In 2017, I started looking at soil lead (Pb) concentrations in my own backyard (e.g. New York City). When I gave parents a field kit to test their soil for lead, they brought back samples that far exceeded the residential standards. That summer, we collaborated with Neighbors Allied for Good Growth to collect soil samples systematically throughout Greenpoint and Williamsburg in Brooklyn. You can read more about our work on the Earth Institute Blog.
As I’m starting to write up this project, we decided to continue to collect more soil samples with the Columbia University/ Barnard College Lead Study. This time we’re focusing on areas with low lead exposures as determined by childhood blood lead levels, such as the Upper West Side. This differs from the previously collected samples in northern Brooklyn, which was characterized by higher blood lead levels.
