Lead may lurk in backyard gardens

Via the Organic Consumers Association, a link to this article in the Boston Globe: Lead may lurk in backyard gardens.

Normally I try to avoid sounding alarmist, but I do encourage people to think about the issue of lead contamination, particularly if you live in an urban area. If you're starting a vegetable garden give some thought to location; while it might be convenient to step outside your door to tend your kitchen garden, the soil under the eaves is right where lead paint from your older home may reside. If you're particularly concerned you might want to take advantage of the soil testing mentioned in the article, but commonsense measures include locating your vegetable garden away from the house, and using raised beds with soil from elsewhere.