ABSTRACT
In using and implementing soil quality standards (SQSs) there is a requirement to consider more than the concentration of a chemical in soil (Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution 1998). Generally, an SQS will be a component of a broader decision making process or framework and will be a chemical-specific value ascribed to a particular ecological target or receptor (e.g., humans, soil fauna), protection level, or designated soil or land use. SQSs are one tool within a regulatory framework and, unlike aquatic quality standards, are rarely used as mandatory pass or fail criteria. Nevertheless, comparing the numerical values of SQSs from across jurisdictions, without reference to the context in which they are to be used or how they have been derived, is a meaningless exercise.
