Poisoned Soil !

 Sydney residents got an unpleasant shock when they watched the nightly news last week.  They learned that many backyard vegetable gardens were actually harmful to their children because of the lead content in the soil which leaches into the vegetables grown there.

Lead is a dangerous substance which retards the growing minds of children and when it is present in soil the contamination is most prevalent in " leafy " vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage, and spinach. This lead  problem harks back to the 1940's when house paint was based on lead, Linseed oil, Terebine as a dryer and various fillers depending on the brand used.

It was recommended that houses be repainted at three year intervals and if left beyond that the old paint needed removal by a flame and scraper.  These scrapings dropped to the ground where they dissolved eventually into the soil and were carried by rain to the lowest point on the property.

The paint we use today is lead free, but lead contamination in soil is common in the older parts of Sydney and homeowners planning a vegetable garden would be wise to have the soil tested to determine if lead is present.

In recent times it has become the trend to demolish older homes to free the land for the construction of modern homes and lead from that past era may remain present in the soil or it may have leached from demolitions on a higher level.  The only sure way to determine that the soil is safe is to have it tested.

That need not be the end to vegetable gardens.  Householders can create lead free soil gardens by ordering in fresh soil and raising the level of the growing area by a perimeter plinth.  In this way the family can ensure a supply of home grown vegetables which are a delight to eat and save a lot of money.

This lead warning was not restricted to older homes which might have been contaminated with the paint used before 1940.   It also applied to areas serviced by heavy road traffic because the petrol used in cars in that area was " leaded " to improve performance and lead was consequently  a part of the exhaust gases which settled on land near busy roads.

In fact, lead may be found in many unusual places and the only way to be absolutely sure that your backyard is free of what may do harm to your family is to have the soil tested.  It should be remembered that during the years of the second world war many imported products were impossible to obtain because of the hostilities and manufacturers had to improvise with materials available.

In many cases, products essential at that time were produced with ingredients that today would not pass the safety test that is now applicable.  That is certainly the case with lead and its distribution is wider than was commonly realised !