Lead concentrations in inner-city soils as a factor in the child lead problem.
Soil samples were randomly collected from 422 vegetable gardens in a study area centered in downtown Baltimore, Maryland, and having a radius of 48.28 km (30 miles). The levels of lead, four other metals (cadmium, copper, nickel, and zinc), and pH were measured for each location. The application of multi-response permutation procedures, which are compatible with mapping techniques, reveals that lead (as well as cadmium, copper, nickel, and zinc) is concentrated and ubiquitous within the soils of the inner-city area of Metropolitan Baltimore. The probability values that the concentration of metals occurred by chance alone vary from about 10(-15) to 10(-23) depending on the metal considered. Our findings pose environmental and public health issues, especially to children living within the inner-city.
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007223:Infant; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis*; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology; D008396:Maryland; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis*; D014505:Urban Population
D012987:Soil; D007854:Lead