Community Groups Investigate Soil Lead Levels in Santa Ana

The Daily Pilot recently published a report about community groups in Santa Ana, California where they worked with the University of California, Irvine. The report assessed how much lead is in the soil in different parts of the city.

According to the article, 1,500 soil samples from 500 locations were collected last summer. The majority of the samples have been analyzed, but the researchers are waiting until all the samples are tested before releasing locations that had high lead levels. However, they did share with the publication the fact that some samples have shown lead levels ranging from 11 parts per million (PPM) to 2,687 ppm. Over 80 ppm in a residential area is considered a hazard to health by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA).

While lead is a naturally occurring element, in some urban environments it can be found in high concentrations in the soil. This is primarily due to its past use in lead-based paints that degraded over time and settled into the surrounding soil. Lead was also used in gasoline and as auto emissions settled, they too could increase soil lead levels. Contaminated soil can also be the result of current or past industrial use of the land.

“Elevated levels of lead is a concern for public health officials and especially parents,” said Michael Chapman, Laboratory Manager at LA Testing’s Huntington Beach facility. “Lead exposure can cause a myriad of health issues for anyone, but this is especially true for children who are more likely to come in contact with contaminated soil. Fortunately, lead poisoning is entirely preventable when exposure risks are identified then eliminated or mitigated.”

LA Testing, with laboratories across the state, offers residents, health officials and others access to environmental lead testing services, sampling supplies and easy-to-use test kits. To learn more about this or other environmental, soil and air quality testing services, please visit www.LATesting.com, email  info@LATesting.com  or call (800) 755-1794. For access to test kits, please visit www.EMSLTestKits.com.


About LA Testing
LA Testing is California’s leading laboratory for indoor air quality testing of asbestos, mold, lead, VOCs, formaldehyde, soot, char, ash and smoke damage, particulates and other chemicals. In addition, LA Testing offers a full range of air sampling and investigative equipment to professionals and the general public. LA Testing maintains an extensive list of accreditations including: AIHA LAP LLC., AIHA ELLAP, AIHA EMLAP and AIHA IHLAP, CDC ELITE, NVLAP, State of California, State of Hawaii Department of Health and other states. LA Testing, along with the EMSL Analytical, Inc. network, has multiple laboratories throughout California including South Pasadena, Huntington Beach, San Leandro, San Diego and Ontario.

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