Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-xbtfd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T11:31:13.459Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Soil metal/metalloid concentrations in the Clyde Basin, Scotland, UK: implications for land quality

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 November 2018

F. M. Fordyce ,
P. A. Everett ,
J. M. Bearcock  and
T. R. Lister
F. M. Fordyce*
Affiliation:
British Geological Survey, The Lyell Centre, Research Avenue South, Edinburgh EH14 4AP, UK. Email: fmf@bgs.ac.uk
P. A. Everett
Affiliation:
British Geological Survey, The Lyell Centre, Research Avenue South, Edinburgh EH14 4AP, UK. Email: fmf@bgs.ac.uk
J. M. Bearcock
Affiliation:
British Geological Survey, Environmental Science Centre, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG, UK.
T. R. Lister
Affiliation:
British Geological Survey, Environmental Science Centre, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG, UK.
*
*Corresponding author
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

An assessment of topsoil (5–20cm) metal/metalloid (hereafter referred to as metal) concentrations across Glasgow and the Clyde Basin reveals that copper, molybdenum, nickel, lead, antimony and zinc show the greatest enrichment in urban versus rural topsoil (elevated 1.7–2.1 times; based on median values). This is a typical indicator suite of urban pollution also found in other cities. Similarly, arsenic, cadmium and lead are elevated 3.2–4.3 times the rural background concentrations in topsoil from the former Leadhills mining area. Moorlands show typical organic-soil geochemical signatures, with significantly lower (P<0.05) concentrations of geogenic elements such as chromium, copper, nickel, molybdenum and zinc, but higher levels of cadmium, lead and selenium than most other land uses due to atmospheric deposition/trapping of these substances in peat. In farmland, 14% of nickel and 7% of zinc in topsoil samples exceed agricultural maximum admissible concentrations, and may be sensitive to sewage-sludge application. Conversely, 5% of copper, 17% of selenium and 96% of pH in farmland topsoil samples are below recommended agricultural production thresholds. Significant proportions of topsoil samples exceed the most precautionary (residential/allotment) human-exposure soil guidelines for chromium (18% urban; 10% rural), lead (76% urban; 45% rural) and vanadium (87% urban; 56% rural). For chromium, this reflects volcanic bedrock and the history of chromite ore processing in the region. However, very few soil types are likely to exceed new chromiumVI-based guidelines. The number of topsoil samples exceeding the guidelines for lead and vanadium highlight the need for further investigations and evidence to improve human soil-exposure risk assessments to better inform land contamination policy and regeneration.

Keywords

arseniccadmiumchromiumland contaminationleadnickelseleniumtopsoil
Type
Articles
Information
Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of The Royal Society of Edinburgh , Volume 108 , Issue 2-3: The Geosciences in Europe’s Urban Sustainability: Lessons from Glasgow and Beyond (CUSP) , June 2017 , pp. 191 - 216
Copyright
Copyright © British Geological Survey UKRI 2018 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

6. References

Alloway, B. E. 2013. Sources of heavy metals and metalloids in soils. In Alloway, B. E. (ed.) Heavy metals in soils, Environmental Pollution Series 22, 11–50. Netherlands: Springer.Google Scholar
Ander, E. L., Johnson, C. C., Cave, M. R., Palumbo-Roe, B., Nathanail, C. P. & Lark, R. M. 2013. Methodology for the determination of normal background concentrations of contaminants in English soil. Science of the Total Environment 454–455, 604–618.Google Scholar
Appleton, J. D. 1995. Potentially harmful elements from natural sources and mining areas: characteristics, extent and relevance to planning and development in Great Britain. Technical Report WP/95/3. Keyworth: British Geological Survey.Google Scholar
Bewley, R. J. F. & Sojka, G. 2013. In situ deliverability trials using calcium polysulphide to treat chromium contamination at Shawfield, Glasgow. Technology Demonstration Project Bulletin, 30. London: Contaminated Land: Applications in Real Environments (CL:AIRE).Google Scholar
