Geochemical mapping of the rural and urban environment : an aid for the detection of contaminated land

The cost-effective reclamation of contaminated land and/or water resources requires a detailed knowledge of the current state of contamination and an understanding of the natural background to which the site may be most appropriately returned. Within this context, the British Geological Survey is in the process of completing a systematic national geochemical survey of the UK surface environment based on the collection of stream sediments, soils and stream waters to produce a series of geochemical maps which can be integrated with other environmental information to produce valuable baseline and benchmark data for both rural and urban environments.