The first ever baseline study of soil quality in Dublin has been launched.

According to Natural Resources Minister Conor Lenihan, the study will help inform future land-use policy in the city and suburban areas.

"In an era of increasing public interest in our environment it is opportune that we are launching the Dublin leg of a European-wide project which will analyse the quality of Dublin's soils," he said.

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Mr Lenihan said the findings have implications for land use policy and public health in inner city areas where population densities are high.

Dublin is one of the ten locations where this comprehensive European-wide urban soil quality baseline study will be carried out.

Sampling commenced last week and will continue throughout November.

The surface soil samples will be analysed at the geochemical laboratories of NGU and the German Geological Survey (BGR) and the results will be presented free of charge in an open-access digital atlas in early 2011.

The study is part-funded under the NDP and by NGU and BGR as part of what is an overall EuroGeoSurveys study.

(PR/KMcA)