Gardening is a popular pastime in Yellowstone County, but the safety of the soil used for growing food and children playing in can be uncertain. Despite the presence of lead in various parts of the environment, little testing has been conducted to determine the risk of lead in soil. To address this issue, RiverStone Health has partnered with Gainan’s Heights Flowers and Garden to offer free soil testing for lead.
Lead is a naturally occurring element in soil that can cause growth and developmental issues in children even at low levels. Higher levels of lead can damage the brain and have long-lasting effects on individuals. This prompted RiverStone Health to receive a grant from the state health department to focus on childhood lead poisoning prevention, particularly in communities with older homes built before 1978.
To raise awareness about lead poisoning risks and provide people with an easy way to test their soil safety, RiverStone and Gainan’s Heights Flowers and Garden are hosting a free soil testing event on Saturday. The state will provide an X-ray machine that can check the soil in real-time, completing the process within 5 to 10 minutes. Melissa Henderson, director of health promotion at RiverStone, emphasized that small amounts of lead can have significant long-term effects on individuals and encouraged people to take advantage of this opportunity to ensure their soil is safe for gardening or playing.
Cynthia Jessee plans to start growing vegetables at Songbird Community Garden but recognizes the importance of understanding her working environment’s safety. She plans to have different sections of her garden tested during the event on Saturday by bringing up five bags of dry debris-free soil in separate clean clear quart-sized plastic bags for testing.
The free soil testing event offers a quick and easy way for people to ensure their garden or play area’s safety, taking place from 9 am until noon at Gainan’s Heights Flowers and Garden.