Communicating with urban gardeners about soil lead risks
Community gardens are important for urban residents for many reasons. They’re not just a source of food, but can be a place to see neighbors and build community. Unfortunately, urban garden soil can be polluted with lead, making soil testing especially important. In this project, we worked with gardeners in Chicago to measure soil lead levels in 10 community gardens. We also tested an in-person and online training module for gardeners about urban soil quality and risks.
My collaborators
Dr. Michelle Wander
Ellen Philips
Participants at 10 community gardens in Chicago
Research highlights
We found that gardens with raised beds had reduced soil lead levels, compared to those without. Raised beds can be a strategy to keep urban garden soil safe. However, installing raised beds can be expensive, so soil testing to learn if they are needed at particular sites is advised. We also found that the results of one of the ways we measured soil lead levels, with a Mehlich-III soil test, were highly correlated with a more costly EPA test. It’s possible that the less expensive test could be a good alternative for urban gardeners to use if provided by commercial soil-testing labs. Both our in-person and online training improved participants’ understand of urban soil quality and risks.