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Derivation of Soil Trigger Values according to

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 Derivation of Soil Trigger Values according to the
German Soil Protection Act
Berndt-Michael Wilke1, Silvia Pieper1, Kerstin-Hund-Rinke2, Jörg Römbke3, Maike Fuchs1
1 Berlin University of Technology, Institute of Ecology; 2 Fraunhofer-Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecotocicology;
3 ECT Ökotoxilologie GmbH
Abstract Results and discussion

Ecotoxicological trigger values for the pathway soil ⇒ soil organisms were derived by collecting data on the
impact of pollutants on soil organisms and plants and subsequent parallel use of the Factorial Application
Method (FAME) and Distribution Based Extrapolation (DIBAEX). In a second phase the plausibility of
calculated trigger values was verified experimentally by means of an ecotoxicological test battery.
Introduction
Trigger values for the contamination pathways soil ⇒ humans, soil ⇒ food plants and soil ⇒ groundwater are
given in the German Soil Protection and Contaminated Sites Ordinance to protect soils from harmful soil
changes. For the protection of the soil as habitat of soil organisms no such values have been considered yet.
Thus, the aim of our project was to fill this gap.
Results of the trigger value verification tests are given in Tab. 2. Aged Copper contaminations inhibited the
reproduction of plants, nematodes, and collembolans at concentrations ≥ 41 mg/kg and confirmed the
calculated trigger value (DIBAEX-method). It amounted to 24.7 mg/kg and corresponds to the German
precautionary value for sandy soils, Dutch target values and Danish Soil Quality Criteria (see. Tab. 3). We
therefore recommend differentiated trigger values with respect to soil texture: Sand 20 mg/kg; Silt and
Loam 40 mg/kg; Clay 60 mg/kg (Tab. 3).
Soil mixtures containing aged and spiked lead contaminations caused only serious effects at the highest
concentrations tested. With this background our data used for the calculation of working trigger values was
cross-examined. Two data sets that did not pass the plausibility check were not included in the
recalculation with the DIBAEX method. Including the EC30-60 data of our tests, 260 mg Pb/kg were
calculated. We recommend a trigger value of 250 mg/kg for all soils.

Materials and Methods Table 2: Results of trigger value verification

Lowest concentrations in mg/kg causing significant effects
In the first part of the project trigger values were derived according to the scheme shown in Figure 1. We
collected data concerning the impact on soil organisms of various substances included in the priority pollutant
list compiled by the German Environmental Protection Agency. Only EC30–60 values from long-term tests were
included in the calculations, since the definition of trigger values in the German Soil Protection Act states that,
when a trigger value is exceeded, the risk for soil organisms should be fairly high.

Derivation of trigger values:

Selection of valid data

↓
Use of extrapolation methods
↓ 1 100 % inhibition; 2 not determined; 3 increase
Databasis for the calculation of trigger values:
ECX-values of long-term studies causing detrimental effects
on soil fauna species and microbial processes Toxicity tests with mercury revealed a somewhat differentiated picture. Nitrification and earthworm
↓ reproduction were inhibited by aged contaminations at 29 mg/kg, soil respiration at 0.12 mg/kg. The other
Parallel use of
Ë Ì organisms did not react at all. Spiked contaminations reduced microbial activity at concentrations ≥ 0.18
Factorial Application Method Distribution Based Extrapolation
FAME (US- EPA 1984, CEC 1996) DIBAEX (Wagner & Løkke 1991) mg/kg. After inclusion of EC30-60 values derived from our experiments in the data set the calculated working
↓ ↓ trigger value amounted to 0.41 mg/kg. As this is lower than the German precautionary values (Table 3) the
Calculated working trigger value (1) Calculated working trigger value (2)
following trigger values were proposed: Sand, Silt/Loam 0.5 mg/kg and Clay 1 mg/lg.
Fig.1: Scheme for the derivation of trigger values for the pathway soil => soil organisms
Aged zinc contaminations inhibited microbial processes at 134 mg/kg. Calculation of zinc trigger values
In the second part of the project the plausibility of the “working trigger values” were verified by means of an including the new data from our experiments revealed that soil organisms may be damaged at concentrations
ecotoxicological test battery (Tab. 1). Test substrate was a sandy soil with low sorption capacity and organic ≥ 58.3 mg/kg. This is in the same order of magnitude as the German precautionary value for sandy soils. We
carbon content, which was mixed with polluted soil material from contaminated sites (aged contamination) therefore recommend trigger values with respect to soil texture: Sand 60 mg/kg; Silt and Loam 150 mg/kg;
and chemicals (spiked contamination). The following variants were tested: Clay 200 mg/kg (Tab. 3).
- control soil The tested organisms reacted specifically to HCH additions. Microbial processes were only slightly affected.
- pollutant concentration < working trigger value Collembola reproduction was inhibited at 0.26 mg/kg but there was no concentration/effect relationship
- pollutant concentration ≅ working trigger value between contamination and inhibition rate. All effective concentrations causing effects between 30 – 60 %
- pollutant concentration >> working trigger value were included to the trigger value calculation but the plausibility check showed that effect concentrations were
All tests were carried out with four replicates. In order to monitor a possible adaptation of microorganisms to not homogeneously distributed. Therefore the supposition for employing the DIBAEX method is not fulfilled
pollutants, microbiological tests were carried out after an incubation time of one and eight weeks. and we used the FAME method including experimental data. This leads to a trigger value recommendation of
Statistical evaluation of data was carried out by means of ANOVA and Dunnett-tests and probit analysis. 0.01 mg Σ-HCH/kg soil.
Finally trigger values were recalculated including EC30-60 values derived from this project.
Table 3: National and international precautionary and trigger values
Table 1: Ecotoxicological test battery and recommended trigger values for the pathway soil ⇒ soil organisms
Method/Standard Investigated Parameters

