Topsoil Heavy Metal Concentrations Across England and Wales
Updated 2mo ago
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Description
2026-03-11 updated dataset provides estimated topsoil concentrations of Arsenic, Cadmium, Chromium, Nickel, and Lead across England and Wales. The British Geological Survey generated these maps using spatial interpolation of urban soil geochemical data, transformed to address log-normal distribution skewness. Data for Great Britain is generally available, though the London area has insufficient sample coverage.
Use Cases
Map spatial variation of Arsenic, Cadmium, Chromium, Nickel, and Lead concentrations using inverse distance weighted (IDW) statistics
Analyze log-transformed soil geochemistry to model the distribution of potentially harmful elements (PHEs)
Compare estimated topsoil concentrations derived from GBASE soil data with those converted from stream sediment data
Identify regions with inadequate geochemical sample coverage, such as the London area
Strengths
Covers five key potentially harmful elements (Arsenic, Cadmium, Chromium, Nickel, Lead) with estimated concentrations
Methodology addresses log-normal data skewness using transformed statistics for mapping
Spatial coverage includes England and Wales, with data generally available for Great Britain
Limitations
Dataset is noted as superseded, indicating it may not be the current authoritative version
Inadequate number of geochemical samples for the London area limits coverage there
Relies on interpolation and conversion from stream sediment data in some areas, introducing estimation uncertainty
Provenance
Source
British Geological Survey (BGS)
Collection Method
Spatial interpolation of point source urban soil PHE data, using inverse distance weighted (IDW) mean and standard deviation of log-transformed concentrations. Based on GBASE soil geochemical data or converted stream sediment data.
Time Range
null
Freshness
Last updated 2026-03-11, but dataset is superseded.
Geography
England and Wales, with data generally available for Great Britain (excluding London area due to sample insufficiency).
This dataset has been superseded; users should consult the 'Estimated Ambient Background Soil Chemistry England and Wales' dataset for the current version.