Recital (50)

In order to ensure that soils are protected from contamination by substances that have the potential to cause significant risks to human health and to contaminate surrounding air, surface waters, groundwater and subsequently oceans, policy mechanisms to detect and assess such substances of concern should be established. In that regard, an approach that allows monitoring and analysis of such substances or groups of substances via an indicative list, similar to the approach used for surface water and groundwater, should be developed regarding soil contamination. The substances or groups of substances to be placed on such indicative list should include substances posing a significant risk to soil health and soil resilience, human health or the environment, and substances for which the information available indicates that they could pose a significant risk to, or via, soil, and for which the available monitoring data are insufficient. There should be no upper limit on the number of the substances or groups of substances to be included in the indicative list of soil contaminants for the purposes of monitoring and analysis.