Assessment of trace metal and PAH concentrations in soils from peri-industrial regions: lessons from a survey in the Walloon region (Belgium)

Soils from peri-industrial areas are usually disturbed by urbanization, mixed with technogenic material and affected by smoke and dust fallout. A precise knowledge of the local baseline content of pollutants in soil is needed by the government agencies in order to implement the environmental protection policies. However, in peri-industrial areas, pollutant concentrations often exhibit a high spatial variability which requires an appropriate investigation methodology. Here, we outline the key results obtained from a survey on baseline soil concentrations of trace metal elements (TME) and polycy... Mehr ...