[Public health relevant levels of pollutants in soil. Considerations for preventive, environmental health protection].

A working document on nation-wide applicable health-related guiding levels of environmental pollutants in soil has been prepared. These levels are intended to be the base for the administrative regulation of soil contaminations in connection with the German "Bundesbodenschutzgesetz" (Federal law on the protection of soil). Legislation demands these base levels to be intensely related to protection against serious health effects (i.e. health hazards). Looking more closely at the toxicological deduction of these values and at some values extracted from that process some uncertainties become obvious with regard to a clearcut limit between dangerous and noxious levels in soil. Indeed there are some arguments which suggest a more conservative approach. Health-care based recommendations should be introduced also at lower contaminant levels in soil. Therefore, development of an internal administrative manual on basic noxious values of soil pollutants (e.g. values below the threshold of danger) is suggested which may be useful for health authorities to cope with special problems in individual cases.