My independent fifth day in Louisville most closely relates to ecology, but also ties in topics of sustainability and food safety. The health, natural and otherwise, of Foxhollow Farm (where I am employed this summer) depends primarily on soil quality and vitality. When this biodynamic farm was established in 2006, a large effort was successfully made–over time of course–to restore life to the soil, increasing quantities of microorganisms and nutrients that had been depleted during prior decades. Ann Curtis helped me to get in touch with someone working to improve soil quality in a different context.
John Cullen, CEO of Lock Up Lead, works to commercialize soil remediation technology for lead-contaminated soils. He explained to me that lead exposure usually goes unnoticed, but has dire social, economic, and health consequences. Human activities and previous land usage contaminate soils as well as groundwater. While plant uptake of lead is minimal (a surprising fact for me), the real danger is in direct contact with soil, such as gardening without gloves or tracking soil into your home. Through extensive research, child lead exposure (which interferes with brain development) has been identified as a cause of attention disorders, learning disabilities, and increased violence. A more fundamental problem might be that while a regulatory level of lead in soil, measured in parts-per-million, is required under federal law, most people understand this limit as “safe.” John explained that a “safe” level of lead would approach zero.
As for solutions to lead contamination in soils, Lock Up Lead’s goal is to make their liquid spray technology (which converts lead particles on a molecular level to a form that the human body is unable to absorb) a cheap and preventative product. They convince people that prevention is a worthy investment by making lead contamination a relevant problem. By using data evidence, the company connects the dots for policy makers and leaders, demonstrating the costs of dangerous lead. Lock Up Lead inspires people to act.
Lead contamination may be an afterthought for an excited Louisvillian who started a community garden with the primary goal of growing and providing produce for a neighborhood through a collective project. But after talking to John, I believe that lead presents a real danger and should be taken seriously. Lock Up Lead has the potential to bolster Louisville’s local food economy through prevention, remediation, and awareness. It presents a huge opportunity that ought to be better utilized.