Geochemical Soil Atlas of Switzerland
Element concentrations in the topsoil
Elements in soil taken up via the food chain can be essential – or harmful – to living organisms, depending on their concentration and bioavailability. In addition to the ability to delimit potentially contaminated sites, an understanding of typical concentrations ranges of elements in Swiss topsoils is vital for monitoring and enforcement tasks.
The Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) together with the cantonal environmental protection agencies’ working group on ‘Intervention levels and risk assessment’ (AGIR) commissioned a consortium comprising Agroscope, ETH Zurich and the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology EAWAG to compile a Geochemical Soil Atlas of Switzerland. The atlas depicts the spatial distribution and key statistical parameters of 20 elements (antimony, arsenic, cadmium, calcium, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, lead, magnesium, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, sodium, sulphur, thallium, uranium, vanadium and zinc) in the topsoil, as well as the soil properties pH, organic carbon, nitrogen and texture.
The Geochemical Atlas is the first evaluation of soil analyses to cover the whole of Switzerland with a resolution of around one sampling site per 35 km2. As such, it provides an important basis for implementing soil-related measures. Based on the information obtained, further targeted regional investigations can be initiated and carried out.
The findings of the Geochemical Soil Atlas represent a snapshot of element concentrations in Switzerland's topsoil. The interpolated maps serve to highlight regions with high or low concentrations, although no plot-specific information can be derived from them.
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Monitoring National Soil Monitoring Network NABO
The National Soil Monitoring Network NABO records and documents the soil quality at around 100 sites. The continuous monitoring helps to identify undesirable developments at an early stage. This reference network has been used since 1985 to monitor the effectiveness of environmental protection measures. In particular, the focus is on material accumulations in the soil, soil compaction and soil biology.
Soil Data Inventory Agroscope
The soil data inventory of Agroscope contains more than 10'000 soil profile sheets. The assessments originate from over 300 soil mapping projects that were conducted between 1956 and 1996 in Switzerland. In 2014, the inventory and the digitisation were finished. The Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), the Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG), the Federal Office for Spatial Development (ARE) and the cantons jointly financed the project.
Swiss Soil Monitoring Network (NABO)
The main goal of the National Soil Monitoring Network NABO is the nationwide assessment and evaluation of chemical, physical and biological impacts on soil. Additional tasks include the prediction and early detection of soil changes to ensure long-term soil fertility. For this purpose, the NABO conducts a long-term monitoring of soils under current management conditions.