Soil lead (Pb) and urban grown lettuce: Sources, processes, and implications for gardener best management practices

Urban community gardeners employ a range of best practices that limit crop contamination by toxicants like lead (Pb). While Pb root uptake is generally low, the relative significance of various Pb deposition processes and the effectiveness of best practices in reducing these processes have not been sufficiently characterized. This study compared leafy lettuce (Lactuca sativa) grown in high Pb (1150 mg/kg) and low Pb (90 mg/kg) soils, under three different soil cover conditions: 1) bare soil, 2) mulch cover to limit splash, and 3) mulch cover under hoophouses to limit splash and air deposition, in a New York City (NYC) community garden and a rural site in Ithaca, New York (NY). The lettuces were further compared to greenhouse (Ithaca) and supermarket (NYC) samples. Atmospheric deposition was monitored by passive trap collection through funnel samplers. Results show that in low Pb soils, splash and atmospheric deposition accounted for 84 and 78% of lettuce Pb in NYC and Ithaca, respectively. In high Pb soils, splash and atmospheric deposition accounted for 88 and 93% of Pb on lettuces, with splash being the dominant mechanism. Soil covers were shown to be effective at significantly (p < 0.05) reducing lettuce Pb contamination, and mulching is strongly recommended as a best practice.