Text Size
  • A
  • A
  • A
Share

EPA to Provide Free Soil and Blood Testing For Residents: Agency looks to educate on lead exposure prevention


The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to check levels of lead in the soil of our area free of charge, due in large part to the history of factories locally. Contaminated soil could cause lead poisoning, particularly for kids and home gardeners.

Additionally, a certified phlebotomy group will be on hand to check blood in children aged 1-6, also for free. In 2012 the Center for Disease Control (CDC) lowered the intervention threshold level of lead in children’s blood to half the previous level.

Lead poisoning can lead to multiple health issues including lower IQ, ADHD and even cardiovascular problems. The effects are irreversible but preventing lead poisoning in the first place is easy.

“There are a lot of straight forward ways to reduce [lead] exposure for children,” said Bonnie Smith, a spokesperson with the EPA.

The first step is finding out what is in the dirt. That is why Smith wants community members to come to a free soil testing event at Cione Recreation Center (Aramingo and Lehigh Avenues) on Sat., October 25 from 9 AM – 5 PM.

Alexander Mandell, EPA Community Involvement Coordinator, explains that folks will learn more than just the amount of lead in their soil.

“[We will have] professionals there to speak one-on-one with residents,” Mandell said. “We’re going to ask them about their yard.”

While the testing is anonymous (an address is not required), the information about the yard can help the pros give accurate prevention advice.

“One of the best ways to reduce exposure is good, solid grass cover,” Smith said. “Other solutions include planting shrubs and laying mulch.”

Hand washing is also important. Children can often transmit lead by putting their hands in their mouths and around their eyes.

Sandy Salzman, Executive Director of New Kensington Community Development Corporation (NKCDC), says the testing is a necessity.

“We pushed [the EPA] for this for a long time,” Salzman said. “We’re thrilled this is going to happen. We urge people to go.”

The nearby former factory that processed lead was last owned by Anzon. In 1998 they were responsible for cleaning the factory area before it was transformed to a commercial retail site. However, regulators did not call for inspections of soil on neighboring residential properties.

Because no mandatory inspections were made, residents are financially responsible for any lead preventing actions they take. The only way that can change is if the area is designated a Superfund site, which provides government money for cleanup.

The process to become a Superfund site is difficult.

“You need to be able to prove there is a problem and who caused it,” Salzman said.

The EPA says that is complicated with urban lead.

“It’s difficult to delineate where it comes from,” Smith said. “Gasoline used to have lead in it, paint [as well], and any factories that emit anything, very often it goes up in the air.”

Salzman says factory emissions likely caused the problem locally.

“The Anzon plant emitted lead without any scrubbers [air pollution devices to remove gases or particulates] until the 1990s,” Salzman said. That plant existed for about 140 years.

Gathering the soil for testing is simple. For gardeners, testers suggest digging up soil six inches deep in several different areas of the yard and gathering it in a plastic baggie. For caregivers of children about two inches should suffice, according to Mandell.

“You don’t need a lot,” Salzman said. “A few ounces should do.”

EPA officials said to bring more just to be safe.

The testers use a small machine, which detects the metal.

“It can read right into the bag,” said Jack Kelly, EPA On-Scene Coordinator. “It comes extremely close to lab results.”

The machine can also detect other pollutants such as cadmium and arsenic, but the accuracy is not as consistent as it is with lead.

If the levels of lead reach the threshold of concern then the resident can have the soil sent to  a lab for confirmation. That usually costs between $12 and $30, according to Kelly.

Smith says the EPA worked with the local civic groups to create the event.

“We geared it toward the community,” Smith said. “It’s a great opportunity to learn about and prevent lead exposure.”

The whole process should take less than 30 minutes, according to Smith.

“We’ll even have master gardeners on hand to advise backyard gardeners,” she said. “There’s been a lot of study about lead uptake into food.”

A 2004 Northwestern study, published by the National Institutes of Health, noted heavy concentrations of lead in the roots of plants, a detectable amount in the shoots of plants, but not dangerous amounts in the fruit of plants. Many gardeners are familiar with the “root, shoot, and fruit” philosophy.

“Raised beds [are a good way] of decreasing the percentage of lead exposure [in garden food],” Smith said.

If you can’t make it on October 25 the EPA will pick up your soil from you or you can drop it off to the local office at the Portside Arts Center (2531 E. Lehigh Ave).

The Spirit | Hyperlocal done differently
Advertise Now

Related News