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Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Design and Construction of an Urban Runoff Research Facility

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Published on: August 8, 2014

Soil Lead Risks Associated With Urbanization Histories in Springfield MA and Hartford CT, USA.

N Perdrial^1,2, S L Walser¹, E C Sirkovich³

¹University of Vermont Geography and Geosciences Burlington VT USA.

|June 17, 2026

Summary

Legacy leaded products increase soil lead (Pb) in urban centers, disproportionately affecting communities. Our study reveals elevated soil Pb near older homes, particularly in areas with more children and multi-family housing, highlighting historical environmental injustices.

Keywords:

Redlining X‐Ray fluorescence environmental justice kriging

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Integrated Field Lysimetry and Porewater Sampling for Evaluation of Chemical Mobility in Soils and Established Vegetation

Integrated Field Lysimetry and Porewater Sampling for Evaluation of Chemical Mobility in Soils and Established Vegetation

Published on: July 4, 2014

Area of Science:

Environmental Science
Urban Planning
Environmental Justice

Background:

Legacy leaded products contribute to elevated soil lead (Pb) in older urban centers.
This poses significant environmental equity and public health challenges.
Historical discriminatory practices may exacerbate lead exposure disparities.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the spatial correlation between soil Pb levels and housing age.
To test hypotheses regarding historical discrimination and long-lasting environmental injustices in Pb exposure.
To identify social, demographic, and geographic factors influencing areas needing targeted remediation.

Main Methods:

Gridded soil Pb analysis of approximately 150 samples per city in Hartford, CT, and Springfield, MA.
Integration of soil Pb data with block-level census data.
Application of decision tree statistical partitioning to identify exposure vulnerabilities.

Main Results:

Higher Pb concentrations were observed in Hartford compared to Springfield.
Elevated soil Pb (>200 ppm) was prevalent closer to older homes in both cities.
Exposure to elevated soil Pb was most common in communities with above-median child populations living in multi-family housing. Ethnicity was a factor in Springfield, with non-Hispanic White communities least likely to have high soil Pb.

Conclusions:

Historical discriminatory practices, such as redlining, have created persistent environmental injustices and lead exposure disparities.
Decision tree analysis offers a novel quantitative method for identifying vulnerable populations in soil lead contamination studies.
The findings provide tools to advocate for targeted mitigation and remediation efforts in affected communities.