Is it safe to eat food grown in the city? In the last two editions of the Novice Gardener, we explored problems of toxic soil and polluted air in urban environments; but what about the city water we use to water the plants with?
Collected Rainwater
Photo by Meredith Swinehart.
It’s easy to forget how dirty outdoor urban surfaces become over time, like my windowsill covered in soot and other city dust.
As people become more concerned about global access to fresh drinking water, urban gardeners are increasingly interested in collecting rainwater to irrigate their crops.
Photo by Meredith Swinehart.
It’s easy to remove surface contaminants from fruits like pears; just peel them. Perceived threat: The perceived threat to human health of irrigating crops with collected rainwater may actually be too low.
Photo by Meredith Swinehart.
I spotted this plea to dog owners on a walk in San Francisco, and it made me think of the frequent proximity of edible urban gardens to dirty urban sidewalks.
Urban Water Runoff
Heavy metals from vehicles can be transported in water from paved areas to nearby produce gardens and long term runoff and deposition could lead to significant accumulation of contaminants in urban...
...soils Carcinogenic PAHs that result from tire wear and incomplete vehicle combustion can also be transported via runoff water as can organic pathogens like E coli and fecal coliform from animal waste