A flexible methodology for the characterisation of soils: a case study of the heavy metal status of a site at Dornach

The sampling scheme devised to study the site at Dornach was successful in identifying most of the features and element distributions in the site using only 15 composite samples. The scheme was based on dividing the area into six individual sampling units each of which represented a different combination of land use and soil type. The three-dimensional information was obtained by taking samples at different depths, either on a fixed depth basis for cultivated soils or according to soil horizons for undisturbed soils. In each sampling unit the composite samples were bulked from 12 individual samples. The sampling point for each individual sample was chosen according to a stratified random plan. Key features of the scheme were the flexibility which required the use of experienced personnel and the fact that the sole task of the sampling exercise was to characterise the site with no preconceptions of possible outcomes. The results showed that the high concentrations of Cd in the soil probably resulted from the high concentrations of Cd in the underlying limestone and not primarily from atmospheric inputs. Higher levels of copper were found in soils close to fruit trees probably as a result of using sprays on the trees. The concentrations of Pb and Zn were relatively uniform throughout the site although there was some evidence of increased Zn concentrations with depth analogous to the Cd distributions. The fact that these findings were in agreement with the known characteristics of the site indicates the successful application of the chosen methodology in this study.