Examining Atmospheric and Soil Contamination in Urban Community Gardens

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This project examines the spatial variability of and degree to which atmospheric deposition and/or trace elements in the soil such as arsenic, lead, and others, contaminate soils and vegetables grown in urban community gardens (UCGs). This is of concern because of the potential public health consequences. To date issues of air pollution and soil contamination in UCGs have been understudied, yet UCGs proliferate, and have been lauded as a means of addressing questions of food access and urban sustainability. This investigation advances the understanding of human-environmental interactions and urban political ecology theory as the relationship between air pollution, soils, and gardening in cities needs to be critically evaluated for it to have the positive outcomes generally associated with it. If airborne or soil trace element sources are significant in UCG contamination, then there are potential repercussions in scholarship, policy, and the promotion of urban gardens. As well as generating new knowledge with public health ramifications about the degree to which there is atmospheric and soil contamination in UCGs, and the contamination pathways, the project includes educational and training opportunities for gardeners, especially participants from under-represented groups. The research also broadens scholarly diversity in urban garden contamination research, and derives societal benefits in raising awareness constructively, spreading effective preventive strategies, and providing data typically beyond gardeners' reach. The project's aim is to evaluate the importance of bulk atmospheric deposition compared to other proximate contaminant sources, trace elements in the soil (arsenic, cadmium, mercury, nickel, and lead) and gardening inputs, in urban community gardens. The project systematically assesses the role of atmospheric deposition in relation to trace element contamination in urban community gardens. The investigation takes place in a sample of UCGs in New York City, where the PIs will conduct archival research about the site of each of the UCGs to develop a land-use history. In tandem they will conduct soil surveys to assess the spatial variability of trace element and determine representative soil and crop sampling points. Gardening inputs, vegetables, and soils will be sampled and analyzed for trace element concentrations. Soils will be sampled at multiple depths and analyzed for variables affecting trace element mobility. Part of the vegetables sampled will be grown under row cover to discern variables other than atmospheric deposition. Frisbee-type funnel-bottle bulk collectors will be set up and sampled monthly for a year to gather atmospheric influx data which will be compared to city air quality information. Findings are expected to be transferable to UCGs in other large cities with manufacturing histories and with decades of reliance on fossil-fuel based transport. The techniques developed through this project are also generally applicable to rural areas and small cities. Therefore, although this research project will focus on atmospheric deposition in urban community gardens, the research will provide new insights and approaches for dealing with food production and contamination problems in urban areas in the United States and many other countries.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.