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Abstract
Background concentrations of trace elements are unknown for the Georgia Piedmont and are important from both a regulatory and environmental impact standpoint. The purpose of this study was to establish background concentrations for 16 trace elements in surface soils, subsoils, and parent materials of the Georgia Piedmont. Soils (A, B, and C horizons) and parent materials were sampled from remote areas, based on observed and mapped parent material (rock) type (grouped as felsic, mafic, and intermediate), and analyzed for selected major and minor elements. Trace metal content varied little between soil horizons, and mafic soils were clearly higher in a suite of elements (including Cr, Mn, Ni, and V), while felsic rocks were higher in certain heavier elements (Pb and U). Implications are that regulatory levels of trace elements should be referenced to parent rock for a given site.