C. Reimann, U. Siewers, T. Tarvainen, L. Bityukova, J. Erikson, A. Gilucis, V. Gregorauskiene, V....

C. Reimann, U. Siewers, T. Tarvainen, L. Bityukova,J. Erikson, A. Gilucis, V. Gregorauskiene, V. Lukashev,

N. Matinian & A. Pasieczna

The Baltic Soil Survey

Baltic Soil Survey

Baltic Soil Survey

COUNTRY ORGANISATION COORDINATOR

1 Belarus Academy of Sciences V. Lukashev (†)

2 Estonia Academy of Sciences L. Bityukova

3 Finland Geological Survey T. Tarvainen

4 Germany Geological Survey U. Siewers

5 Latvia Geological Survey A. Gilucis

6 Lithuania Geological Survey V. Gregorauskiene

7 Norway Geological Survey C. Reimann

8 Poland Geological Survey A. Pasieczna

9 Russia University Institute N. Matinian

10 Sweden University Institute J. Eriksson

Baltic Soil Survey

PROJECT ORGANISATION:NGU: - organisation of sampling, distribution

of field equipment, sampling instructions- sample preparation- ammonium acetate. extraction, ICP-

AES- + pH-, org.C-analyses- quality control of all results

BGR: - XRF-analyses of all samplesGTK: - aqua regia extraction, ICP-AES-

analyses- HF-digestion, ICP-MS-analyses

OTHER ORGANISATIONS: sampling in their country

Baltic Soil Survey

WHY AGRICULTURAL SOIL?

It is difficult to find a “comparable” sample material that can be collected over such a large area.

Agricultural soils are “comparable” at least in relation to land-use. All samples were taken from ploughed fields.

Agricultural soils provide a direct link to the food-chain: over 100 million people live of the agricultural soils in the project area.

Access and sampling is easy and fast.

Baltic Soil Survey

PROJECT AIM: create a comparable database of the chemical composition of AGRICULTURAL SOILS in Northern Europe

SIZE OF AREA: ca. 1.8 mill. km2

SAMPLE DENSITY: 1 site/ 2500 km2

NUMBER OF SAMPLES: TOP: 774

BOTTOM: 773

Baltic Soil Survey

Sample medium: AGRICULTURAL SOIL

2 layers: TOP: 0-25 cm (or max. ploughing depth)

BOTTOM: 50-75 cm (well below ploughed layer)

Large composite samples: 10 - 15 kg each

air dried

sieved to < 2 mm

Baltic Soil Survey

Baltic Soil SurveyANALYTICAL PROGRAM (62 elements + pH and LOI):

XRF (BG R), fuse d d isc s IC P-M S, HF-d ig e stio n

IC P-AES, a q ua re g ia e xtra c tio n IC P-AES, a m m o nium a c e ta t e xtra c tio n

H

Li Be

Na M g

K Ca Sc T i V Cr M n Fe Co Ge

T l

Baltic Soil Survey Quality control: laboratories are accredited –

no further control necessary?

Project QC: standard + duplicates: 1/20 samples.

XR F - orig ina l resu lts

Sam ple N um ber, Standard, TO P-layerSam ple N um ber, Standard, TO P-layer Sam ple N um ber, Standard, TO P-layer

Baltic Soil SurveyMANY PROCESSES CAN INFLUENCE THE

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF AGRICULTURAL SOILS, e.g.:

TOWARDS DEPLETION IN THE TOP-LAYER:- - Plant uptake and removal of elements via harvesting- - Leaching of elements from TOP to BOTTOM- - Weathering rates of different minerals- - Lessivation

TOWARDS ENRICHMENT IN THE TOP-LAYER:- - Element addition via fertilisers- - Element addition via the atmosphere (e.g., pollution)- - Strong organic binding- - Bio-accumulation- - Upwards movement of elements

GEOLOGY

main domains: - European

Platform- Precambrian

basement- Caledonides

TOPOGRAPHY

TRAFFIC DENSITY

PRECIPITATION

SNOW COVER

AVERAGE TEMPERATURE

Baltic Soil Survey Differences in the median concentrations between

countries can cover an order of magnitude

Baltic Soil SurveyMost elements show about a factor of 3 difference in the median

concentrations between the countries. E.g., Cu-median Belarus: 5, Finland & Norway: 15 mg/kg

Baltic Soil Survey

Is mapping possible?

With just one sample per 2500 km2?With a lot of different processes influencing the

regional distribution of elements?

