Anthropogenic contamination of the environment may be defined as the chemical and biological contamination caused by the actions of humans. Its increase is intimately associated with the rise in global population, industrialisation, urbanisation and intensive agricultural practices. Since the industrial revolution, man-made chemicals and wastes have been released into the environment to the detriment of soil, sediment, water and air quality.

Discharges may either be in diffuse form (such as atmospheric particles from fossil-fuel combustion or fertilisers into soils and groundwaters), as point sources (such as mine waste) or as a discrete event (such as oil spillage). Sediments and soils are the ultimate sinks of many chemicals. Understanding of concentrations, spatial and temporal distributions and air/water/solid partitioning behaviour and interactions is key to hazard, risk and impact assessments and evaluation of potential effects on ecology and man.

The BGS laboratories have expertise in the collection, analysis and interpretation of organic pollutants, potentially hazardous metals and radiogenic nuclides in soils, sediments and waters. Within the sphere of organic geochemistry, BGS scientists have considerable expertise in the analysis of some of the 'dirty dozen pollutants' including polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB). The laboratories can also measure faecal stanol and sterol to track pollution from sewage.

Selected research

• National Physical Properties & Processes Laboratories
• BGS laboratory capability
• Coastal pollution & climate