Probability distributions of arsenic in soil from brownfield sites in Beijing （China）： statistical characterization of the background populations and implications for site assessment studies
A probabilistic analysis was performed on soil arsenic concentration data from 4 brownfield sites at Beijing （Chaoyang and Haidian Districts）, involved in environmental assessment studies. The available data sets were processed to provide a statistical characterization of the background populations...
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| Published in | 中国环境科学与工程前沿：英文版 no. 3; pp. 465 - 474 |
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| Main Author | |
| Format | Journal Article |
| Language | English |
| Published |
2015
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| Subjects | |
| Online Access | Get full text |
| ISSN | 2095-2201 2095-221X |
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| Summary: | A probabilistic analysis was performed on soil arsenic concentration data from 4 brownfield sites at Beijing （Chaoyang and Haidian Districts）, involved in environmental assessment studies. The available data sets were processed to provide a statistical characterization of the background populations and differentiate ＂anomalous data＂ from the natural range of variation of arsenic concentrations in soil. The site-specific background distributions and the existing wide-scale background values defined for the Beijing area were compared, discussing related implications for the definition of metal contamination soil screening levels （SSLs） in site assess- ment studies. The statistical analysis of As data sets discriminated site-specific background populations, encompassing 88% to 94% of the sample data, from oufliers values, associated with either subsoil natural enrichments or possible anthropogenic releases. Upper Baseline Concentration （UBC） limits （＋ 2σ level）, including most of the site-specific metal background variability, were derived based on the statistical characterization of the background populations. Sites in the Chaoyang South District area had UBC values in the range 10.4-12.6mg·kg^-1. These ranges provide meaningful SSL values to be adopted for As in local site assessment studies. Using the wide-scale background value for the Beijing area would have erroneously classified most of the areas in the subject sites as potentially contaminated. |
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| Bibliography: | A probabilistic analysis was performed on soil arsenic concentration data from 4 brownfield sites at Beijing （Chaoyang and Haidian Districts）, involved in environmental assessment studies. The available data sets were processed to provide a statistical characterization of the background populations and differentiate ＂anomalous data＂ from the natural range of variation of arsenic concentrations in soil. The site-specific background distributions and the existing wide-scale background values defined for the Beijing area were compared, discussing related implications for the definition of metal contamination soil screening levels （SSLs） in site assess- ment studies. The statistical analysis of As data sets discriminated site-specific background populations, encompassing 88% to 94% of the sample data, from oufliers values, associated with either subsoil natural enrichments or possible anthropogenic releases. Upper Baseline Concentration （UBC） limits （＋ 2σ level）, including most of the site-specific metal background variability, were derived based on the statistical characterization of the background populations. Sites in the Chaoyang South District area had UBC values in the range 10.4-12.6mg·kg^-1. These ranges provide meaningful SSL values to be adopted for As in local site assessment studies. Using the wide-scale background value for the Beijing area would have erroneously classified most of the areas in the subject sites as potentially contaminated. arsenic, probability plot, upper baseline con-centration, site assessment 10-1013/X |
| ISSN: | 2095-2201 2095-221X |