Importance of Consistent Protocols for National and International Projects

Soil geochemical data are required to satisfy the requirements for environmental assessments and regulations pertaining to land use, development and remediation. Examination of the information posted on state/provincial and federal government web sites reveals variability in the specified methodology for obtaining these data. At present, there is no systematic continent-wide data on variation in soil composition that provides a common environmental view of North America. The aim of the North American Soil Geochemical Landscapes Project is two-fold: (1) develop a continental-scale framework for generating soil geochemistry and related data; and (2) provide soil geochemical data that are available and useful for a wide range of applications and disciplines.

Developing a set of protocols to ensure a consistent data set for North America is not without its challenges, some of which are noted as follows: (1) the enormous size of the continent; (2) three international and numerous state and provincial boundaries; (3) the complexity of the operation - sampling is horizon- and depth-based and involves many types of analyses, all requiring field, laboratory, quality assurance, archiving, and data handling protocols; (4) the many types of mineral and organic soils and field situations (e.g. permafrost areas) that require diverse equipment and procedures; and (5) the need to anticipate and accommodate possible future requirements. From the outset of the Project, attention has been paid to developing and documenting the protocols necessary to provide a data set that serves as a common national and international standard applicable at all levels of government. Samples will be collected and data generated by many organizations in many geographic areas over a long time period. Use of consistent protocols ensures that the resultant data sets will stitch together to produce a final seamless geochemical database.