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Good Gardening Practices for Urban Soils

These guidelines will help protect you from polycyclicaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), lead (Pb) and other contaminants commonly in the urban soil.
  • Wear gloves while gardening
  • Wash hands after gardening and before eating
  • Wash and scrub vegetables before eating or cooking
  • Change gardening shoes before entering home so as not to track excessive dirt indoors
  • Don’t let children eat soil
  • Add organic matter to soil, such as compost
  • Till soil only to a depth of 6” - 8”
  • Avoid deep digging or double digging
  • Use mulch to lessen splashing of soil onto plants
  • Do not use railroad ties or pressure treated (CCA) wood
Prepared by: Boston University School of Public Health,
Department of Environmental Health

Click here to download Good Gardening Practices for Urban Soils in English and Vietnamese.

Click here to download Good Gardening Practices for Urban Soils in Spanish.


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