The GEMAS (geochemical mapping of agricultural soil) project collected 2108 Ap horizon soil samples from regularly ploughed fields in 33 European countries, covering 5.6 million km2. The <2 mm fraction of these samples was analysed for 53 elements by ICP-MS and ICP-AES, following a HNO3/HCl/H2O (modified aqua regia) digestion. Results are used here to establish the geochemical background variation and threshold values, derived statistically from the data set, in order to identify unusually high element concentrations for these elements in the Ap samples. Potentially toxic elements (PTEs),

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The area around the São Domingos copper mine (Iberian Pyrite Belt) is subject of great environmental concern as acid mine water occurs several kilometres downstream of the mine. In addition thousands of tons of mine waste are present. Erica australis and Erica andevalensis, which are two spontaneous plant species of this area, have been studied with regard to their potential for phytostabilization.Soils and plants from São Domingos and from a reference site (Moreanes) were analysed for soil characteristics, chemical element content in soils (total and AB-DTPA bioavailable fraction) and in plants. Superficial and seepage water as well as waste material leachates were also analysed. Seepage water showed high redox potential (mean 481 mV), high conductivity (mean 4337 μS cm − 1 ) and low pH values (mean 2.6), being classified as mining water. Leachate solutions possessed mainly high levels of Fe, Al and SO 4 2− . Soils in the mining area were highly contaminated in Pb, As and Sb. Locally also high values of Cu and Zn were encountered and the soil available fraction of the majority of the elements showed also quite high values.E. andevalensis grows in soils with pH between 3 and 4, whereas E. australis was only found in soils with pH above 3.5. Both species grow spontaneously in soils, highly contaminated with Pb, As and Sb. These plants, even in the non contaminated soils, are Al-tolerant and Mn-accumulators. In contaminated soils these species are also As-tolerant.Considering the tolerant behaviour in extreme environmental conditions, these Erica species may be of major importance for the recovery of the sulphide mining areas, with climate conditions compatible with its breeding and growing, by physical and chemical stabilization of contaminated soils and even waste materials.

Article history: Available online xxxx a b s t r a c tTo assess the impact of potentially harmful elements in soil/dust on the health of children that use urban recreational areas to play outdoors, an urban survey of Lisbon, the largest city in Portugal was carried out, collecting soils and dusts from public gardens, parks, playgrounds and schoolyards. An exposure and risk assessment study for the incidental soil/dust ingestion of lead was carried out based on US EPA guidelines using a sub-set of 19 topsoil and 8 outdoor dusts, out of a total of 51 samples, incorporating oral bioaccessibility measurements using the Unified BARGE Method developed by the Bioaccessibility Research Group of Europe. The objectives are: (i) interpretation of soil and dust oral bioaccessibility measurements; (ii) assessment of site-specific exposure and non-carcinogenic risk posed by lead; (iii) hazard assessment for urban soil and dust with respect to children playing in outdoor recreational areas. The results show that significant fractions of Pb occur in bioaccessible forms, 24-100% in soils and 35-100% in dusts and the associated risk is greater for dust ingestion than for soil ingestion in Lisbon city recreational areas.

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