Standards for the Contents of Heavy Metals and Metalloids
in Soils

Yu. N. Vodyanitskii

V.V. Dokuchaev Soil Science Institute, Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, per. Pyzhevskii 7, Moscow, 119017 Russia

E-mail: yu.vodyan@mail.ru

Received October 19, 2010

Abstract—In line with the present-day ecological and toxicological data obtained by Dutch ecologists, heavy
metals/metalloids form the following succession according to their hazard degree in soils: Se > Tl > Sb > Cd>
V > Hg > Ni > Cu > Cr > As > Ba. This sequence substantially differs from the succession of heavy elements
presented in the general toxicological GOST (State Norms and Standards) 17.4.1.02-8, which considers As, Cd,
Hg, Se, Pb, and Zn to be strongly hazardous elements, whereas Co, Ni, Mo, Sb, and Cr to be moderately haz-
ardous. As compared to the general toxicological approach, the hazard of lead, zinc, and cobalt is lower in soils,
and that of vanadium, antimony, and barium is higher. The new sequence also differs from that of the metal
hazard in soils according to the Russian standard on the maximal permissible concentration of mobile metal
forms (MPC_mob): Cu > Ni > Co > Cr > Zn. Neither an MPC_mob nor an APC_mob has been adopted for strongly
hazardous thallium, selenium, and vanadium in Russia. The content of heavy metals in contaminated soils is
very unevenly studied: 11 of them, i.e., Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni, Cd, Cr, As, Mn, Co, Hg, and Se, are better known, while
the rest, much worse, although there are dangerous elements (Ba, V, Tl) among them.

DOI: 10.1134/S1064229312030131

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