Modelling And Assessing The Impact Of Diffuse Sources On Soil Quality

Short descriptions and main results of two modelling studies concerning the impact of atmospheric deposition of several heavy metals and organic compounds on soil quality are presented. The results indicate that present levels of atmospheric deposition of some of these compounds may lead to concentrations in European soils that are higher than permitted by environmental quality criteria such as Dutch Target Values or Maximum Permissible Concentrations. From both studies, the critical load concept appears to be useful for assessing the environmental impact of diffuse sources on soil quality.