The chemical quality of urban soils in Glasgow, UK, with reference to anthropogenic impacts and current toxicologically-based soil guideline values : extended abstract

Until recently systematic data on the chemical quality of urban soils was lacking in many countries as traditional soil survey programmes focussed on rural environments and avoided urban areas. The advent of environmental protection legislation in the UK in the 1990s and drivers to reutilise brownfield sites for development prompted a need for urban soil quality information to aid sustainable planning and urban regeneration and create healty environments. Since 1992, the British Geological Survey (BGS) has completed urban soil surveys in 27 United Kingdom (UK) cities as part of the national Geochemical Baseline Survey of the Environment (G-BASE) Project[1,2,3]. This includes a survey of the Glasgow urban and surrounding rural areas to link to a wider geoenvironmental assessment that the BGS is carrying out in the region - the Clyde and Glasgow Urban Super Project (CUSP)[4]. Glasgow is Scotland’s largest city and was a major centre of heavy engineering and industrialisation until the mid 20th century. Much of this industry has now declined leaving tracts of derelict/brownfield land, which are gradually being regenerated. The G-BASE survey provides an overview of land quality in Glasgow and the results have a variety of applications to environmental quality assessments including greater understanding of the impacts of anthropogenic pollution and potential threats to ecoystems and human health.