Metal Pollutants in Soil and Leaf Tissues from Atlanta Food Forests
Disciplines
Agricultural Science | Environmental Health | Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology
Abstract (300 words maximum)
In food deserts residents lack access or have difficulty affording good-quality, fresh, healthy food and often suffer from other food insecurities. Food deserts can appear in rural or urban areas characterized by a lack of grocery stores. Neighborhoods in southwest Atlanta exemplify this phenomenon. Indeed, food deserts are most common in densely populated, urban, and impoverished areas with a high minority population. Food forests are perennial crop gardens that can effectively combat food insecurity. However, because food deserts frequently overlap in geography with other environmental justice concerns such as soil borne pollutants, food forests must be used cautiously.
We aimed to determine the concentration of heavy metal pollutants within the soil and plants used in food forests within the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Atlanta. We expected a positive correlation between metal pollutants found in soil and pollutants found in plant leaf tissue. We also expected that soils polluted with one contaminant would also have higher levels of other contaminants.
We found that lead concentrations in soil and plant tissues were significantly lower than that of other metals including zinc and aluminum. Soil lead was most strongly correlated with soil zinc (r=0.95) and weakly correlated with metals like aluminum (r = 0.03). We found that crops varied widely with lead concentrations being highest in the Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), at 2.85 ppm, and lowest in fig plants (Ficus carica), at 0.79 ppm. We also found that the average lead concentration of Blueberry plants, a plant common at all sites, was 1.18 ppm. Lead in plants was only weakly correlated to soil lead concentrations (r=0.29). The food forests we visited are likely suitable environments for growing crops. However, further tests should be conducted to examine levels of metals in fruits and seeds.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
CSM - Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Matthew Weand
Metal Pollutants in Soil and Leaf Tissues from Atlanta Food Forests
In food deserts residents lack access or have difficulty affording good-quality, fresh, healthy food and often suffer from other food insecurities. Food deserts can appear in rural or urban areas characterized by a lack of grocery stores. Neighborhoods in southwest Atlanta exemplify this phenomenon. Indeed, food deserts are most common in densely populated, urban, and impoverished areas with a high minority population. Food forests are perennial crop gardens that can effectively combat food insecurity. However, because food deserts frequently overlap in geography with other environmental justice concerns such as soil borne pollutants, food forests must be used cautiously.
We aimed to determine the concentration of heavy metal pollutants within the soil and plants used in food forests within the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Atlanta. We expected a positive correlation between metal pollutants found in soil and pollutants found in plant leaf tissue. We also expected that soils polluted with one contaminant would also have higher levels of other contaminants.
We found that lead concentrations in soil and plant tissues were significantly lower than that of other metals including zinc and aluminum. Soil lead was most strongly correlated with soil zinc (r=0.95) and weakly correlated with metals like aluminum (r = 0.03). We found that crops varied widely with lead concentrations being highest in the Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), at 2.85 ppm, and lowest in fig plants (Ficus carica), at 0.79 ppm. We also found that the average lead concentration of Blueberry plants, a plant common at all sites, was 1.18 ppm. Lead in plants was only weakly correlated to soil lead concentrations (r=0.29). The food forests we visited are likely suitable environments for growing crops. However, further tests should be conducted to examine levels of metals in fruits and seeds.