Serving Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, the Pacific Islands, and Tribal Nations. Direct exposure pathways. General information and background see http://www.epa.gov/region09/waste/sfund/prg/index.html for table for soil see http://www.epa.gov/region09/waste/sfund/prg/files/04prgtable.pdf and for guide to specific Region 9 guidelines see: http://www.epa.gov/region09/waste/sfund/prg/files/04usersguide.pdf Please note that in the State of California, Cal-Modified PRGs should be used as screening levels for contaminated sites if they are more stringent than the Federal numbers

vi http://hawaii.gov/health/environmental/hazard/pdf/ealsapp1nov2006.pdf  Table B-1 Soil Action Levels use 20 mg/kg as general action level in urban and other areas

vii Soil for agricultural land (paddy fields only); http://www.env.go.jp/en/water/soil/sp.html (February 1994), when no risk to groundwater – only risk for direct ingestion limit is 150 mg/kg dw ; page 7 of  Soil Contamination Countermeasures http://www.env.go.jp/en/water/soil/contami_cm.pdf (2004)

viii http://www.eng.me.go.kr/docs/publication/filedown.html?filename=Green%20Korea%202006.pdf&mcode=A (15 December 2006) Green Korea 2006

ix ÖNORM S 2088-2 : 2000 06 01 : N Altlasten - Gefährdungsabschätzung für das Schutzgut Boden

x First value is maximum concentration for soil brought from elsewhere to be used as replacement soil in a remediation project.  The second value is the maximum level that any sample can have on non-remediated site areas. Since the initiation of the Belgium soil and groundwater legislation on 5 March 1996 the legislation has been amended several times.  The values given here are from the Coordinated version of VLAREBO produced in October 2007 : http://www.ovam.be/jahia/Jahia/cache/offonce/pid/176?actionReq=actionPubDetail&fileItem=721 or if changed go to the search page: http://www.ovam.be/jahia/Jahia/pid/535    Related laws can be found on: http://navigator.emis.vito.be/milnav-consult/faces/consultatieOverzicht.jsp

xi Statistická ročenka životního prostředí České republiky1998, http://www.env.cz/www/zamest.nsf/0/472516581deb3be4c125672f00361b32?OpenDocument , see also Table II.8 and II.9, http://www.env.cz/ZP_03_an/akap_02.htm (II.8 uses 2M HNO3 extraction, while II.9 uses aqua regia extraction)

xii Background levels:   http://www.umweltbundesamt.de/boden-und-altlasten/boden/downloads/hintergrundwerte-anorganische-stoffe.pdf ; Annual loadings : http://www.umweltbundesamt.de/boden-und-altlasten/boden/downloads/Vorsorgewerte.pdf ; investigation and remediation threshold levels : http://www.umweltbundesamt.de/boden-und-altlasten/boden/downloads/Pruefwerte_Massnahmenwerte.pdf

xiii The lower value of 50 mg/kg for vegetable gardens and agricultural soils relates to soil which can have reducing conditions. For germination of agricultural plants the limit is 0.4 mg/kg determined by ammoniun nitrate extraction.

xiv Soil guideline value document March 2002: http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/commondata/acrobat/sgv1_arsenic_676042.pdf , Based on: 1. total inorganic arsenic concentration in the soil.  2. Not applicable to arsenic present primarily in an organic form or where there is a likelihood of arsine gas being generated. 3. Based on intake of arsenic only and compared with oral Index Dose value. 4. Based on sandy soil as defined in CLR10 (DEFRA and Environment Agency, 2002d).  The lower value of 7 mg/kg for home grown vegetables applies when there is a chance of ingestion of soil attached to vegetables. For toxicological data see also: http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/commondata/acrobat/tox1_arsenic_675423.pdf  and for plant uptake / bioaccessability : http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/commondata/acrobat/p506202tr_760444.pdf and for spreadsheet model: http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/commondata/103601/plant_models_1546130.xls

xv Directives on source/soil definitions values (SSDV) [background] and Fixed Impact values (FIV) in a way similar to intervention values (i.e. if over this value action of some sort is required), however for non-sensitive use often the Dutch value x 2 (main contaminants) or x 5 (trace contaminants) is taken.  Note the SSDV’s have to be ‘x’ times the local background level, where again x = 2 for main contaminants and x = 5 for trace contaminants:  http://infoterrefiche.brgm.fr/PDF/RP-52276-FR.pdf Analysis to be carried out conform AFNOR, or ISO, or other relevant methods (in that order).

xvi SDDV for soil with pH > 7

xvii When inhalation of dust needs to be considered see: http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/commondata/acrobat/sgv1_arsenic_676042.pdf

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