Case Study

Protection of the earth’s surface

Summary

Pursuant to the applicable provisions of law in Poland, soil sampling and testing of substances posing a risk to the protection of the earth’s surface should be performed by accredited testing laboratories. The Polish Centre for Accreditation (PCA) grants accreditation to laboratories conducting research on the pollution of the earth’s surface in a wide range of properties and parameters.

Background

Poland attaches great importance to determining the types of activities that may contribute to soil contamination, to the determination of soil contaminants and to the identification of contaminated sites.

The legal provisions indicate the permissible content of substances in the soil that cause a significant risk to the protection of the earth’s surface. They also indicate the properties of the soil and soil groups related to the method of their use. These tests should be performed by accredited laboratories.

Strategy

Accredited laboratories are testing the collected soil and ground samples for the content of substances posing a risk that may occur in a given area due to current or past activity. The provisions of law indicate the types of activities that may cause soil and ground contamination, along with examples of pollutants characteristic of these activities. Based on the results of accredited tests of harmful substances, decisions are made regarding the possibility of land use, environmental soil regeneration and remediation.

Results and impact

There are many polluted places all over the world, posing a significant threat to the health and life of humans and other living creatures. There has also been a sharp decline in biodiversity in recent years. Preventing damage caused to the natural environment supports the achievement of the objectives of the European Community’s environmental protection policy.

Soil and ground tests, including sampling for analysis, are performed in Poland in accordance with the requirements of legal acts by accredited laboratories. This ensures confidence in the credibility of the actions relevant to health, safety and environmental protection and enables the necessary further steps to be taken in the context of contaminated sites.