Lead in Soil

Lead can be found naturally at low levels in soil. However, most lead that people come into contact with comes from human activities, such as the historical use of leaded gasoline, release of lead from industrial facilities, and lead-based paint in older homes and buildings. Because lead is an element, it continues to exist in the environment, even after the original lead source is gone. High lead levels in soil can increase people’s contact with lead and therefore their exposure. Exposure means lead gets into your body – often through ingesting it or breathing it in. In fact, humans are often exposed to lead without realizing it.

Basic Information

Common Sources of Lead in Soil

Higher levels of lead are typically found in soil near:

Roadways because of past exhaust from vehicles that used leaded gasoline.
The exterior of older buildings (e.g. the dripline) that used lead-based paint or have had lead gutters and flashing.
Hazardous waste sites, lead smelters, battery processing sites or industrial areas where lead has been released into the environment.

Older playground equipment can still contain lead-based paint, and artificial turf and playground surfaces made from shredded rubber can contain lead. Read more on playgrounds and artificial turf fields.

Testing for Lead in Soil

Soil can be tested for lead in several ways, the best of which is to send samples to a laboratory that is qualified to determine lead concentrations. This testing can be done through laboratories accredited under EPA’s National Lead Laboratory Accreditation Program. There are also home soil testing kits that can be purchased online, where home soil samples are sent to a lab for analyses.

Many state university agricultural departments and agricultural extension offices offer soil testing for lead at a cost. For more information, visit your local state agricultural extension office or learn more from CDC about opportunities to test your soil for lead.

Some local health departments may offer home soil lead testing. Find your local health department.

Additionally, a certified lead risk assessor can identify soil-lead hazards from pre-1978 homes or pre-1978 buildings where children under the age of 6 frequent. For help finding a lead risk assessor or an accredited lead laboratory, contact the National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424-LEAD (5323).

How You May Be Exposed to Lead in Soil

Both children and adults can be exposed to lead in soil through activities such as playing or gardening in contaminated soil. Exposure from these activities can occur from ingesting contaminated soil, or from touching contaminated soil and then touching your mouth or face. Exposure may also occur by eating fruits and vegetables grown in contaminated soil.

Lead in soil can be tracked into homes on shoes, clothes, pets, or other objects that touch lead-contaminated soil or dust, contributing to lead in dust.

Infographic details different exposure pathways from lead in soil, including pets tracking contaminated soil on their paws, people tracking lead on their shoes, paint chips and dust collecting in the dripline of a house, and children playing with toys after playing in soil.

How to Reduce Your Risk

You can reduce your family’s risk from lead exposure by taking simple steps at home. Anything you can do to reduce lead exposures can significantly impact and improve life outcomes, particularly for young children who are the most vulnerable. If you have young children, it is crucial to determine if they have been exposed to lead and learn how to prevent and decrease further exposure.

How to Know if You've Been Exposed to Lead

Blood lead testing can tell you if you have been exposed to lead. The best way to know if you or your child has been exposed to lead is to have a blood lead test. This test is performed at your clinician’s office or at a lab. If you are concerned about lead exposure, talk to your health care provider about having a blood lead test for your child or yourself.

Actions You Can Take to Protect Your Family from Lead Exposure in Soil

There are many simple actions you can take to prevent exposure to lead in soil.

Use Caution When Outdoors

Cover contaminated soil with a thick layer of clean soil, vegetation, mulch, or other materials.
Prevent children from playing in bare soil and watch children carefully to prevent them from eating soil or putting their hands in their mouths.
Wash hands and other exposed skin with clean water or wipes after contact with soil, especially before meals.
Avoid construction sites and abandoned buildings and structures, such as old mines and mining structures.
Do not play in soil next to buildings constructed before 1978, since they are likely to have lead-based paint.
Eat on a clean table or blanket, not directly on the bare ground.
Wash toys, pacifiers and bottles with clean water or wipes if they come into contact with soil.
Consider hiring lead abatement contractors to remove or permanently cover contaminated soil.

