Assessing the human health risks posed by chromium-contaminated land in Glasgow and its environs

Like many cities throughout the UK, Glasgow has a long history of both urbanisation and industrialisation, resulting in elevated concentrations of potentially harmful elements (PHEs). Between 1830 and 1968 Glasgow was home to one of the world’s largest producers of Cr-based chemicals. Chromite ore processing residue (COPR) arising from the factory was used as infill material across large areas of SE Glasgow, resulting in widespread land contamination with Cr(VI), a known human carcinogen of significant mobility. A recent survey by the British Geological Survey (BGS) of Glasgow and its surrounding urban environment has highlighted numerous sites with total Cr concentrations exceeding soil guideline values (SGVs) generated by the Contaminated Land Exposure Assessment (CLEA) model.