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DELEADING DIRT Does anyone have any info on de-leading dirt? --Jack Deleading options depend on how much lead you have, and what you want to use the dirt for. If you have lots of lead, and you are worried about children eating the dirt (while playing, after tracking it into the house, etc) then you pretty much have to remove and replace with clean topsoil. If you have less lead, and lots of time, there are several types of plants you can grow that concentrate lead in the stems and leaves. You then dispose of (don't compost!) the plants. Sunflowers, mustard, and spinach, I believe, are supposed to be good. There are lots of magazine articles out there about this. If you have moderate lead levels and want to grow veggies, you might be able to just grow fruiting veggies (tomatoes, squash, etc) rather than plants where you eat the leaves and stems. Contact the U Mass Agricultural Extension for testing your soil. They'll also send you specific recommendations for how to deal with the levels of lead that you have. See http://www.nsc.org/ehc/nlic/soilbib.htm for a list of references. --scott |
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