Soil Guideline Values

Soil Guideline Values (SGVs) deals with the contamination of land and the information concerning this phenomenon. Land is one of the major natural resources on earth. It is one of the essential prerequisites for the existence of life on this planet. Contamination of land poses as a potential threat to the environment. The initiative taken by UK led to the formulation of the SGVs by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

The model of Contaminated Land Exposure Assessment (CLEA) created from the data of human toxicology reports were the basics in the formulation of the Soil Guideline Values. The SGVs provide information about substances regarded as potential threats to the soil. The scientific research was conducted after the Environment Report was presented in the House of Commons Select Committee in 1992.

Soil Guideline Values along with the other points of discussion are aimed to assess the risks of contamination of land and its effects on the human population. The scientific research conducted by DEFRA categorizes land into four divisions, residential land with and without plant uptake, industrial land and allotments. The guideline value for the substances effecting the soil vary from one region to another.

The substances considered to be potential threats include lead which has a guideline value of 450 mg per kg in residential land and 750 mg per kg in industrial areas. The value for arsenic varies from 20 mg per kg to 500 mg per kg in residential and industrial areas respectively. Other such substances include mercury, cadmium, phenol, etc. Increased amounts of these substances in the soil would make it sterile.

Soil Guideline Values help in monitoring the conditions of the soil cover of earth. With the help of this data, scientists are capable of understanding the effects caused by these substances. A continuous vigil is required to know whether any part of land is being contaminated. Awareness of this phenomenon would help in restraining it. Measures based on these guideline values could help in the preservation of the soil cover.