The risk of lead in the soil is uncertain in Yellowstone County, despite lead being present in all parts of the environment, including air, water, homes, and soil. To address this issue, RiverStone Health has partnered with Gainan’s Heights Flowers and Garden to offer free soil testing for lead.
Melissa Henderson, director of health promotion at RiverStone Health, explained that lead naturally occurs in soil in low amounts but can be found in higher levels in communities with older homes built before 1978. Lead poisoning prevention is essential as it is a common exposure for children. Even small amounts of lead can cause growth and developmental issues in children while larger amounts can damage the brain.
On Saturday, there will be a free soil testing event where people can ensure that their food or children’s play area is safe. The state will provide an X-ray machine that checks the soil in real-time and completes the process within 5 to 10 minutes. Cynthia Jessee recognizes the importance of understanding her garden’s top 6 inches of soil and plans to have different sections tested at the event on Saturday at Gainan’s Heights Flowers and Garden. She encourages individuals to bring up to five bags of dry debris-free soil in separate clean plastic bags for testing.
RiverStone Health received a grant from the state health department to focus on childhood lead poisoning prevention as soil is a common exposure for children. Gardening has become Cynthia Jessee’s therapy, but she recognizes its significance and understands that safety should come first. The testing event on Saturday offers an easy way to ensure that your garden or play area is free from dangerous levels of lead.