Lead may lurk in backyard gardens

Contamination of soil common

As backyard vegetable gardens undergo a renaissance, environmental officials and scientists are warning homeowners to be careful before planting the carrots and chard: There might be lead in the soil.

Flakes of lead paint from old homes often create a halo of contamination around houses that vegetables can take up. Remnants of leaded gasoline might also be in the soil, especially near busy roads. While the problem is pervasive in urban areas, suburban homes that were built on or near apple orchards are also at risk because lead arsenate was once used regularly as a pesticide. The heavy metal can remain in soil for hundreds of years.


“If I had a garden in the urban environment I would just assume there is lead in the soil,” said Wendy Heiger-Bernays, associate professor of environmental health at the Boston University School of Public Health. She said lead shouldn’t stop people from planting vegetables, but gardeners need to take specific steps to prevent the plants from taking it up.

Although soil around homes can contain everything from arsenic to motor oil, lead is one of the most common, and to children, one of the most dangerous: Even tiny amounts measured in blood levels can cause learning disabilities and behavioral prob lems. Most children who are lead poisoned are exposed from a variety of sources, with lead paint the most prominent, Heiger-Bernays said. But environmental and health authorities say vegetables grown in lead-contaminated soil also contribute to the problem.

In adults, lead can cause or contribute to high blood pressure, reproductive problems, and memory loss.

Boston Globe