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The Dublin SURGE (Soil Urban Geochemistry) Project is Dublin’s first baseline survey of heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants in topsoils and is part of a Europe-wide initiative to map urban geochemical baselines in ten cities. 1,058 samples were collected as part of a stratified random sampling programme in the greater Dublin area to give an overview of baseline conditions in the city. Samples were analysed for 31 inorganic elements including heavy metals. Analysis of results indicates that the concentrations of lead, copper, zinc and mercury are strongly influenced by human activities, with elevated concentrations in the city docklands, inner city and heavy industry areas. Sources of heavy metals in these areas may include historical industry, coal burning, re-use of contaminated soil, modern traffic and leaded paint and petrol. Concentrations of other inorganic elements in topsoil show patterns which are strongly related to regional bedrock parent material. The spatial distributions of heavy metals, in particular Pb and As, are explored in detail with respect to regional geology and the influence of historical industry on soil quality. Exploratory data, geostatistical and correlation analyses suggest that the concentrations of heavy metals tend to increase as the intensity of historical industrial activity increases. In particular, drinks production, power generation, oil/gas/coal, metals and textile historical industries appear to be the contamination source for several heavy metals. The data provide a geochemical baseline relevant to the protection of human health, compliance with environmental legislation, land use planning and urban regeneration.

Ambitions to complete geochemical mapping across the island of Ireland were developed in the 1980s and the first phases began in western Northern Ireland in the early 1990s. Subsequent phases in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland were begun from 2004. The Tellus and Tellus Border geochemical sampling programmes of 2004-12 resulted in the most comprehensive maps of their kind for the northern region of Ireland. These programmes covered 30% of the island of Ireland, albeit at different sampling densities, with detailed soil and stream sampling. Soils were sampled at 10,335 sites and streams at a further 9501 sites. 1269 urban sites were sampled in Belfast and Derry-Londonderry. The survey methodologies followed the established sampling protocols of the GB Geochemical Baseline Survey of the Environment (G-BASE). Applying these systematic approaches of sampling and quality control was the foundation for developing coherent and comparable cross-border data sets. The samples were analysed by internationally accredited laboratories. In all media, typically around 55 inorganic chemical elements and ions, and physicochemical properties were analysed and measured. The maps of these elements reveal wide variations across the area, reflecting the influence of the underlying geology, mineralisation, and anthropogenic and environmental factors. The data, which are open and freely available, have prompted an increase in mineral exploration and research into a range of environmental questions.

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