Different approaches in using and understanding the term 'geochemical background' - practical implications for environmental studies

This article presents various aspects of the use and evaluation of geochemical background for different environmental media with a brief discussion on the origins, historical and present context, and application of this and other related terms. This subject has become one of the most crucial issues in geochemistry and environmental sciences during the last few years because of its application to environmental protection, land management, ecotoxicology and geochemistry. Three approaches (methods) of geochemical background evaluation are discussed: (i) direct, (ii) indirect, and (iii) integrated. In response to a strong need to reduce a large number of methods applied to background assessment, a plausible methodology based on archival data, including the results derived from determinations of Mn, Pb, Zn for quartzites, soils and Pinus sylvestris needles, from the Holy Cross Mountains (Świętokrzyskie Mountains, south-central Poland) has been proposed. This methodology belongs to the integrated approach to the background evaluation. Samples were collected in relatively pristine areas and statistical data analysis (iterative 2σ-technique) was used to eliminate outliers from the original datasets.