THE OCCURRENCE OF LEAD IN SOIL AND VEGETABLES AT A COMMUNITY GARDEN IN OMAHA, NEBRASKA

Abstract – Lead is a persistent and ubiquitous pollutant in urban environments and is of significant importance to public health. Elevated lead concentrations in soil may be due to the use of lead-based paints, emissions from the combustion of leaded gasoline, industrial emissions, waste incineration, and pesticide application. One potential pathway for exposure to lead can be consumption of produce grown in lead-contaminated soil. This may be of increasing concern as urban community gardens experience a resurgence in popularity and demand for locally grown produce increases. For this project, soil and vegetable samples were collected from a community garden with known soil lead contamination. Soil and vegetable samples were evaluated for total lead content using atomic absorption spectroscopy. The concentrations of lead measured in soil ranged from 4 to 574 parts per million (ppm), with an average lead concentration in the growing beds of 128.4 ppm and in the OmaGro compost of 31.5 ppm. Additionally, lead was present in vegetable samples at or below 16.25 ppm.