What will determine the regional distribution of the elements:

- - Bedrock geology? - Pollution?- - Agriculture? - Climate?

???

Baltic Soil SurveySi: reflects the regional distribution of Si the

geological domains?

MINERAL DEPOSITS

Baltic Soil SurveyAs: regional scale “bulls-eye” anomaly in central Sweden – certainly not pollution.

Baltic Soil Survey

ARSENICWas one of the first chemicals recognised to cause cancer – already 1879…

Evidence that natural As-concentrations in drinking water could cause skin cancer came in the 1930ies.

In the 1990ies: an estimated 36 million people in the Bengal Delta are at risk from drinking ”clean” ground water.

Baltic Soil Survey

Do we detect regional scale pollution?

Close to important smelters/metal industries, highways, towns?

Via long range atmospheric transport?Through input from agriculture (e.g. via animal

manure, herbicides, pesticides, fertilisers)?

Are natural or anthropogenic element sources more important?

Baltic Soil Survey

Baltic Soil SurveyLocal Pollution, traffic and long range transport?

Baltic Soil Survey

Baltic Soil SurveySn: is long range atmospheric transport causing the

observed patterns? Not very likely!

Baltic Soil Survey

TOP- and BOTTOM-layer show very similar results for most elements

Baltic Soil SurveyCd: pollution? Agriculture (Cd in many phosphates)? Long

range transport? Traffic (Germany)?

Baltic Soil SurveyCu: black shales (Russia), Polish Cu-industry invisible!

Agriculture (Cu added to fertilisers).

Baltic Soil SurveyP: generally enriched in TOP-layer. Input via fertilisers? Or

reflecting organic material?

Baltic Soil Survey

Phosphorus is strongly enriched in the TOP-layer.

Enriched in the TOP layer are: S (4x), Cd, P, LOI, Se, Pb, Zn, Bi, Sb, Mn (1.2x)

Baltic Soil SurveyLOI: more organic material in the soils in the Nordic countries, esp. Finland. Less

intensive agriculture, cold wet climate slows down decay of organic material.

Baltic Soil SurveypH: on average more acidic soils in the Nordic countries. Related to

more organic soils and not to acid rain.

Baltic Soil SurveySe: precipitation (Bergen), fertiliser (West vs. East Germany,

Finland), organic material (Finland), black shales (Russia)

Baltic Soil SurveyToxic to h ighly toxic

Essentia l in u ltra trace quantities,m aybe essentia l or essentia lto som e organism s

H

Li

H e

B C N O F N e

Na M g A l S i P S C l Ar

K Ca Sc Ti V Cr M n Fe Co N i Cu Zn G a G e As Kr

R b Sr Y Zr N b Tc

C s Ba La

Fr R a Ac

H f Ta W R e O s Ir P t Au H g T l Pb At Rn

R h Pd Ag Cd In Sn Sb Te I Xe

C e Pr N d Pm D y H o Er Yb Lu

T h Pa U

R u

Se

Bi Po

Br

Sm TbEu G d

Essentia l

Less toxic

Non-toxic

SB

G a

Noteworthy concentrationsobserved in natural drinking water

No known bio logical ro le

Carcinogenic, docum ented

Carcinogenic, suspected

Baltic Soil Survey

SELECTED RESULTS (1):- Maps for 43 elements + pH and LOI will be

presented in an atlas (summer 2003).

- Large, regional scale geochemical patterns emerge, caused by a variety of processes.

- Major differences (up to a factor of 12) even for the median element concentration are found between the 10 countries.

- Agricultural soils from the three Nordic countries (Finland, Norway, Sweden) show by far the highest concentrations for many elements.

Baltic Soil SurveySELECTED RESULTS (2):

- The highest values for many heavy metals occur over granitic terrains in Sweden.

- TOP- and BOT-layer return for most elements very comparable results.

- 9 elements and loss on ignition are generally enriched in the TOP-layer:

- S (4x) >> Cd >> P > LOI = Se (1.8x) > Pb > Zn > Bi > Sb > Mn (1.2x)

Baltic Soil SurveySELECTED RESULTS (3):

- Climate and climate related factors appear to be more important than bedrock geology and/or agriculture for the observed

regional distribution patterns of the elements:

- - Weathering.- - Topography, incl. drainage conditions.- - Precipitation, incl. input of marine aerosols for

a distance of up to 200 km from coast- - Vegetation and bio-productivity

Baltic Soil Survey

Baltic Soil Survey