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

COUNTRYORGANISATION COORDINATOR 1 BelarusAcademy of Sciences V. Lukashev (†) 2 EstoniaAcademy of SciencesL. Bityukova 3 FinlandGeological SurveyT. Tarvainen 4 GermanyGeological SurveyU. Siewers 5 LatviaGeological SurveyA. Gilucis 6 LithuaniaGeological SurveyV. Gregorauskiene 7 NorwayGeological SurveyC. Reimann 8 PolandGeological SurveyA. Pasieczna 9 RussiaUniversity InstituteN. Matinian 10 SwedenUniversity InstituteJ. 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 samples GTK:- 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. km 2 SAMPLE DENSITY: 1 site/ 2500 km 2 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: cm (well below ploughed layer) Large composite samples: kg each air dried sieved to < 2 mm

Baltic Soil Survey

ANALYTICAL PROGRAM (62 elements + pH and LOI):

Baltic Soil Survey Quality control: laboratories are accredited – no further control necessary? Project QC: standard + duplicates: 1/20 samples.

Baltic Soil Survey MANY 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 Survey Most 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 km 2 ? 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 Survey Si: reflects the regional distribution of Si the geological domains?

MINERAL DEPOSITS

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

Baltic Soil Survey ARSENIC Was 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

Local Pollution, traffic and long range transport?

Baltic Soil Survey

Sn: 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 Survey Cd: pollution? Agriculture (Cd in many phosphates)? Long range transport? Traffic (Germany)?

Baltic Soil Survey Cu: black shales (Russia), Polish Cu-industry invisible! Agriculture (Cu added to fertilisers).

Baltic Soil Survey P: 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 Survey LOI: 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 Survey pH: on average more acidic soils in the Nordic countries. Related to more organic soils and not to acid rain.

Baltic Soil Survey Se: precipitation (Bergen), fertiliser (West vs. East Germany, Finland), organic material (Finland), black shales (Russia)

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 Survey SELECTED 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 Survey SELECTED 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