|
|
|
|
Summary
[+]
|
The main
purpose of this project, granted by the
European Economic Area (EEA),
has been to fill the lack of knowledge about geochemical components of
soils and other surficial materials in the Spanish territory. As a result,
soil contamination events, affecting ecosystems and public health, will be
more effectively addressed.
A
multielementary geochemical characterization of soils and surficial
materials has been performed. These geo-referenced data were brought into
a high resolution geo-database, improving the knowledge of the natural
environment. This valuable tool permits to perform a preliminary analysis
of the situation of soils in the Spanish territory to improve soil
contamination, to prevent policies and regulations, as well as to address
more effectively epidemiological, agricultural, biological and geological
research activities with special incidence in land management and
geological and mineral resources research.
In a four
years period, 40,000 samples were collected from the whole Spanish
territory. A total of 63 elements of the periodic table have been analysed,
including those that are dangerous for ecosystems, pesticides in
agricultural areas and dioxins and other organic pollutants in
industrialized areas. |
|
|
Technological
and methodological aspects
[+]
[+]
[+]
[+]
[+]
|
Sampling
has been carried out in various materials, according to the following
methodology:
- |
Composite stream sediments and residual soils two depths (0-25 cm
and 25-50 cm). A total of 14.000 sampling points (sediments + 2 soil
depths). A total of 36.400 samples. |
- |
Flooding plains sediments at two depths (top and bottom) in drainage basins of
3.000 to 6.000 km2. 332 sampling points are foreseen (664 samples). |
- |
Supplementary data gathering in each sampling point of hydrographic net and
soil: pH and TOC |
Three sampling densities were foreseen in the project, according to great
areas with higher or lower geological complexity, industrial and
demographic pressure (1 sample point / 10 km2, 1 sample point / 20 10 km2
and 1 sample point / 100 km2.
In this link you can display the sampling sites of sediments and soils.
In 2012 the Geochemical Atlas of Spain, synthesis of the project, has been
printed, and it has been on sale in the IGME service publications.
Sample Preparation and multielemental chemical analysis
- |
Sieving of sediments (150 microns), flood sediments (63 microns) and soils (2
mm). |
- |
Total or almost total multielemental chemical analysis (63 elements) and with
partial extraction (aqua regia) of samples by INAA, ICPAES and ICPMS. TOC
determination. |
- |
Analysis of organic pollutants (dioxins, pesticides, etc.) in agricultural
zones, industrialized zones or areas with a strong demography. (1.200 samples). |
Quality control:
- |
Supervision of field sampling teams and preparation activities |
- |
Quality control and sampling error determination (2 x 3,7% of field duplicates) |
- |
Analytical quality control and analytical error determination (3,7% of
duplicate samples) |
Methodology
This geochemical infrastructure complies with some basic requirements, derived
from the recommendations of project IGCP 259 (IUGS-UNESCO):
- |
It should be based on samples of different madia, that include soils (two
depths), stream sediments, floodplain sediments (2 depths). These latter ones,
in alluvial systems of certain magnitude, shall permit the knowledge of the
original uncontaminated values, previous to the industrialization period and
the temporal variations by comparison with present and future values. |
- |
It must be multielementary, including a wide range of chemical elements (63 in
this case), comprising all those potentially dangerous for the ecosystem and
those with an interest in geology and mineral resources research. They will be
analyzed by reliable techniques and with very low detection limits. It must
take into account the determination of total or almost total contents and of
partial contents that will allow estimate the easiest extractable or bio-avalaible
part. This latter point is of particular interest for the environmental
analysis and would make possible an assessment in pollution processes. |
- |
It must follow, all the time, a strict analytical control and sampling
protocol. Its pursuit and sample density shall guarantee that the obtained
infrastructure of a high quality and good resolution. |
- |
It should be available in digital form, to ease the integration of the
geochemical information with other data sets (geology, metallogeny, land uses,
animal or human morbidity and mortality) |
- |
It must be standardized across national boundaries, as many of the
problems and worries arisen concerning the surface means to go
beyond the frontiers and must be analyzed at a more global scale (e.g.
the acid rain or pollution produced by the Chernobyl accident, etc).
The follow up of project IGCP 259 recommendations and the protocols
derived from FOREGS project “Global Geochemical Baselines for Europe”
shall be a guarantee for the compliance of this requirement. |
|
|
|
Analitical results
[+] |
In
2012 the Geochemical Atlas of Spain, synthesis of the project, has been
printed, and it has been on sale in the IGME service publications.
- Isovalues map of cobalt in sediments -
DISPLAYING ISOVALUES MAPS WITH GOOGLE EARTH
(Developing application)
Selecting the following links you can visualize the
isovalues maps of several elements with Google Earth.
[Instructions for use of Google Earth]
The results of samples analysis are available in the link:
http://info.igme.es/geoquimica/ |
NOTE:
On finding any
difficulties to perform the query to the database, you could also be
access to the data using the "Browser Geoscientific Information" of the
IGME, which link is quoted below:
http://info.igme.es/visor/
- For more
information contact geoquimica@igme.es
-
|
|
|
IGME
Ríos Rosas, 23
28003 Madrid
Teléfono + 34 913 495 700
|
|
|
|