Soil quality in Malta 'could pose health problems'

Health problems and wider environmental issues are two of the potential outcomes of worsening soil quality in Malta, according to a new document.

The Times of Malta summarised the State of Environment study produced by Mepa, which it said was concerned about the lead content of the topsoil in the country, which was used as an indicator as to how contaminated the earth is.

In research that covered the period between 2002 and 2006, Mepa found that the average lead content across the sites increased from 78 milligrams per kilogram to 125 mg/kg between those years.

The news provider noted: "The possible causes of lead in soil included remnants from car exhaust, paint, used pellets from hunting or emissions from industrial activities."

Mepa has encouraged the Maltese government to update its enviromental legislation and consider developing its soil quality monitoring capabilities.

A Cornell scientist recently told PhysOrg that he has created a new procedure called the Cornell Soil Health Test, which can be used to monitor the ground after heavy contruction work has taken place.