green thumb, lead foot

heavy metal evaluation of soil in Columbus community gardens

• home
• heavy metals in
  the environment
• the environment
  of columbus
• the gardens
• the research
  process
• results
• for urban
  gardeners

what's in your local produce?

• 
  Franklin Park Conservatory
• 
  Franklin Park Conservaotry
• 
  Ted Clark
• 
  flickr user ItzaFineDay
• 
  Jaclyn Benedict
• 
  Ted Clark
• 
  Ted Clark

Eating locally. Saving money. Cultivating neighborhood relationships. Improving mental health. Having surplus to give. Urban community gardens are endless in their benefits. And Columbus has a growing crowd of gardeners.

But caution must be taken. The modern world elevates the natural concentrations of heavy metals in soil, most especially in urban areas, and plants generally reflect the environment they’re grown in. What we eat contributes the most to lead levels in our bodies.

Is the food in Columbus community gardens safe to eat? One way to find out is to test the soil.