BGS. 1993. Regional geochemistry of southern Scotland and part of northern England. Keyworth: British Geological Survey.Google Scholar
BGS. 2011. London earth: surface soils G-BASE geochemical maps. Keyworth: British Geological Survey.Google Scholar
BGS. 2013. Arcview British Mineralisation and Mining Database. Digitised and updated from the Ove Arup. 1990. Mining Instability in Britain Maps prepared for the Department of Environment. Keyworth: British Geological Survey.Google Scholar
Birke, M., Rauch, U. & Stummeyer, J. 2011. Urban geochemistry of Berlin, Germany. In Johnson, C. C., Demetriades, A., Locutura, J. & Ottesen, R. T. (eds) Mapping the chemical environment of urban areas, 245–268. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.Google Scholar
Birke, M. & Rauch, U. 2000. Urban geochemistry: investigations in the Berlin metropolitan area. Environmental Geochemistry and Health 22, 233–248.Google Scholar
Bown, C. J., Shipley, B. M. & Bibby, J. S. 1982. Soil and land capability for agriculture south-west Scotland. Handbook of the Soil Survey of Scotland 1: 250 000 Sheet 6. Aberdeen: The Macaulay Institute for Soil Research.Google Scholar
Broadway, A., Cave, M. R., Wragg, J., Fordyce., F. M., Bewley, R. J. F., Graham, M. C., Ngwenya, B. T. & Farmer, J. G. 2010. Determination of the bioaccessibility of chromium in Glasgow soil and the implications for human health risk assessment. Science of the Total Environment 409, 267–277.Google Scholar
Browne, M. A. E., Forsyth, I. H. & McMillan, A. A. 1986. Glasgow, a case study in urban geology. Journal of the Geological Society of London 143, 509–520.Google Scholar
Browne, M. A. E., Dean, M. T., Hall, I. H. S., Mcadam, A. D., Monro, S. K. & Chisholm, J. I. 1999. A Lithostratigraphical Framework for the Carboniferous Rocks of the Midland Valley of Scotland. Research Report RR/99/07. Keyworth: British Geological Survey.Google Scholar
Cameron, I. B. & Stephenson, D. 1985. British regional geology: the Midland Valley of Scotland. Keyworth: British Geological Survey.Google Scholar
Campbell, S. D. G., Merritt, J. E., Ó Dochartaigh, B. E., Mansour, M., Hughes, A. G., Fordyce, F. M., Entwisle, D. C., Monaghan, A. A. & Loughlin, S. 2010. 3D geological models and hydrogeological applications: supporting urban development – a case study in Glasgow-Clyde, UK. Zeitschrift der Deutschen Gesellschaft fur Geowissenschaften 161, 251–262.Google Scholar
CDC. 2012. Low level lead exposure harms children: a renewed call for primary prevention. Report of the Advisory Committee on Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention. Atlanta: Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.Google Scholar
CEC. 2006. Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection, COM(2006) 231. Brussels, Commission of the European Community. http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2006:0231:FIN:EN:PDF (accessed January 2015).Google Scholar
Chandler, D., Cromie, D., Breen, D. & Ramsay, C. 2012. Human health risk assessment of the implications of metal contamination of water sources around Leadhills and Wanlockhead. Public Health Response: Scottish Environment Protection Agency Scoping Study on Metal Contamination in the Glengonnar Water. Glasgow: National Health Service Scotland.Google Scholar
CL:AIRE. 2010. Soil Generic Assessment Criteria for human health risk assessment. London: Contaminated Land: Applications in Real Environments.Google Scholar
Cloy, J. M., Farmer, J. G., Graham, M. C., Mackenzie, A. B. & Cook, G. T. 2008. Historical records of atmospheric Pb deposition in four Scottish ombrotrophic peat bogs: An isotopic comparison with other records from Western Europe and Greenland. Global Biogeochemical Cycles 22, GB2016.Google Scholar
Cloy, J. M., Farmer, J. G., Graham, M. C. & MacKenzie, A. B. 2011. Scottish peat bog records of atmospheric vanadium deposition over the past 150 years: comparison with other records and emission trends. Journal of Environmental Monitoring 13, 58–65.Google Scholar
DEFRA. 2012. Revised Environmental Protection Act 1990: Part 2A Contaminated Land Statutory Guidance. London: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. http://www.defra.gov.uk/publications/2012/04/10/pb13735contaminated-land/ (accessed January 2015).Google Scholar
