Latest news with #soiltesting
CBS News
22-05-2025
- Health
- CBS News
LA County offering free soil testing for residents near Eaton Fire burn scar
Thanks to a new program through Los Angeles County's Department of Public Health, residents near the Eaton Fire burn scar can get their soil tested for lead for free until the end of the year. "This soil testing program is free, convenient, and will provide residents accurate information about the environmental health of their soil," said Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents the communities affected by the wildfire. The Department of Public Health provided instructions on how to collect soil samples. After retrieving the dirt, residents can drop off their samples at the One Stop Permit Center, 464 W. Woodbury Road, Suite 210, in Altadena, Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Public health staff will return the results within 7-10 business days via email. The program will run through December 2025. Depending on the demand, the free service could be extended. "Los Angeles County is committed to being responsive to the needs of our residents impacted by the Eaton Fire, which is why we're providing timely soil testing resources and support to ensure residents can make informed decisions about their health," Barger said. The Board of Supervisors approved the $3 million program in April after a preliminary study commissioned by the public health department heightened concerns about elevated levels of lead and other heavy metals. "The overall percentages of lead in the 30 or 40% range would not be necessarily surprising in an urban setting, but what we see here are levels of exceedances downwind of where the main burn area is," principal scientist at Roux Inc., Adam Love, said in April. "We see the percentages of lead in those samples that are 70% up to 80% of the soil samples exceeding the screening levels." Scientists believe the higher-than-anticipated levels of lead could be linked to burned homes. Lead-based paint was common in houses before the federal government banned it in 1978. A Caltech study found that 90% of the homes in Altadena were built before 1975. "Wildfires can stir up lead that's been trapped in older building materials, paint, pipes or surrounding soil," said DPH Chief Medical Adviser Dr. Nichole Quick in April. "When those materials burn or when ash and dust are disturbed, lead particles can become airborne or settle on surfaces where children play and people live their daily lives." However, the further screening showed that lead levels were below the California Department of Toxic Substances Control guidelines of 80 parts per million and much lower than the Environmental Protection Agency's threshold of 200 ppm. Additionally, test results for heavy metals showed that they were below state and federal regulations.
CNET
21-05-2025
- General
- CNET
The 9 Best Gardening Tools, According to a Master Gardener and a Horticulturalist
Handheld fork Schweiger finds a full-size garden fork to be useful for tasks like loosening soil and digging up potatoes but she can't say the same for handheld forks. "They always come in sets with trowels and I just never use them," she said. Dandelion weeder If you have a soil knife, you don't need a dandelion weeder. That won't stop companies from trying to sell you gadgets that look more like a fondue fork than a gardening tool. "If you need a weeding tool, get a hori hori knife, not a dandelion fork or other gimmicky weeding tools," Bunting told us. Store-bought soil tests Schweiger highly recommends testing the soil in any new gardening location for fertility as well as possible contaminants like lead, especially for urban gardeners. But the ones you can pick up at the hardware store aren't reliable. "Cheap, commercial soil tests are not particularly accurate," she said. "I always recommend getting a soil fertility test through an accredited lab." Universities like Penn State, Rutgers, the University of Massachusetts and others offer soil testing services by mail for a small fee. Self-watering pots For Bunting, gardeners are better off checking the soil moisture in potted plants than trusting self-watering pots, which typically have a reservoir for excess water and a wick that delivers it to the plant over time. "I've seen dozens of those," he said. "Not to say there isn't one that works but I've seen more failures than successes." Moisture meters Another water-related gadget that's not worth your money is a moisture meter, according to Schweiger. "I don't think a moisture meter is going to give you more information than you could get by digging down into the soil with your finger," she says. Sun Joe Power tools If you're pretty green in the gardening department, you probably don't need to add power tools to your list of startup gardening tools, Bunting said. However, if you're in the market for tools like leaf blowers, chainsaws or lawnmowers, he encourages people to choose battery-powered electric options over gas-powered models. "There's great battery-operated equipment nowadays for almost everything that you might need," he told us, noting that manufacturers often make rechargeable batteries that can be used interchangeably in different pieces of equipment in their product line. "I do have a leaf blower but it's battery operated so it doesn't require any fossil fuels or create noise pollution." Irrigation system "Everybody wants to install an irrigation system," Bunting says, but he recommends rainwater or hand-watering instead of sprinklers. "When the system goes in, it works, but inevitably, the system gets compromised or the plants grow up in such a way that when the sprinkler comes on, some plants get too much water and other plants don't get enough. It seems like a good idea but it's really not." Instead, make the most of water from rain or your hose by adding a few inches of organic mulch to the soil surface. That will help retain moisture, allowing you to go a little longer between waterings.
