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Assessing Lead Hazards in Residential Soils on Long Island
Assessing Lead Hazards in Residential Soils on Long Island
What is the premise of the study?
The first phase of our study will focus on lead in residential soils. Present-day exposure to lead is often a result past human activities, including the use of lead-based paint, gasoline, insecticides, and a range of industrial processes. While the use of lead in paint, gasoline, and pesticides has largely been phased out, lead remains in the environment and has the potential to harm humans and wildlife.
What questions does the study hope to answer?
Can we find predictable patterns in the distribution of lead in Long Island soils, so homeowners can better understand their risk of exposure? We hypothesize that a range of current and historical factors may be related to patterns of lead in Long Island soils, including distance from major highways, housing age, historical land use, and proximity to urban centers. We also hypothesize that some locations within individual properties will have much higher lead concentrations. These locations may include the windward sides of buildings, the "dripline" where water falls from your roof to the ground, and soil areas closest to the street.
By understanding where lead concentrations are likely to be highest, we can better educate homeowners about precautions they can take with regard to growing vegetables, locating children's play areas, and other outside activities.
Soil sampling using a slide-hammer soil corer (image: AMS samplers).
How will soil samples be collected? And what will be measured?
We will collect several two-inch diameter soil cores from each residential property using a slide-hammer soil corer. We will fill these small holes with fresh soil. Most homeowners have commented that they could not tell where the soil cores were taken when we were done.
Using these soil cores, we will measure heavy metal concentrations (e.g., lead and arsenic). A small proportion of samples will also be analyzed for physical soil properties (e.g., pH and soil texture) and general soil quality (e.g. organic matter composition).
We will collect additional, on-site measurements of lead, using a portable instrument called a PXRF . These measurements will be less precise than those obtained using the soil cores, but will provide greater spatial coverage of the property.
Will the data collected from my property remain private?
Yes. Your personal information and the findings from your property will be kept private. Laboratory test results from individual properties will only be shared with the individual property owner who consented to being a part of this study. The findings from this study will only be published in aggregate, and spatial information will be reported at a resolution that is coarse enough to obscure the locations of individual measurements.
On-site measurements of lead using a PXRF (image: Fisher Scientific).
Will all homeowners who volunteer their properties be visited during the study?
No, but signing up (below) is still incredibly important! In order to obtain samples that best represent soil conditions across Long Island, we will need to have a large number of potential properties from which to collect soil. Properties will be selected based on physical location, land use history, age of housing, distance from highways, proximity to urban centers, and many other factors that are important to our study.
Please encourage your friends, family, and neighbors to sign up as potential participants. We will need a lot of help to meet our sampling goals!
Will I be required to take any action if elevated concentrations of lead are found in my home’s soil?
No. The standards provided by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for lead in soils are only suggested guidelines and are not enforceable. As of this writing, there are no particular actions that residential property owners are required to take in response to lead concentrations above these suggested guidelines.
There are no widely accepted standards for lead concentrations in soil that are considered 100% safe, but the EPA defines the following concentrations of lead in soils as posing a potential hazard: greater than 400 ppm for bare soil in children’s play areas and greater than 1200 ppm for bare soil in the remainder of residential yards. Again, as of this writing, there are no required actions that residential property owners must take if their soils contain concentrations of lead above these standards.
Are the soils on my property likely to contain lead?
Yes. Most surface soils in urban and suburban areas contain measurable concentrations of lead due to the widespread use of leaded gasoline in vehicles and lead paint in buildings in the recent past. For instance, a study that took place in Baltimore, MD found a median soil lead concentration of 124 ppm (Schwarz et al. 2012). Fortunately, there are relatively simple precautions you can take to protect your family from lead exposure. The main concern with regard to soil lead is the possibility of ingestion or inhalation of soil particles. See "Useful Resources", below.
Where is lead found and why is it of concern?
Lead is a naturally occurring metal found in the earth's crust. Although lead has many practical uses, it is very toxic to people and animals if ingested. In the past, it was not widely known that many lead-based products (i.e. paint, gasoline, and some insecticides) leave behind trace amounts that can accumulate over time and cause health problems, particularly in children.
Children who are exposed to lead contamination can experience:
behavior/learning problems
reduced IQ
slowed growth
and many other health problems
While children are most susceptible to lead poisoning, adults can also experience a wide range of symptoms, including neurological, cardiovascular, and renal disorders. Pregnant women who are exposed to lead over time may pass this lead to their infants, leading to reduced growth and premature birth.
The most common mode of lead exposure is via drinking water, but contaminated soil can also cause elevated lead levels in children and adults. Soils containing lead can be introduced to the body through vegetables grown in contaminated soil, inhaling dust, or by direct by ingestion if a young child is playing in contaminated soil.
The good news is that lead poisoning is preventable if proper precautions are taken.
Adapted from: “Lead.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/
Additional Sources of Information (these open as PDF documents)
Additional Sources of Information (these open as PDF documents)
How to protect your family from lead hazards
Safely growing vegetable gardens
Google Sites
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