DEFRA. 2014. Development of Category 4 Screening Levels for Assessment of Land Affected by Contamination. Policy Companion Document SP1010. London: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=More&Location=None&Completed=0&ProjectID=18341 (accessed January 2015).Google Scholar
DETR. 1998. Planning for the communities of the future. Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions. White Paper. London: HMSO.Google Scholar
Dobbie, K. E., Bruneau, P. M. C. & Towers, W. (eds) 2011. The state of Scotland's soil. Natural Scotland. Stirling: Scottish Environment Protection AgencyGoogle Scholar
DOE. 1996. Code of Practice for Agriculture Use of Sewage Sludge. London: Department of Environment.Google Scholar
EA. 2002. Contaminated Land Exposure Assessment Soil Guideline Values. Bristol: Environment Agency.Google Scholar
EA. 2009a. Updated Technical Background to the CLEA Model. Science Report SC050021/SR3. Bristol: Environment Agency. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/updated-technical-background-to-the-clea-model (accessed January 2015).Google Scholar
EA. 2009b. Contaminated Land Exposure Assessment Soil Guideline Values. Bristol: Environment Agency. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/land-contamination-soil-guideline-values-sgvs (accessed January 2015).Google Scholar
Edwards, A. C., Coull, M., Sinclair, A. H., Walker, R. L. & Watson, C. A. 2012. Elemental status (Cu, Mo, Co, B, S and Zn) of Scottish agricultural soils compared with a soil-based risk assessment. Soil Use & Management 28, 167–176.Google Scholar
Farmer, J. G., Graham, M. C., Thomas, R. P., Licona-Manzur, C., Paterson, E., Campbell, C. D., Geelhoed, J. S., Lumsdon, D. G., Meeussen, J. C. L., Roe, M. J., Conner, A., Fallick, A. E. & Bewley, R. J. F. 1999. Assessment and modelling of the environmental chemistry and potential for remediative treatment of chromium-contaminated land. Environmental Geochemistry and Health 21, 331–337.Google Scholar
Farmer, J. G., Broadway, A., Cave, M. R., Wragg, J., Fordyce, F. M., Graham, M. C., Ngwenya, B. T. & Bewley, R. J. F. 2011. A lead isotopic study of the human bioaccessibility of lead in urban soils from Glasgow, Scotland. Science of the Total Environment 409, 4958–4965.Google Scholar
Farmer, J. G., Graham, M. C., Eades, L. J., Lilly, A. & Bacon, J. R. 2016. Influences upon the lead isotopic composition of organic and mineral horizons in soil profiles from the National Soil Inventory of Scotland (2007–09). Science of the Total Environment 544, 730–743.Google Scholar
Fergusson, J. E. 1990. The heavy metals: chemistry, environmental impacts and health effects. Oxford: Pergamon Press.Google Scholar
Flight, D. M. A. & Scheib, A. J. 2011. Soil geochemical baselines in UK urban centres: the G-BASE project. In Johnson, C. C., Demetriades, A., Locutura, J. & Ottesen, R. T. (eds) Mapping the chemical environment of urban areas, 186–206. Oxford: Wiley.Google Scholar
Floyd, J. D. 1995. Lithostratigraphy of the Ordovician rocks in the Southern Uplands: Crawford Group, Moffat Shale Group, Leadhills Supergroup. Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 86, 153–165.Google Scholar
Fordyce, F. M. 2013. Selenium deficiency and toxicity in the environment. In Selinus, O. (ed.) Essentials of medical geology. Rev edn. 375–416. Dordrecht: Springer.Google Scholar
Fordyce, F. M., Brown, S. E., Ander, E. L., Rawlins, B. G., O'Donnell, K. E., Lister, T. R., Breward, N. & Johnson, C. C. 2005. GSUE: urban geochemical mapping in Great Britain. Geochemistry, Exploration, Environment, Analysis 5, 325–336.Google Scholar
Fordyce, F. M., Brereton, N., Hughes, J., Luo, W. & Lewis, J. 2010. An initial study to assess the use of geological parent materials to predict the Se concentration in overlying soils and in five staple foodstuffs produced on them in Scotland. Science of the Total Environment 408, 5295–5305.Google Scholar
Fordyce, F. M., Nice, S. E., Lister, T. R., Ó Dochartaigh, B. É., Cooper, R., Allen, M., Ingham, M., Gowing, C., Vickers, B. P. & Scheib, A. 2012. Urban soil geochemistry of Glasgow. Open Report, OR/08/002. Edinburgh: British Geological Survey.Google Scholar
