This presentation will overview recent University of Illinois research to identify soil lead contamination and risk reduction in Chicago. City-wide soil lead maps will be presented, and recommended steps to identify contamination in your garden discussed. How to reduce the risk of plant absorption of lead and human exposure from soil will be overviewed, presenting evidence from experiments conducted using Chicago soils with varying degrees of lead contamination. By providing recent scientific developments on soil lead contamination and urban agriculture risk specifically in Chicago, this session will prepare individuals with practical knowledge for safe gardening.

Presenter: Andrew Margenot, Assistant Professor University of Illinois