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Soil Standard Reference Materials

Task Objectives

The interpretation of the geochemical landscape at any scale is based on the information derived from chemical analyses of samples processed in several stages. The quality of the interpretation is no better than the quality of the chemical analyses. For this reason, it is imperative that we have a good set of soil standard reference materials (SRMs) for use in the laboratory quality assurance program. SRMs are used for three main purposes: 1) to help develop accurate methods of analysis; 2) to calibrate analytical techniques; and 3) to assure the long-term adequacy and the integrity of analytical quality assurance programs. The Mineral Resources Program has historically analyzed stream sediment samples looking for "anomalous" values of ore or ore-related elements during mineral resource assessment investigations. More recent studies have focused on abandoned mine lands where high concentrations of metals in soils and sediments are common. For these reasons, the USGS laboratories are currently using SRMs that have very high values of many elements. While appropriate for studies where investigators expect to find such high values, these SRMs are totally inappropriate for studies of "background" soils. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed a very limited number of soil SRMs, but most of these were collected for use on studies of contaminated land. In summary, there are an insufficient number of available SRMs for conducting a national-scale study of soil geochemistry.

We are proposing to develop, in collaboration with the Rebecca Burt and Mike Wilson of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), soil standard reference materials SRMs that represent at least three, and possibly more, very different soil types. The standards will be developed at a rate of approximately one per year. These will be used by the USGS internal and contract laboratories and by the NRCS Soil Survey Laboratory to monitor the quality of chemical analyses of soils containing normal low levels of chemical elements.

Additional information on USGS Geochemical Reference Materials.

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