Community-Engaged Assessment of Soil Lead Contamination in Atlanta Urban Growing Spaces

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Samuel JW Peters, Emory University; Sydney M Warner, Emory University; Eri Saikawa, Emory University; Barry P Ryan, Emory University; Parinya Panuwet, Emory University; Dana Barr, Emory University; Priya D'Souza, Emory University; Gil Frank, Historic Westside Gardens Atlanta, Atlanta; Rosario Hernandez, Historic Westside Gardens Atlanta, Atlanta; Taranji Alvarado, Historic Westside Gardens Atlanta, Atlanta; Arthur Hines, Historic Westside Gardens Atlanta, Atlanta; Chris Theal, Historic Westside Gardens Atlanta, Atlanta
• Language: English
• Date: 2023-03-01
• Publisher: AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2023 The Authors. GeoHealth published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Geophysical Union.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2022GH000674
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: GEOHEALTH
• Volume: 7
• Issue: 3
• Start Page: e2022GH000674
• End Page: e2022GH000674
• Keywords: heavy metals; HEAVY-METALS; POLLUTION; AGRICULTURE; soil; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; community-engaged research; Environmental Sciences; Science & Technology; regional screening levels; urban agriculture; WATER; Public, Environmental & Occupational Health; EXPOSURE; Environmental Sciences & Ecology; SCIENCE; CHILDREN; ANALYZER
• Research Categories: Environmental Sciences

Abstract

Urban agriculture is emerging as a method to improve food security and public health in cities across the United States. However, an increased risk of exposure to heavy metals and metalloids (HMM) exists through interaction with contaminated soil. Community-engaged research (CEnR) is one method that can promote the inclusion of all partners when studying exposures such as HMM in soil. Researchers and community gardeners co-designed this study to measure the concentrations of lead (Pb), using X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) verified with Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) in soils from 19 urban agricultural and residential sites in the Westside of Atlanta and three rural sites in Georgia. Seventeen other HMM were measured but not included in this study, because they did not pose risks to the community comparable to elevated Pb levels. Pb concentrations were compared to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s regional screening levels (RSLs) for residential soil and the University of Georgia (UGA) extension service's low-risk levels (LRLs) for agriculture. Soils from the majority of sites had levels below EPA RSLs for Pb, yet above the UGA LRL. However, soil Pb concentrations were three times higher than the EPA RSL on some sites that contained metal refining waste or slag. Our findings led to direct action by local and federal government agencies to initiate the cleanup of slag residue. Studies involving exposures to communities should engage those affected throughout the process for maximum impact.