Ecotoxicological risk assessment of undisturbed metal contaminated soil at two remote lighthouse sites

Ecotoxicological risk assessments of contaminated soil are commonly completed using guideline values based on total concentrations. However, only certain fractions of contaminants are bioavailable and pose a hazard to the environment. This paper investigates the relationship between measured metal concentrations in soil and soil leachate, and the effects in organisms exposed to intact, undisturbed soil cores (wheat, Tricum aestivum) and soil leachate (lettuce, Lactuca sativa, and water flea, Daphnia magna). Despite the samples containing metal concentrations significantly above guideline values, metals of concern (e.g. Pb and Zn) did not have a significant toxic effect on wheat or D. magna. During weeks with low leachate pH, an effect on lettuce root elongation was observed in the most contaminated samples. This study has shown that bioassays with intact soil cores can indicate metal bioavailability and provide a better estimate of ecological risk than total metal concentrations in the soil.