Assessment of heavy metals concentrations in sediment and soil samples at Royal Roads/Hatley Park, Colwood, BC

Abstract

Site investigations were performed at two locations on the Royal Roads/Hatley Park property and the Esquimalt Lagoon to determine metals concentrations. Soil and sediment samples were analyzed for heavy metals concentrations at these two locations in which previous testing found various heavy metals concentrations that exceeded Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) soil and sediment quality guidelines. The soil sampling program found four soil samples with lead and zinc concentrations exceeding both the British Columbia Contaminated Sites Regulation (BC CSR) and CCME guidelines. Four of five strata at the Esquimalt Lagoon had metals concentrations exceeding the more stringent CCME sediment quality guidelines and no samples exceeded BC CSR standards for sediments. It is recommended that this research be used to better delineate heavy metals at the two sites and provide a basis for further site investigations and further study the ecological impacts of heavy metals on the sensitive ecosystems in the Royal Roads/Hatley Park property.