Soil Levels Based on the German Soil Protection Bill

The German Soil Protection Bill proposes the introduction of generic trigger levels and action levels for the soil in order to assess contaminated sites. The presence of trigger levels indicates the need for a site-specific study whereas contamination in excess of action levels calls for remedial action and feasibility studies without any further investigation of hazards to public health and the environment. Both types of levels are differentiated according to land use, specific exposure conditions and substance-specific pathways. This paper reviews the current state of the derivation of soil levels in Germany.