Fordyce, F. M., Everett, P. A., Bearcock, J. M., Lister, T. R., Gowing, C. J. B., Watts, M. J. & Ellen, R. 2017. Soil Geochemical Atlas of the Clyde Basin. BGS Open Report OR/14/032. Edinburgh: British Geological Survey.Google Scholar
Gibson, M. J. & Farmer, J. G. 1983. A survey of trace metal contamination in Glasgow urban soils. Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Heavy Metals in the Environment 2, 1141–1144.Google Scholar
Glasgow City Council. 2014. History of Glasgow. http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=2943 (accessed March 2014).Google Scholar
Gonnelli, C. & Renella, G. 2013. Chromium and Nickel. In Alloway, B. E. (ed.) Heavy metals in soils, Environmental Pollution Series 22. Netherlands: Springer.Google Scholar
HMSO. 1989. The Sludge (Use in Agriculture) Regulations. London: HMSO.Google Scholar
HMSO. 1990. Environmental Protection Act Part IIa Contaminated Land. London: HSMO.Google Scholar
Johnson, C. C. 2005. 2005 G-BASE Field Procedures Manual. Internal Report IR/05/097. Keyworth: British Geological Survey.Google Scholar
Johnson, C. C., Ge, X., Green, K. A. & Liu, X. 2000. Selenium distribution in the local environment of selected villages of the Keshan Disease belt, Zhangjiakou District, Hebei Province, People's Republic of China. Applied Geochemistry 15, 385–401.Google Scholar
Johnson, C. C., Breward, N., Ander, E. L. & Ault, L. 2005. G-BASE: baseline geochemical mapping of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Geochemistry: Exploration, Environment, Analysis 5, 347–357.Google Scholar
Johnson, C. C., Demetriades, A., Locutura, J. & Ottesen, R. T. (eds) 2011. Mapping the chemical environment of urban areas. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.Google Scholar
Johnson, C. C. & Ander, E. L. 2008. Urban geochemical mapping studies: how and why we do them. Environmental Geochemistry and Health 30, 511–540.Google Scholar
Johnson, C. C. & Demetriades, A. 2011. Urban geochemical mapping: a review of case studies in this volume. In Johnson, C. C., Demetriades, A., Locutura, J. & Ottesen, R. T. (eds) Mapping the chemical environment of urban areas, 7–27. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.Google Scholar
Lister, T. R. & Johnson, C. C. 2005. G-BASE Data Conditioning Procedures for Stream Sediment and Soil Chemical Analyses. Internal Report IR/05/150. Keyworth: British Geological Survey.Google Scholar
Mackay, R. A. 1959. The Leadhills–Wanlockhead mining district. In IMM (ed.) The future of non-ferrous mining in Great Britain and Ireland, 49–64. London: Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.Google Scholar
MacKinnon, G., MacKenzie, A. B., Cook, G. T., Pulford, I. D., Duncan, H. J. & Scott, E. M. 2011. Spatial and temporal variations in Pb concentrations and isotopic composition in road dust, farmland soil and vegetation in proximity to roads since cessation of use of leaded petrol in the UK. Science of the Total Environment 409, 5010–5019.Google Scholar
Madrid, L., Diaz-Barrientos, E., Ruiz-Cortes, E., Reinoso, R., Biasioli, M., Davidson, C. M., Duarte, A. C., Grcman, H., Hossack, I., Hursthouse, A. S., Kralj, T., Ljung, K., Otabbong, E., Rodrigues, S., Urquhart, G. J. & Ajmone-Marsan, F. 2006. Variability in concentrations of potentially toxic elements in urban parks from six European cities. Journal of Environmental Monitoring 8, 1158–1165.Google Scholar
MAFF. 1998. The Soil Code. Code of Good Agricultural Practice for the Protection of Soil. PB0617. London: Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries.Google Scholar
McBride, M. B. 1994. Environmental chemistry of soils. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
McIlwaine, R., Cox, S. F., Doherty, R., Palmer, S., Ofterdinger, U. & McKinley, J. M. 2014. Comparison of methods used to calculate typical threshold values for potentially toxic elements in soil. Environmental Geochemistry and Health 36, 953–971.Google Scholar
Mielke, H. W., Gonzales, C. R., Smith, M. K. & Mielke, P. W. 2000. Quantities and associations of lead, zinc, cadmium, manganese, chromium, nickel, vanadium, and copper in fresh Mississippi delta alluvium and New Orleans alluvial soils. Science of the Total Environment 246, 249–259.Google Scholar
