Contamination of residential soil used in urban gardens causes exposure to lead (Pb) through consumption of produce. Urban gardening is otherwise beneficial to the local community, and can be conducted safely with proper assessment of soil. Currently, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets limits for allowable soil-Pb in children’s play areas, but no limit is defined for soils used for gardening. Our overarching goal is to demonstrate the need for assessment of potential garden sites. This will allow restriction of gardening to safe areas of the property, thus preventing lead exposure through consumption of contaminated produce. Our objectives were to: determine safe locations for urban gardens in residential properties, assess how produce absorbs and stores Pb from contaminated soil, and investigate the presence of Pb in commercially-available produce and spices. Four residential locations were tested with an X-Ray fluorescence analyzer (XRF) to determine soil Pb contamination levels and compared with a control location. Plant samples were collected from these urban gardens. Produce and spices were collected from grocery stores and community farmers’ market. Plant samples, produce, and spices were analyzed for lead concentration in a Microwave Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometer (MP-AES). Results show that lead contamination in residential soils is extremely heterogeneous and varies widely by location with respect to the number of sources, distance from the source(s), slope, and type of soils. Lead was detected in all four residential soils at varied amounts and was absent in the control location. Data obtained so far showed the absorption and storage of Pb in different parts of plants collected from the contaminated soils. Some of the edible parts were found to contain lead, which indicates high risk of exposure. The results establish the need for a case by case assessment of Pb in every property that is being considered for urban gardening. Assessment of residential properties prior to setting up an urban garden will help to determine the safe location, within which the garden should be restricted. The contaminated area of the property can be further categorized into high and low risk zones and appropriate remediation processes should be implemented.

Is urban gardening safe in residential properties built prior to 1978? Field-assessment in the city neighborhoods of Rochester, NY

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.