Potential nitrification nitrite formation

ISO/DIS 15685 (2001)

Soil respiration curves basal respiration (RB), substrate induced respiration (RS),
ISO 17155 (2002) respiratory activation quotient (QR), maximum growth rate (µ), Lag-
phase (tlag), time from growth substrate addition to maximum
respiration rate (tpeakmax)

Plant growth test ISO 11269-2 (1994) Fresh weight of oat (Avena sativa) and turnip (Brassica rapa)

Collembola test ISO 11267 (1999) Mortality and reproduction of Folsomia candida

Earthworm test ISO 11268-2 (1998) Mortality and reproduction of Eisenia fetida

Nematode test Niemann & Debus (1996) Reproduction of Panagrellus redivivus

Acknowledgement
1 ≈ German precautionary value; 2 ≈ German trigger value; 3 = German action value defined by HC50;
Financial support was kindly granted by the German Federal Environmental Agency (Berlin) 4 Plants / Invertebrates = „unacceptable effects“.

DIN ISO 11268-2 (1998): Bodenbeschaffenheit. Wirkung von Schadstoffen auf Regenwürmer (Eisenia fetida) – Teil 2: Bestimmung der Wirkung
bmwilke@tu-berlin.de auf die Reproduktion, 1998-07-00; Beuth-Verlag, Berlin
Technische Universität Berlin, Institut für Ökologie
ISO 11269-2 (1994): Soil quality - Determination of the Effects of Pollutants on Soil Flora. Part 2: Effects of Chemicals on the Emergence
FG Abfallbelastung der Landschaft and Growth of Higher Plants. ISO/TC 190/SC4, No. 11269-2
Albrecht-Thaer-Weg 4, 14195 Berlin
ISO/DIS 15685 (2001): Soil Quality – Determination of Potential Nitrification, a Rapid Test by Ammonium Oxidation.

ISO 17155 (2002): Soil Respiration Curves – A Method to Test the Abundance and Activity of the Soil Microflora

References ISO 11267 (1999): Soil quality – Inhibition of Reproduction of Collembola (Folsomia candida) by Soil Pollutants. ISO/TC 190/SC4, No. 11267

Niemann, R. & R. Debus (1996): Nematodentest zur Abschätzung der chronischen Toxizität von Bodenkontaminationen. UWSF - Zeitschrift Umweltchemie
BBodSchV Bundes-Bodenschutz- und Altlastenverordnung (BBodSchV) vom 12. Juli 1999. BGBL I, Nr. 36, S. 1554-1582. und Ökotoxikologie 8, 255-260

CCME (Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment) (1997): Recommended Canadian soil quality guidelines. Winnipeg, Manitoba, 185 p.
Crommentuijn T, D. Sijm, J. de Bruijn, M. van den Hoop, K. van Leeuwen & E. van de Plassche (2000):
Maximum permissible and negligible concentrations for metals and metalloids in the Netherlands, taking into account background
concentrations J. Environ. Management 60 (2), 121-143
Scott-Fordsmand, J.J & M. B. Pedersen (1995): Soil quality criteria for selected inorganic compounds. Danish Environmental Protection Agency, Working
Report No. 48, 200 p.
USA EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) (2000): Ecological Soil Screening Level Guidance (Draft). Environmental Protection Agency, Office of
Emergency and Remedial Response, Washington, DC, USA.

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