Lead Contamination in Schoolyard Soils

Abstract

Lead contamination in soils can pose a serious health threat to children. Lead has been widely linked to a number of health issues such as mental lapses, learning disability, and damage to the nervous system. Old, chipped paint is a common source of Pb in soils whereby the paint chips accumulate in soils. Young children playing in such contaminated soils are at risk of inadvertently ingesting Pb. Soils at 11 public schools in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana were scanned for Pb using portable X‐ray fluorescence spectrometry. Soils at four of the evaluated schools contained Pb levels >400 mg kg −1 , the USEPA and Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality screening limit for Pb levels in bare soils in areas of play. Many areas of chipping paint on buildings and paint flakes on soils were noted. Several simple steps can and should be taken to limit children's exposure to Pb‐contaminated soils in public school settings.