Dublin Soil Urban Geochemistry (SURGE) ITM

The Dublin Soil Urban Geochemistry Project is a baseline survey of heavy metals and organic chemicals in topsoils in the greater Dublin area. 
Topsoil is the upper surface layer of the soil and this geochemical baseline survey measures the amount and type of chemicals in these surface soils. These chemicals can be natural or man-made.
This project provides maps and data for the chemistry of these urban soils in Dublin. This is important to the protection of human health. Higher amounts of some chemicals in urban soils may affect human health. It will also comply with environmental laws; help land-use planning and urban regeneration.

Soil samples were collected in Dublin in 2009 and tested for the chemicals that make up the soil. It is the first baseline study of Dublin topsoils. Over 1000 samples were taken from areas open to the public like roadsides, grassed areas and playgrounds. The samples were taken using a hand auger and were collected into plastic bags. The samples were sent to a lab to be tested for chemicals and the results were given as mg/kg (milligram per kilogram) or % (percent). 
The results were drawn on a map as points and the points were given a colour to show the amount of each chemical in each sample. The results were split up into different rock types and land uses. The results show that most chemicals in soil come from the rocks around them, but some chemicals like metals are mainly from human pollution.
It is a vector dataset. Vector data portray the world using points, lines, and polygons (areas). This soil geochemistry data is shown as points. Each point gives information about where the sample was collected, the type and value of the chemicals that were tested. This includes:
• Sample_ID = Sample Number
# List of chemical elements:
• Al_mgkg = Aluminium (Al) (mg/kg)
• Al_pct = Aluminium (Al) (%)
• As_mgkg = Arsenic (As) (mg/kg)
• B_mgkg = Boron (B) (mg/kg)
• Ba_mgkg = Barium (Ba) (mg/kg)
• Be_mgkg = Beryllium (Be) (mg/kg)
• Ca_mgkg = Calcium (Ca) (mg/kg)
• Ca_pct = Calcium (Ca) (%)
• Cd_mgkg = Cadmium (Cd) (mg/kg)
• Ce_mgkg = Cerium (Ce) (mg/kg)
• Co_mgkg = Cobalt (Co) (mg/kg)
• Cr_mgkg = Chromium (Cr) (mg/kg)
• Cu_mgkg = Copper (Cu) (mg/kg)
• Fe_mgkg = Iron (Fe) (mg/kg)
• Fe_pct = Iron (Fe) (%)
• Hg_mgkg = Mercury (Hg) (mg/kg)
• K_mgkg = Potassium (K) (mg/kg)
• K_pct = Potassium (K) (%)
• La_mgkg = Lanthanum (La) (mg/kg)
• Li_mgkg = Lithium (Li) (mg/kg)
• Mg_mgkg = Magnesium (Mg) (mg/kg)
• Mg_pct = Magnesium (Mg) (%)
• Mn_mgkg = Manganese (Mn) (mg/kg)
• Mo_mgkg = Molybdenum (Mo) (mg/kg)
• Na_mgkg = Sodium (Na) (mg/kg)
• Ni_mgkg = Nickel (Ni) (mg/kg)
• P_mgkg = Phosphorus (P) (mg/kg)
• Pb_mgkg = Lead (Pb) (mg/kg)
• Sc_mgkg = Scandium (Sc) (mg/kg)
• Si_mgkg = Silicon (Si) (mg/kg)
• Sr_mgkg = Strontium (Sr) (mg/kg)
• Ti_mgkg = Titanium (Ti) (mg/kg)
• V_mgkg = Vanadium (V) (mg/kg)
• Y_mgkg = Yttrium (Y) (mg/kg)
• Zn_mgkg = Zinc (Zn) (mg/kg)
• Zr_mgkg = Zirconium (Zr) (mg/kg)

# List of persistent organic pollutants:
## Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs):
1. Acenaphthene_mgkg = Acenaphthene (mg/kg)
2. Acenaphthylene_mgkg = Acenaphthylene (mg/kg)
3. Anthracene_mgkg = Anthracene (mg/kg)
4. Benzo_a_anthracene_mgkg = Benzo(a)anthracene (mg/kg)
5. Benzo_a_pyrene_mgkg = Benzo(a)pyrene (mg/kg)
6. Benzo_b_fluoranthene_mgkg = Benzo(b)fluoranthene (mg/kg)
7. Benzo_g_h_i_perylene_mgkg = Benzo(g,h,i)perylene (mg/kg)
8. Benzo_k_fluoranthene_mgkg = Benzo(k)fluoranthene (mg/kg)
9. Chrysene_mgkg = Chrysene (mg/kg)
10. Dibenzo_a_h_anthracene_mgkg = Dibenzo(a,h)anthracene (mg/kg)
11. Fluoranthene_mgkg = Fluoranthene (mg/kg)
12. Fluorene_mgkg = Fluorene (mg/kg)
13. Indeno_1_2_3_cd_pyrene_mgkg = Indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene (mg/kg)
14. Naphthalene_mgkg = Naphthalene (mg/kg)
15. Phenanthrene_mgkg = Phenanthrene (mg/kg)
16. Pyrene_mgkg = Pyrene (mg/kg)
• Sum16PAHs_mgkg = The total value of the 16 Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) (mg/kg)

## List of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) congeners (meaning any single, unique well-defined chemical compound in the PCB category):
1. PCB_101_mgkg = PCB Congener no. 101 (mg/kg)
2. PCB_118_mgkg = PCB Congener no. 118 (mg/kg)
3. PCB_138_mgkg = PCB Congener no. 138 (mg/kg)
4. PCB_153_mgkg = PCB Congener no. 153 (mg/kg)
5. PCB_180_mgkg = PCB Congener no. 180 (mg/kg)
6. PCB_28_mgkg = PCB Congener no. 28 (mg/kg)
7. PCB_52_mgkg = PCB Congener no. 52 (mg/kg)
• Sum7PCBs_mgkg = The total value of the 7 Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) congeners (mg/kg)

# Location information for the sample site:
• X_ITM = Easting (Irish Transverse Mercator coordinate system)
• Y_ITM = Northing (Irish Transverse Mercator coordinate system)
• X_ING = Easting (Irish National Grid coordinate system)
• Y_ING = Northing (Irish National Grid coordinate system)

Tags: environment, geology, geoscientificinformation, ireland, science
Organization: Geological Survey Ireland