In the past few years, the issue of soil contamination has gained the attention of environmental groups in big cities. City dwellers have ample reason to be concerned about their soil. Decades of pollution left our local soils thick with toxic levels of heavy metals. For years, the presence and persistence of these toxicants were unknown, posing risks to all urban residents. Like any hobby, urban gardening requires preparation, and we must remember to test our soil, change it when possible, and choose our crops carefully so we can reap the best from what we sow. We should detect and remediate heavy metals to avoid exposing our families to harmful consequences.
In this webinar, USI Research Fellow, Anna Paltseva, PhD, will introduce down to earth cutting edge research on urban soil contamination and remediation practices based on her research findings and works of leading experts in the field. This information will be totally accessible to a non-scientist.
My webinar will include a brief history of lead pollution from Ancient Romans until today, current contamination levels in the largest U.S. cities, remediation practices with emerging agricultural wastes and hyperaccumulator plants. I will explain how scientists test for heavy metals in labs, and what tests you should choose to assess potential hazard from gardening. I even demonstrate how you can test for the presence of dangerous levels of lead in your own soil with simple kits available on the market. After the webinar, you will know how to test for soil contaminants, what plants to grow if your soil is moderately contaminated, how to protect yourself working in the garden, how to prevent children's exposure to heavy metals, what remediation strategies best fit your needs, and much more.
Once you understand your soil characteristics, you can make choices about removing your soil, adding amendments, or bringing in a new soil cover. Urban gardening is an excellent hobby that brings city dwellers closer to nature. It’s calming, nourishing, and easy on the budget. But before feeding your family with home-grown produce, be mindful to ensure that your local veggies are being grown in the right soil.