Inventory of Federal, Provincial and Territorial Environmental and Occupational Health Data
Sources and Surveillance Activities

Inventory of Data Sources

Prairie Soils (1992) and Ontario Soils (1994) [(Pr92 and Ont94)] (Geological Survey of Canada)

Contact
Ken Ford
Geological Survey of Canada
Natural Resources Canada
601 Booth St.
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0E8
Tel: (613) 992-1235
E-mail: Kford@NRCan.gc.ca

Robert G. Garrett
Coordinator, Metals in the Environment Initiative
Geological Survey of Canada
Natural Resources Canada
[Address same as above]
Tel: (613) 995-4517
E-mail: garrett@gsc.NRCan.gc.ca

D. Sharpe
Geological Survey of Canada
Natural Resources Canada
[Address same as above]
Tel: (613) 992-3059
E-mail: David.Sharpe@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca

Organization Maintaining the Database
Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada

Purpose of Database
The main purpose of this database is to establish ambient background levels of trace elements in agricultural and rural soils in Ontario and the Prairies by collecting information on soil chemistry, including data on metals/metalloids.

Content
Data on soil chemistry (composition, trace element content) for Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario. Data types: metalloid. Data elements: Sample site geographic coordinates, field observations at the sample site, and major, minor and trace element geochemical data by total (XRF and INAA) or near total (AAS following HF-HClO₄-HNO₃ acid decomposition) methods of the <2 mm fraction of both surface (0-25 cm) and C-horizon (>70 cm depth) soils. Geolocators: geo-coordinates.

Year Database Established
Pr92 in 1993; Ont94 in 1995

Coverage Period
1992 to 1994 (The database reflect soil geochemical surveys undertaken in the summers of 1992 and 1994. They do not reflect continuous temporal monitoring data; as such they are snapshots in time of the soil chemistry

Data Updates
The data in the database are from a one-time survey and are not updated.

Data Provider
Geological Survey of Canada

Data Availability
Access to the data is restricted and currently limited to Ken Ford, D. Sharpe, and Robert Garrett of the Geological Survey. At this time the data are not publicly available. The data are held in two MS Access databases. Queries from OGDs and provincial organizations are responded to with appropriate data, summary statistics, and graphics.

In the case of the Prairie Soil (1992) there were data-sharing agreements between the governments of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.

Reports
Not per se; there have been scientific papers and posters published

Additional Comments
Trace elements occur naturally in soils and except at contaminated sites reflect the natural abundance levels. These vary as a function of geology and pedology, and sometimes due to natural processes of metal/metalloid concentration reach levels of concern if the elements present can be transformed to bioavailable forms.

In the context of environmental and health issues, the relevance of these data has to be considered carefully, as the total/near-total analyses for metals, etc. do not necessarily reflect the bioavailable amounts of metal present at a particular site. For this reason we respond to requests so that geochemists who understand these issues can put appropriate caveats on the use of the geochemical survey results.

Data are collected under the authority of the Intergovernmental Geoscience Accord, or Federal-Provincial Mineral Development Agreements.

Other databases: The NATGAM database contains airborne gamma ray spectrometry data (K, eU, eTh) that have been used to assess radon risk for communities and planned developments.