Gardening & Lead in Soil...
Spring has sprung in upstate New York. The daffodils are just finishing up and the tulips are just starting to put on their show. With the promise of warmer weather, people turn their sites towards gardening. In these economic hard times, more people are turning towards vegetable gardens. I often think of my garden as my sanctuary, a little place where I can be away from work and be in the great outdoors.
However, my work seems to follow me everywhere. Despite my garden being 150 feet away from the house and a good 50 feet away from the neighbor’s house, I still worry about the soil being contaminated with lead. Next door on the other side of my house is a long since abandoned
Home Grown Tomatoes
apple orchard. Lead arsenate was a common pesticide that apple orchards used up until WWII.
However, most people don’t live near or on old apple orchards. With the majority of the housing stock in the Northeast having been built before 1978, the concern is chipping and peeling lead paint getting into the soil causing contamination. Lead is harmful even in small doses. It readily takes the place of other minerals such as iron, magnesium and calcium in dark green leafy vegetables. So, vegetables grown in a lead contaminated soil can be harmful to eat.
Be wary of where you’re putting your garden. You’ll want to avoid putting a garden right next to the house or garage that’s chipping or peeling. Also, you won’t want to put the garden in an area where cars use to park or near busy roadways. Leaded gasoline may have leaked into the ground.
Get your soil tested for lead. It’s not an expensive test. Think of it as peace of mind. There are quite a few private companies that do lead testing. You may want to get some advice from your local health department or county cooperative extension. If the lead in soil exceeds 400 ppm (in New York State), you’ll want to rethink your gardening plot. Either move the area where you would like to garden or consider making lined raised beds.
A great article to read regarding the matter is: www.nytimes.com/2009/05/14/garden/14lead.html
Other helpful information:
www.epa.gov/lead