Testing Your Soil For Lead Levels

Concern over lead-laden soil has some homeowners and gardeners across the country asking questions. News 3 dug into some Columbus soil to see if high lead levels are a concern here.

It’s a garden five years in the making for Bill and Sherry Green.  They agreed to let us test their soil for lead levels, hoping for the best since they’ve been eating out of it for years. 

Jennifer Davidson is with the Muscogee County Ag Extension Office.  She took the soil sample, “We took several sub samples from around this garden, mixed it in a clean bucket, and then, from that we need to get our sample. Then we send it off to the lab.”

She says the lead in this Georgia soil should register at just under 7 parts per million (ppm). The safe maximum would be 75 ppm.

Bill and Sherry say they aren’t worried about what we’ll dig up. Davidson says levels have to be through the roof for plants to soak up lead. Bill tell us, “As a consumer of vegetables, I am much more concerned about pesticides that might be on plants.”

Davidson says there are two areas to watch- older homes that may have lead paint layers, and ground that could have been exposed to petroleum or gas spills.

Bill & Sherry live in a house built decades ago, a prime candidate for hidden lead paint.  But the results say otherwise, Davidson says the lead came in at just over 8 ppm, slightly over the average, but well below the maximum.

Bill says, “The soil is by far the most important part of a garden. You have to have good soil, you really don’t need much more to take care of your plants.”  The Greens say they have tested the soil before, but only for nutrients. Now, they say they’ll keep planting, picking their dinner from the back yard.

If you want to have your soil tested for lead you can contact the Co-operative Extension Office in Muscogee County. That number is (706) 653-4200. The University of Georgia also tests paint chips for lead.

If your interested in learning more about gardens, the Extension Office is accepting application for it’s Master Gardner Program. It starts on September 1st and runs until November. The cost is $125.