Free Soil Testing and Toxin-Free Gardening Workshop Saturday at McCarren Park

GREENPOINT, BROOKLYN — Did you know that your home gardening soil can contain toxins that can be passed to the vegetables grown in it and on to consumers?

For North Brooklyn residents seeking peace of mind with the contents of their gardening soil, the Neighbors Allied for Good Growth (NAG) and the Environmental Sciences Analytical Center at Brooklyn College will host a free soil testing workshop this Saturday.

Organizers encourage bringing a "baggie with a large handfull of soil." Scientists will screen the local soil samples for lead, arsenic, copper, and zinc, and the results will be revealed at the workshop.

The event is part of NAG's ongoing Lead in Garden Soil Outreach Project to help educate North Brooklyn residents of the industrial history and potential health implications of exposure to heavy metals, especially for children and families.

Recent transplants to Williamsburg and Greenpoint are often unaware that the area was home to dozens of industrial factories. A lasting consequence is the toxins the factories emitted, some of which remain in Brooklyn's soil.

In a statement sent to Patch, Rita Pasarell, NAG Board Chairperson encourages local residents to embrace safe gardening practices:

"The average lead levels in Greenpoint soil are higher than city average, most likely due to prior industrial operations in the area as well as other causes. Lead in soil can be a danger for home gardeners because of direct exposure to the soil, and also plants can absorb the lead. At the workshop, we'll talk about how to garden safely, and you can also get your soil tested for lead on the spot."

A quick glance at the NYC Lead Map (pictured below) shows that Brooklyn has the highest concentration of lead in its soil of all five NYC boroughs.

Unwanted soil contaminants can find their way into the body through direct contact, making children the most susceptible to hand-to-mouth exposure.

Despite a citywide decline in childhood lead poisoning over the past few decades, North Brooklyn has the highest rate of children with elevated lead levels in their blood.

According to NAG: "Because of North Brooklyn's industrial past -- we have one of the worst rates for lead poisoning in children citywide -- over four times higher than the NYC average, according to an NYCDOH report from 2010."

The good news is that awareness and simple preventative steps, such as using a raised bed for home gardening, can greatly reduce exposure to heavy metals in soil.

Lead image via erin_can_spell/Flickr