Heavy Metal Concentrations in Community Garden Soil in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh

Keywords: Community Garden, Heavy Metals, Lead, Environmental Justice
Session Type: Virtual Poster Abstract
Day: Saturday
Session Start / End Time: 2/26/2022 09:40 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/26/2022 11:00 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 37

Abstract

In recent decades, community gardens have sprung up in underserved urban communities to supplement fruits and vegetables into diets and create more green space. In Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, community gardens have grown in popularity and prevalence since the 1970s. However, because Philadelphia and Pittsburgh have long histories of industrial activities and continue to be some of the most populous cities in the United States, the soils in some regions of these cities may be at a high risk of heavy metal contamination. The main objective of this study is to understand how the geography of a city’s economic development can impact the health of current residents through the soil used in their community gardens.
This study analyzes soil samples taken in September and October 2021 from 21 sites in Philadelphia and five sites in Pittsburgh for 24 different heavy metals. Between 3-4 samples were taken per garden from the top 6 inches of soil. Heavy metals were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) from soil samples extracted with nitric acid using microwave digestion. The heavy metal concentrations will be compared to historical industrial hotspots and the demographics of people living in those neighborhoods to understand the environmental justice associated with potentially polluted soil.