Don’t Track It In

To reduce tracking contaminated soil into your home, place doormats both outside and inside all entryways and remove your shoes before entering.
Reduce exposure from pets by wiping off their fur and paws after they have been outside, especially if they are dirty or muddy.
Leave tools, clothes, or other soiled items outside, or wash them thoroughly before bringing them indoors.
If you encounter lead in your workplace, change clothes and shoes that might have lead dust on them before leaving your workplace or entering your vehicle or home.
Wash clothes that come into contact with soil or dust separately from other laundry.

Practice Safe Gardening and Clean Your Produce

Wash produce thoroughly, peel root crops, and discard the outer leaves of leafy vegetables. Root vegetables, like carrots, and leafy greens take up more lead from the soil than fruits like tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers.
Test soil used for any food crops and take measures to protect crops from contaminated soil.
Use raised beds or containers with clean soil to grow food crops in areas with higher lead levels.
Avoid growing produce near buildings, roads, and driveways (stay at least 10 feet away), where lead levels are likely higher.

EPA Programs

EPA plays a pivotal role in lead poisoning prevention through a variety of regulatory measures and enforcement actions aimed at reducing exposure to various environmental media contaminated with lead, including soil.

EPA regulates the disposal and safe management of lead-containing waste from many different industries under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) hazardous waste regulations. EPA designed these regulations to prevent lead-containing waste from seeping into groundwater and polluting the environment.

EPA’s land cleanup programs support cleanup of soil contaminated with lead at sites that pose a threat to human health and the environment under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), commonly known as Superfund, and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Generally, Superfund cleanups address legacy contamination through short-term removal actions or long-term remedial cleanups, while RCRA cleanups address contamination at facilities that manage hazardous waste.

Lead at Superfund Sites: Lead is a common contaminant of concern at Superfund sites across the country. Superfund cleanup of the most highly lead-contaminated soil — combined with education and activities to address other lead sources — has proven to be an effective part of an overall strategy for reducing blood-lead levels in children. EPA is committed to streamlined processes for investigating and cleaning up lead in soil at contaminated sites and emphasizing early collaboration with state and local partners to provide multiple layers of protection for communities. EPA has identified sites through the Superfund National Priorities List and Superfund Alternative Approach where lead is a contaminant of concern. Search for Superfund sites where you live.
Hazardous Waste Cleanup: The RCRA Hazardous Waste Cleanup Program addresses contamination at facilities that manage hazardous waste. Facilities subject to RCRA cleanups include current and former chemical manufacturing plants, oil refineries, lead smelters, wood preservers, steel mills, commercial landfills, federal facilities, and a variety of other types of entities.
Brownfields: Generally, brownfields are properties that contain or may contain a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant, complicating efforts to expand, redevelop or reuse them. The Brownfields and Land Revitalization Program provides grants and technical assistance to communities, states, Tribes and others to assess, safely clean up lead and other contaminants and sustainably reuse contaminated properties.
Soil Lead Hazard Standards: Title IV of the Toxic Substances Control Act directs EPA to regulate lead-based paint hazards. These standards are used to identify soil-lead hazards in pre-1978 homes and child-occupied facilities like childcare centers, preschools, and kindergartens. They provide the basis for risk assessors to determine whether soil-lead hazards are present during a risk assessment or a lead hazard screen. These levels are used to determine when EPA recommends an abatement or other lead-hazard control work.

Other Federal Resources

Soil Screening, Health, Outreach and Partnership (soilSHOP): soilSHOP events help people learn if their soil is contaminated with lead and how to reduce exposures to contaminated soil and produce. Through soilSHOPs, CDC's Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and partner organizations inform community members about lead soil contamination and share tips for reducing potential exposures.
Soil, Gardening and Your Health: ATSDR provides resources for people who may be concerned about safe gardening in their home or community. This website links to information on lead and safe gardening to help answer questions.
Information about Lead in Soil: Learn more from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about lead in soil.
CDC’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP): The goal of CLPPP is to prevent childhood lead exposure before any harm occurs. Through CLPPP, CDC supports state and local public health departments with funds for surveillance and prevention of lead exposure.