Constructed soils for mitigating lead (Pb) exposure and promoting urban community gardening: The New York City Clean Soil Bank pilot study

•Excavated glacial sediments mixed with compost function as productive topsoil.•Constructed topsoils had significantly lower contaminant levels than background soils.•Soils remained clean and crops were safe for consumption despite surrounding contamination.•Manufactured soils produced crop yields c...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Landscape and urban planning 2018-07, Vol.175, p.184-194
Main Authors: Egendorf, Sara Perl, Cheng, Zhongqi, Deeb, Maha, Flores, Victor, Paltseva, Anna, Walsh, Daniel, Groffman, Peter, Mielke, Howard W.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Compost
Contamination
Glacial sediments
Manufactured soil
Technosol
Urban agriculture
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Summary:•Excavated glacial sediments mixed with compost function as productive topsoil.•Constructed topsoils had significantly lower contaminant levels than background soils.•Soils remained clean and crops were safe for consumption despite surrounding contamination.•Manufactured soils produced crop yields comparable to control soils.•Waste stream materials were diverted from landfill, promoting the benefits of urban gardening. Gardening provides a wide range of benefits to urban residents but may also increase risks of exposure to contaminants in soils. Here we evaluate the use of clean excavated glacial sediments and locally produced compost, to create soils for urban gardens in New York City, NY, USA. The objectives of this study are to examine contaminants in compost and manufactured soil, assess safety of produce, and evaluate the agronomic value of soil mixes with different ratios of sediment and compost. Methods of analysis include quantifying metal/metalloid concentrations in sediments, composts, and plant tissues, soil agronomic parameters (pH, salinity, organic matter, total nitrogen, total carbon), and crop yield. Contaminant levels in sediments from the New York City Clean Soil Bank (CSB) (
ISSN:0169-2046
1872-6062
DOI:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2018.03.012