ABSTRACT
The development of chemical standards for substances in the terrestrial compartment is a relatively new regulatory activity compared to derivation of water quality standards. Despite this, understanding of soil processes and the behavior, fate, and transport of chemicals in terrestrial and groundwater compartments is already considerable. What is still required is better understanding of how these processes influence the responses to toxicants of organisms that are of interest to the regulatory agencies that must adopt and use the standards. Development of soil standards can also be viewed as an opportunity to promote the use of robust science and understanding specific to soils rather than simply being constrained by historical paradigms and strictures considered for the aquatic compartment.
