Lead contaminated soils: Are urban gardeners being exposed? A pilot study

Background: Urban gardening has become popular in the past few years. Evidence suggests that growing and consuming fruits and vegetables has health and social benefits. While urban gardening has been promoted to the public as exemplified by the First Lady's own garden at the White House, urban soils pose a risk to health due to contamination from heavy metals, in particular, lead. Much of the soil in urban areas has been contaminated by the historic use of lead-based paints, leaded gasoline, and other industrial activities. This pilot study investigates the relationship between lead concentrations in urban garden soils and the behaviors of urban gardeners in New York City. Methods: Soil was collected from 18 gardens and analyzed for soil lead concentration using a field portable X-ray fluorescence. A survey was administered to individuals who tended the gardens to assess their gardening habits. Results: The average concentration for lead in soil among the samples was 373ppm. The lowest concentration was 109ppm and the highest was 1317ppm. Seventy-two percent of gardeners did not wear any PPE and half stated that they ate or drank while gardening. The majority of respondents indicated that they just “brushed off” and washed their hands when finished gardening. Locations of gardens were near homes with peeling paint, or homes currently and recently renovated. Other gardens were previously waste collection areas or covered in concrete. Discussion: The findings indicate that these participants continue to work, grow and consume produce from their gardens without taking precautions or knowledge that their soil may be contaminated. A more in-depth study should assess blood lead levels in addition to collecting information on soil lead concentrations and gardening behaviors. Lead contaminated soil may not be a significant source of lead but it does add to the lead exposure from other urban sources.