APPROACHES TO ECOLOGICAL RATING OF HEAVY METALS IN AGRICULTURAL LANDS

Currently, various criteria and indicators are used to assess the heavy metal pollution of agricultural lands. The background concentration of heavy metals in soil, the hygienic standards established for them and the differentiated standards, which are based on the threshold limit values of such elements in various soils, can be used as criteria for assessing the ecological state of agricultural lands. The threshold limit values are developed taking into account the background concentration of the element, its hygienic standard, soil buffering capacity and the land-use purpose. The use of differentiated standards allows proper quality control of agricultural lands in terms of environmentally hazardous chemicals and choosing the option for safe use of contaminated agricultural land.