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The first-ever baseline study of soil quality in Dublin has
been launched by the Minister for Natural Resources, Conor
Lenihan TD.
According to the Minister, the study will help inform future
land-use policy in the city and suburban areas. “In an era
of increasing public interest in our environment, it is opportune
that we are launching the Dublin leg of a European-wide project
which will analyse the quality of Dublin’s soils.
"Important environmental information will be provided,
which will have relevance to the public health of the urban
population” - the Minister said.
Extensive historical studies on urban soil quality have been
conducted in European cities by national geological survey
organisations over the past decade. The studies have been
aimed at determining the level of pollution by heavy metals
and organic compounds in city soils that have accumulated
over tens or even hundreds of years.
In general, they show - as might be expected - that soils
from the inner (older) core of cities show the most extensive
contamination by potentially harmful elements. “This finding
has implications for land use policy and public health in
inner city areas where population densities are high” - Minister
Lenihan said.
Stressing that there is no need for concern, he pointed out
that “high quality scientific research of this nature is essential
in the effective management and sustainable development of
our urban environment”.
Ireland has been successful in having Dublin included as
one of the ten locations where this comprehensive European-wide
urban soil quality baseline study will be carried out. Sampling
of Dublin’s soils commences immediatley and will continue
throughout November.
Sample teams with staff from the offices of Geological Survey
of Ireland (GSI) and Norway (NGU) will carry out the work
on public lands (parks, allotments, playgrounds, green spaces,
etc.) with the assistance of Dublin City Council, Fingal County
Council, South Dublin Council and Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown Council.
GSI
will lead a team effort on data interpretation, which will
engage a multidisciplinary group of scientists at GSI and
NGU, with support from the city and local authorities, the
EPA and the HSE.
The surface soil samples will be analysed at the geochemical
laboratories of NGU and the German Geological Survey (BGR)
and the results will be presented free of charge in an open-access
digital atlas in early 2011.
The study is part-funded under the NDP and by NGU and BGR
as part of what is an overall EuroGeoSurveys study.
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