City of Heinola

Sampling year: 2013

Sample media: topsoil (0–10 cm): aqua regia extractable concentrations from the <2 mm grain-size fraction

Land use: various land use classes in the city centre

The Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) has investigated geochemical baseline concentrations in the city of Heinola. Altogether, 161 topsoil samples were collected from the city centre and suburban areas of Heinola in 2013. The sample sites represented various land uses in urban areas. Samples were collected from 10-cm-deep pits

Arsenic concentrations in the urban soils of Heinola were relatively high compared to most parts of Finland. The guideline value of 5 mg As/kg given in the Government Decree on the Assessment of Soil Contamination and Remediation Needs (VNa 214/2007) can be used as the trigger value for the assessment of soil contamination in the urban soil of Heinola, but regional upper limit of baseline variation 9 mg As/kg can be applied as the trigger value in natural soil around the city. In Heinola, arsenic concentrations were mostly natural.

The concentrations of cobalt, chromium and lead in single urban soil samples exceeded the threshold values given in the Decree (VNa 214/2007). However, the upper limit of baseline variation was lower than the threshold value for all elements except arsenic.

Report

Tarvainen, T., Backman, B. & Guagliardi, I. 2014. Heinolan taajama-alueiden maaperän taustapitoisuudet. Geologian tutkimuskeskus. Arkistoraportti 108/2014. 30 s. http://tupa.gtk.fi/raportti/arkisto/108_2014.pdf

Upper recommended limits of baseline variation (SSTP) of selected elements in soils of City of Heinola and the threshold values (Decree 214/2007).