INFO PAGE

Lead-Safe Gardening Practices

Gardening is a healthy activity for kids, but San Francisco soils can have harmful lead. Learn how to prevent exposure to lead from gardening, soil, paint and dust found around the garden.

How did lead get into the soil?

Lead from older house paint, gasoline, and industrial emissions has found its way into soil in our gardens. It doesn't break down over time.

How lead can affect our health

As families garden, repeated exposure to lead can occur and accumulate in the body. Lead affects everyone.

In children:

  • Learning disabilities
  • Behavioral problems

Lead affects young children more because their brains and bodies are still developing.

In adults:

  • Difficulties in having children
  • High blood pressure
  • Hypertension
  • Problems with the nervous system, such as memory loss

How can kids get lead into their bodies from gardening?

Kids may eat the lead in the soil in several ways:

  • Putting contaminated soil in their mouths
  • Eating unwashed contaminated produce
  • Eating produce that has taken up lead from contaminated soil
  • Eating dirt that shoes and pet paws bring into the home

Best practices for reducing lead exposure from gardening

There are things you can do to change soil and plant chemistry to reduce the amount of lead that plants taken up. However, it's simpler and more practical to create a raised bed over a barrier layer and add new soil. Always wash vegetables thoroughly before eating.

  • Be mindful of potential lead hazards when choosing a space to garden. Evaluate the surrounding space for peeling paint and paint chips. Avoid placing gardens near busy roadways. Don't create raised beds with recycled painted and treated materials. You should also avoid using old bathtubs and tires as planters.
  • Garden in new soil whenever possible, such as gardening in a planter box, or cover the existing soil then put new soil on top. Buy new soil that has an organic certification from the:
  1. California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), and
  2. Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI).

The packaging should have an OMRI certification. It should not contain a caution statement: "The lead level of this product exceeds xx." You can test the new soil to be sure that it has less than 80 parts per million (ppm) of lead. For more information, refer to the lead hazard guidance.

  • Wear gloves.
  • Wash hands before eating, taking a break, and after gardening.
  • Wash all produce harvested in the garden before eating.
  • Prevent future soil contamination--look for old and flaking paint from neighboring buildings. Hire CDPH Lead-Certified Supervisors to make repairs.

Additional resources