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Geochemistry: Exploration, Environment, Analysis
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Geochemistry: Exploration, Environment, Analysis; 2008; v. 8; issue.3-4; p. 267-277;
DOI: 10.1144/1467-7873/08-175
© 2008 Geological Society of London

Original Article

Environmental geochemical maps of Italy from the FOREGS database

Benedetto De Vivo1, Annamaria Lima1, Maria A. Bove1, Stefano Albanese1, Domenico Cicchella2, Giuseppe Sabatini3, Luigi A. Di Lella3, Giuseppe Protano3, Francesco Riccobono3, Pietro Frizzo4 & Lorenzo Raccagni4

1 Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Napoli. Via Mezzocannone 8, 80134 Napoli, Italy(bdevivo{at}unina.it)
2 Dipartimento di Studi Geologici ed Ambientali, Università degli Studi del Sannio. Via dei Mulini 59/A,82100 Benevento, Italy (cidom{at}unisannio.it)
3 Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali ‘G. Scarlatti’, Università degli Studi di Siena. Via Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy(sabatinig{at}unisi.it)
4 Dipartimento di Geoscienze, Università degli Studi di Padova. Via Giotto 1, 35137 Padova, Italy(pietro.frizzo{at}unipd.it)

The Geochemical Atlas of Italy addresses the need for geochemical mapping of the country, based on FOREGS procedures. Data from samples of Italian topsoil, subsoil, stream water, stream sediment and floodplain sediment have been extracted from the FOREGS database and supplemented with data from eight new sample sites. In total 360 geochemical maps have been produced and spatial correlations have been found between the underlying geology and element abundances in the sampled media. The aim of the Geochemical Atlas of Italy is to document background/baseline chemical element variation at the national scale. It is found to be a suitable tool to support government decision-makers to assess trigger and action limits at the local scale, when considered in the light of the complex spatial variability of Italian geology. Maps presented here demonstrate that low density geochemical mapping is a viable tool to obtain an impression of natural element variation at the country scale and to identify areas where more detailed sampling is advisable.

Key Words: geochemical mapping • geochemical atlas • background/baseline concentrations