Scotland, like many countries in Europe, has a legacy of pollution largely emanating from the Industrial Revolution in the 19th Century, although some pollution can be traced back to even our earliest civilizations. In addition, some types of pollution have no boundaries and arrive here from other countries on the prevailing winds. In 1990, the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute undertook a survey of a series of surface soils from four transects across Scotland to assess the pollution caused by atmospheric deposition. The survey is described in the pages that follow and contains interactive maps for many different types of pollutants. In addition to providing a 'snapshot in time' of the pollution loadings in some Scottish soils, the data also provide some indication of what might be considered the background levels in more pristine environments. Data are presented on levels of persistent organic pollutants, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), as well as radiocaesium and the heavy metals, cadmium, copper, lead, nickel and zinc.

Acknowledgements

The project team wish to acknowledge the land owners and managers who gave permission for sampling the soils on their land. We also wish to acknowledge the Scottish Executive Environment Rural Affairs Department for their support through grant-in-aid to the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute.

Related Links

• Scottish Environment Statistics Online