Recent developments in contaminated soil management policy have reinforced the importance of measurement over other methods for estimating population exposure. Based on these data, the challenge for the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance (InVS) is to provide an appropriate public health interpretation. The InVS has conducted research to help public health professionals better understand data from soil measurements: 1) a framework for assessing the quality of measurement campaigns, to determine whether the results can be used to identify and evaluate exposures 2) reference ranges for metal concentrations in soils in the Île-de-France and Centre regions to aid in the interpretation of measurement results. This article also discusses the fact that, beyond the complexity of the sampling strategy and the analysis of samples, the use of soil measurement data to estimate exposures must take into detailed account current land uses at the sites, assess the influence of measurement variability on the presentation of results, ensure proper interpretation of unquantified values, and consider the influence of bioavailability for a more appropriate characterization of exposures. All these elements related to soil measurement must be considered to ensure that measurements allow for an appropriate assessment of population exposures and to ensure proper interpretation of the data, particularly through comparison with reference standards. This ensures that public health decisions are guided by consistent principles. (R.A.)