Moffat, W. E. 1989. Blood lead determinants of a population living in a former lead mining area in Southern Scotland. Environmental Geochemistry and Health 11, 3–9.Google Scholar
Nathanail, C. P., McCaffrey, C., Gillett, A. G., Ogden, R. C. & Nathanail, J. F. 2015. The LQM/CIEH S4ULs for Human Health Risk Assessment. Nottingham: Land Quality Press. Copyright Land Quality Management Limited reproduced with permission Publication Number S4UL3083. All rights reserved.Google Scholar
Paterson, E. 2011. Geochemical atlas for Scottish top soils. Aberdeen: Macaulay Land Use Research Institute.Google Scholar
Paterson, E., Towers, W., Bacon, J. R. & Jones, M. 2003. Background levels of contaminants in Scottish soils. Scottish Environment Protection Agency Commissioned Report. Aberdeen: MLURI.Google Scholar
Plant, J. A. 1973. A random numbering system for geochemical samples. Transactions of the Institute of Mining and Metallurgy B82, 63–66.Google Scholar
Rawlins, B. G., McGrath, S. P., Scheib, A. J., Cave, M., Lister, T. R., Ingham, M., Gowing, C. & Carter, S. 2012. The advanced soil geochemical atlas of England and Wales. Keyworth: British Geological Survey.Google Scholar
Reimann, C. & Caritat, P. 1998. Chemical elements in the environment. Berlin: Springer.Google Scholar
Rothwell, K. A. & Cooke, M. P. 2015. A comparison of methods used to calculate normal background concentrations of potentially toxic elements for urban soil. Science of the Total Environment 532, 625–634.Google Scholar
Rowan, J. S., Barns, S. J. A., Hetherington, S. L., Lambers, B. & Parsons, F. 1995. Geomorphology and pollution: the environmental impacts of lead mining, Leadhills, Scotland. Journal of Geochemical Exploration 52, 57–65.Google Scholar
Rowell, D. L. 1997. Soil science: methods and applications. Harlow, Essex: Longman Scientific and Technical.Google Scholar
Scottish Government. 2015. Urban - Rural Land Classification 2013–2014 (INSPIRE). Scottish Government Land Use Download Service. Edinburgh: Scottish Government. http://sedsh127.sedsh.gov.uk/Atom_data/ScotGov/LandUse/SG_LandUse.atom.en.xml (accessed January 2015).Google Scholar
Shand, C. A., Balsam, M., Hillier, S., Hudson, G., Newman, G., Arthur, J. R. & Nicol., F. 2010. Aqua regia extractable selenium concentrations of some Scottish topsoils measured by ICP-MS and the relationship with mineral and organic soil components. Science, Food & Agriculture 90, 972–980.Google Scholar
Sinclair, A., Crooks, B. & Coull, M. 2014. Soils information, texture and liming recommendations. Technical Note TN656. Edinburgh: Scottish Rural College.Google Scholar
Smith, R. A. & Monaghan, A. 2013. Geology of Ayr District. Sheet Description of the British Geological Survey, 1:50 000 Series Sheet 14W and Part of 13 Ayr (Scotland). Keyworth: British Geological Survey.Google Scholar
Smoulders, E. & Mertens, J. 2013. Cadmium. In Alloway, B. E. (ed.) Heavy metals in soils, Environmental Pollution Series 22, 283–311. Netherlands: Springer.Google Scholar
Snedecor, G. W. & Cochran, W. G. 1989. Statistical methods. Ames: Iowa State University Press.Google Scholar
Steinnes, E. 2013. Lead. In Alloway, B. E. (ed.) Heavy metals in soils, Environmental Pollution Series 22, 395–409. Netherlands: Springer.Google Scholar
Stockburger, D. W. 2001. Introductory statistics: concepts, models and applications. Cincinnati: Atomic Dog Publishing.Google Scholar
Stone, P., Green, P. M. & Williams, T. M. 1997. Relationship of source and drainage geochemistry in the British paratectonic Caledonides – an exploratory regional assessment. Transactions of the Institute of Mining and Metallurgy 106, 79–84.Google Scholar
Stone, P., McMillan, A. A., Floyd, J. D., Barnes, R. P. & Phillips, E. R. 2012. British regional geology: south of Scotland. Keyworth: British Geological Survey.Google Scholar
Wei, B. & Yang, L. 2010. A review of heavy metal contaminations in urban soils, urban road dust and agricultural soils from China. Microchemical Journal 94, 99–107.Google Scholar
Wenzell, W. W. 2013. Arsenic. In Alloway, B. E. (ed.) Heavy metals in soils, Environmental Pollution Series 22. Netherlands: Springer.Google Scholar
WHO. 1996. Trace elements in human nutrition and health. Geneva: World Health Organisation.Google Scholar
WHO. 1998. Chromium. Environmental Health Criteria, 61. Geneva: World Health Organisation.Google Scholar