I’ve been working on with soil lead contamination in Peru since 2014 in collaboration with the Center for Research in Environmental Health. In 2015 we led a study of four small mining-impacted communities, testing soil with a portable, handheld X-ray fluorescence instrument. We presented these results to the local community, highlighting areas of high contamination and sharing information about lead and how to prevent exposure. We also worked with local interviewers to survey 150 child caregivers in the area.

In 2016 we returned to the four communities to work with 20 parents to use a field kit to test for lead in soil. Parents collected soil samples in areas where their children were currently spending time as well as alternative areas they could spend time if the first ones were found to be contaminated.

In 2017, our local collaborator, Dr. Ponce at CREEH received a USAID PEER grant to continue work with the field kit to test community soils for lead. This exciting project will work with high schools in four different cities and integrate the field kit into high school science classes starting in 2018. Read a blog update about the project here.