Buzz
Urban areas are home to a variety of foraged food, from weeds to fruit trees and bushes that were either neglected or planted for aesthetic reasons. But is this food too polluted to consume? According to two research teams, the answer is probably no.
Civil Eats shares that Boston’s League of Urban Canners collaborated with researchers from Wellesley College, led by geosciences professor Dan Brabander, to examine lead and arsenic levels in fruits and herbs they foraged around the city, including along roadways. The concern stems from the possibility of road dust containing heavy metals.
Lead and arsenic were present but in small amounts. For instance, apples contained 0.5-1.2 micrograms of lead per gram, which is comparable to levels found in store-bought fruits. This aligns with the research of a team from Berkeley, who notes that contaminated soil does not always result in contaminated food.
In the study of various foraged greens, the Berkeley team, led by statistics professor
Philip Stark
, found that even in soils with high lead concentrations (700ppm), the levels of heavy metals were not considered harmful when consumed in moderate amounts. However, Stark recommends thoroughly washing all plants collected. 'The dust and dirt on the leaves could contain harmful levels of lead and other contaminants,' he cautions.
While these studies are limited and cannot guarantee that the dandelions in your neighborhood are safe to eat, they represent a hopeful beginning for research in this field. To learn more about the safety of urban foraging, check out the link below.
Photo by Liz West.
