Appendix H – Item 12 – Plan to assess risk of possible lead contamination within the soil of the Parish Allotments

Meeting date: 13^th November 2024                        Agenda Item: 12 – Allotments

Authors: Simon Headington, Clerk to the Parish Council

Subject: Plan to assess risk of possible lead contamination within the soil of the Parish Allotments

Purpose: To carry out investigations

1. Background

The Great Longstone area has a long history of Lead Mining and anecdotal information suggests that ground contamination may exist in parts of the Parish.

The proposal is to have soil samples, from within the Council owned allotments, analysed for lead content.

The Council has no possible alternative sites for allotments, so there is currently no intention to either close or re-site them. However, if contamination is found this information will be shared with allotment holders so that they are able to make their own personal decisions with regards to ways of minimising potential exposure.

Lead contamination is usually associated with large, industrialised conurbations and in particular areas that suffered heavily from bombing during the Second World War. No data has been located of issues in the immediate, historic lead mining, areas of the Peak District.

A helpful Paper[1] came from Northumbria University in 2019. This had been commissioned Newcastle City Council after finding that their allotments (known as Urban Agriculture Sites – UABs) had an average Lead content of 554mg/Kg (UK Government guidelines are for a maximum of 80 mg/Kg). The following is an extract from the paper’s “Abstract”:

Globally, many of our urban agriculture sites (UAS) contain high levels of lead (Pb), a contaminant of toxicological concern to humans. To improve the derivation of soil assessment criteria at UAS, and avoid inappropriate closure of these valuable community spaces, we sampled nearly 280 paired soil and crop samples across 31 UAS gardens. This sampling was coupled with an exposure and food frequency questionnaire and participants blood lead levels (BLL), (43 gardeners and 29 non-gardening neighbours).

In 98% of the sampled soils, lead concentrations were above the current UK soil guideline for UAS (80 mg/kg), however despite the high soil lead (geometric mean: 324 mg/kg) the levels detected in the UAS gardeners and those of their non-gardening neighbours was within the normal ranges.

Lead uptake, however, varied with crop type and their study highlights the suitability of certain crops for growing at UAS with elevated Pb (e.g. tubers, shrub and tree fruit), whilst limiting the consumption of others (selected root vegetables, such as rhubarb, beetroot, parsnips and carrots). [2]

Lead is absorbed into the body through three main routes, being Inhalation (i.e. air pollution), Absorption (i.e. through the skin from contaminated soil and dust) and Ingestion (i.e. eating produce containing high levels of lead).

Any risk of contamination needs to be balanced against the health benefits gained from tending an allotment.

There appear to be two main types of tests. The simplest and cheapest is “test strips” but these appear to give basic readings, (ie 0, 100, 400). A more expensive, but far more accurate, solution is to send soil samples to a specialist laboratory (at around £100 per test).  If the council decides that tests are appropriate the next decision will be the number of samples to send, for instance just 1 from the centre most plot, 4 with one from each corner plot or 5 (centre and corners).

2. Options for Council

1. 1. Do nothing – however this could put the Council at risk from damages claims in the future.
   2. To investigate using simple “test strips” at around £25 each
   3. To investigate using between 1 and 5 laboratory tests at around £100 each.

3. Reason for recommendation

My recommendation is that, though expensive, the Council should arrange for 5 Soil Samples to be tested

4. Expected benefits

Carrying out this testing will allow current and potential allotment holders to be able to make their own assessment of any risks that might exist, if contamination if found.

5. Implications

5.1 Legal – (Small Holding & Allotments Act 1908, ss. 23, 26, and 42, Allotments Act 1922 s.22(1) and Allotments Act 1950 s. 50)

5.2 Risks – Possible risk to health of parishioners

5.3 Financial – Up to £500

5.4 Time scales – Within the next 4 months

5.5 Stakeholders – Allotment Holders, Parish Council, wider community

5.6 Contracts – Not applicable

5.7 Crime & Disorder – Not applicable.

5.8 Biodiversity – Not applicable.

5.9 Data Privacy Impact – Not applicable.

5.10 Equality & Diversity – Not applicable.

5.11 Climate Change – Not applicable.

[1] “An apple a day? Assessing gardeners’ lead exposure in urban agriculture sites to improve the derivation of soil assessment criteria”, Jane A. Entwistle and others, (Environment International 122 (2019) 130–141)

[2] Ibid