LAFAYETTE, La. — If you’re curious to know what’s in your backyard soil, UL Lafayette is currently offering free testing.
Environmental Sciences Assistant Professor Dr. Anna Paltseva founded the Delta Soil Lab in 2020 which tests for heavy metals.
In the span of three years Dr. Paltseva said they have tested almost 700 soil samples from the city of Lafayette. That doesn’t include samples taken from other states such as New York, California, Washington, Texas.
She said through the Louisiana Board of Regents, her lab received a 2-year grant of $107,000 that began in June of 2021 to test for heavy metals in the city of Lafayette.
Dr. Paltseva first started her research as a Phd student at CUNY Graduate Center specializing in urban soil contamination and remediation. She said she was inspired by a mentor at Tulane University who created a map of soil contamination throughout the area.
She wanted to do the same for the city of Lafayette and her current project focuses on Lafayette’s heavy metal areas both in residential and public spaces. Dr. Paltseva said residential homes are found to have much higher concentrations of heavy metals as opposed to public areas. Through these maps she said they will be able to tell where hot spots are as well as propose remediation techniques based on test results received.
“In general we test for heavy metals, organic matter, nutrients in soil, texture, PH and salinity,” Dr. Paltseva said. “The very basic of parameters that any gardener should know, or any resident who has a house and wants to know what’s in their backyard.”
Dr. Paltseva said most of the samples they see in the city of Lafayette are below EPA guidelines for lead. She said soil is one of the sources of lead exposure in children which can cause a decrease in IQ as well as other impairments.
“Lead is a neurotoxin,” Dr. Paltseva said. “It affects cognitive development of children. Children are more susceptible to contamination than adults because they’re still developing. Having high lead concentrations in the body of a child can affect cognitive development.”
Dr. Paltseva said there are two neighborhoods in particular that see the highest levels of soil contamination due to an industrial history. She said what they study is actually an accumulation of deposits of metals from previous decades, known as legacy contamination.
Lead will remain in the top few inches of soil even from decades before. She said lead that remains in soil could have come from paint (which was federally banned in 1978), gas emissions from cars and industrial sites.
“I think it was interesting to find that elevated levels of metals are mostly located in downtown Lafayette or northern Lafayette where it's more historical or older,” Dr. Paltseva said. “Maybe it’s like a high-traffic area. There may have been some industrial sites in the past so this contains legacy contamination.”
By submitting soil from her backyard, one Lafayette resident Jenée Naquin, in the Saint Streets neighborhood was able to get answers by her results from the lab as to why one of her Meyer lemon trees was so weak.
“In there where it tested nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, it did note that all three of those were depleted and those are the right nutrients that we need for healthy soil,” Naquin said. “So then it came with a general interpretation at the bottom, you know and it did say the right nutrient content is not sufficient. Amendments such as compost should be applied.”
Naquin said her problem was solved by using compost and said it’s important for people to test their soils if they are gardening and consume it.
“If you're planting a garden in contaminated soil now you’re more like really ingesting contaminants,” Naquin said. “Right? So we should know what’s in our soil that we live in everyday. And it’s a free service. Right here at the university. So I feel like why wouldn’t you do it?”
Naquin, who has a son in elementary school, said by participating it has made her more aware of what may not be visible at surface level.
“We’re more aware that dirt isn't always the most natural thing in the world,” Naquin said. “You know our dirt can have many contaminants which are bad for our health, especially for the health of young children.”
Paltseva ensured data collected from this initiative is private, and is open to anyone who wants to test soil, whether that be from their backyard, a public space or soil purchased.
The program is open year round and those participating can either drop samples off at that lab or mail it. Those who are not based in the city of Lafayette can still test their soil for a minimum fee.
