Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
40 results(1 / 2)
Trace metal extractability and bioaccessibility in urban soils
2026María Roo, Cecilia Herbón, Juan Pedro Martín‐Sanz, María Teresa Barral, Remigio Paradelo Núñez · Journal of Soils and Sediments · Spain (Santiago de Compostela)
This study analyzed the chemical extractability and bioaccessibility of five trace metals (Pb, Cu, Zn, Ni, Cr) in 55 urban soils from Santiago de Compostela, Spain, across various land uses. The availability of trace metals in these soils was found to be very low. Plant-available and bioaccessible Cu and Zn were higher in urban garden soils compared to other uses, supporting hypotheses that Cu, Pb, and Zn originate from anthropogenic pollution.
Contamination & food safetyHealthOrganic cycleCensored-Data-Aware Screening of Hazardous Metal(loid)s in Wild Mushrooms from Urban and Peri-Urban Green Spaces: Multielement Fingerprints and Adult Exposure Assessment
2026Antonio Peña‐Fernández, M. Carmen Lobo, María de los Ángeles Peña, Guillermo Torrado Durán, Mark D. Evans, Tiziana Sgamma, Tomás Cámara Pastor, Gurminderjeet S. Jagdev · Journal of Xenobiotics · United Kingdom
This study evaluated hazardous metal(loid)s in 121 wild mushroom fruiting-body units collected from urban and peri-urban green spaces in Leicester/Leicestershire, UK. Copper, manganese, and zinc were detected in all units, while cadmium and lead were found in 117/121 and 106/121 units respectively, indicating the widespread presence of these contaminants. Taxon-level profiles showed marked heterogeneity, and under a 300 g fresh-weight week−1 consumption scenario, cadmium represented 47.3% of the EFSA tolerable weekly intake in the pooled edible population and 50.9% in Agaricus bitorquis.
Contamination & food safetyHealthInvestigation of inorganic nutrients and pollutants in private gardens in central Germany using citizen science
2025Christoph Koch, Maria da Glória Arrais Peter · Environmental Challenges · Germany
This citizen science study analyzed inorganic pollutants in private garden soils in central Germany, including front and backyards. Elevated levels of lead and copper were found in one-third of the samples, and zinc in two-thirds. Chromium and nickel concentrations were also elevated in a quarter of the samples, with some readily available substances exceeding limit values.
Contamination & food safetyCommunityHealthBuilding evidence regarding nature-based solutions indicators and their implications for policy – the case of air quality
2025Corina Başnou, Geovana Mercado, Åsa Ode Sang, Thomas B. Randrup, Verónica Fabio, Adrián Cabezas, Arnau Lluch, Marc Montlleó, Juan Miguel Kanai, Riccardo Saraco, Olívia Bina, Tom Wild · Nature-Based Solutions · Europe
An overview and guidance for air pollution indicators in nature-based solutions (NBS) for urban green planning and public health were provided, using three case studies in Europe and Latin America. The study noted that approaches including multidimensional indicators in research, planning, and policies are limited, and national standards for some air pollutants are missing with little evidence for health effect thresholds. Findings also indicated that knowledge of pollutant uptake in edible plants can suggest potential human exposure risks.
Contamination & food safetyHealthPolicyClimate changeQuality of Constructed Technogenic Soils in Urban Gardens Located on a Reclaimed Clay Pit
2025Dariusz Gruszka, Katarzyna Szopka, Cezary Kabała · Land · Poland (Wroclaw)
This study in Wroclaw, Poland, investigated the quality of constructed technogenic soils in urban gardens located on a reclaimed clay pit. Despite beneficial physicochemical properties and high fertility in the topsoil layers, the soils were seriously contaminated with trace elements, including zinc (up to 1700 mg kg−1), lead (920 mg kg−1), copper (740 mg kg−1), cadmium (5.1 mg kg−1), mercury (7.4 mg kg−1), and arsenic (5.1 mg kg−1). This contamination, likely from industrial and urban waste used for mine infilling, compromises soil quality and poses potential health and ecological risks.
Contamination & food safetyHealthPilotstudie zu urbanem Gärtnern: Schadstoffgehalte in Nahrungspflanzen in Straßennähe/Pilot study on urban gardening: Pollutant levels in food plants near roads
2025Katja Hombrecher · Gefahrstoffe Reinhaltung der Luft · Germany
A pilot study in Germany investigated the impact of road traffic emissions on food plants grown near roads. Bioindicators like kale, chard, Lollo Rosso, and lettuce were exposed for four weeks at four roadside locations and compared to plants in a garden away from roads. While pollutant levels generally did not exceed background or EU maximum limits, significant traffic-related inputs of PAK 4, antimony, aluminum, chromium, and vanadium, and lesser inputs of copper, iron, and lead were detected compared to the control. The findings indicate a potential contamination risk for certain vegetable plants from road traffic.
Contamination & food safetyHealthUrban–rural linkageIs it healthy urban agriculture? Human exposure to potentially toxic elements in urban gardens from Andalusia, Spain
2024Sabina Rossini Oliva, Rafael López Núñez · Environmental Science and Pollution Research · Spain (Andalusia)
This study evaluated potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in vegetables and topsoils from urban gardens in Seville, Cordoba, Huelva, and a mining area (Riotinto), Spain, comparing them with market and peri-urban samples. Soils in the mining area and cities generally showed higher contamination with As, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn compared to other locations. Despite this, all PTE concentrations in vegetables from the studied urban gardens, including those from As-contaminated soils, were below health-based guidance values and market levels (except lettuce), and human health risk assessments indicated safe consumption.
Contamination & food safetyHealthPeri-urban agricultureCommunityAssessment of heavy metal transfer factors from soil to edible crops in peri-urban agricultural lands
2024Elliot Buckminster, Charlotte Breckenridge, Thomas Sedgwick · International Journal of Research in Agronomy · United Kingdom
This research quantified soil-to-plant transfer factors for six heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni, Cr) in lettuce, spinach, and carrot across 20 peri-urban agricultural sites in Berkshire, UK, from 2021-2022. Cadmium exhibited the highest mean transfer factor (0.31), and at 4 of 20 sites, cadmium concentrations in lettuce exceeded the EU maximum limit of 0.20 mg/kg fresh weight. Soil pH was a strong predictor for Cd and Zn transfer factors, with TFs increasing below pH 6.0.
Contamination & food safetyHealthPeri-urban agricultureSoil quality in the urban gardens of Barcelona (Spain)
2024Cosimo Dondini, Xavier Úbeda, Giacomo Certini, Marcos Francos · Journal of Soils and Sediments · Spain (Barcelona)
This study analyzed soils from ten urban gardens in Barcelona, Spain, with a special focus on possible contaminants. Irrigation water was also analyzed, and some of the waters contained a high concentration of salts and nitrites, which are listed as a pollutant. While three tests for heavy metals did not attest to significant pollution, other toxic elements not considered in this study could come from road transport gases or the port of Barcelona. Overall, the soil quality was concluded to be suitable for growing vegetables.
Contamination & food safetyOrganic cycleHealthCommunityTrace Elements in Soil and Urban Groundwater in an Area Impacted by Metallurgical Activity: Health Risk Assessment in the Historical Barga Municipality (Tuscany, Italy)
2022Riccardο Petrini, Lisa Ghezzi, Simone Arrighi, Lisa Genovesi, Chiara Frassi, Luca Pandolfi · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · Italy (Tuscany)
Trace elements were measured in soil and groundwater in the Fornaci di Barga urban area, Tuscany, Italy. Results indicate that Cu, Zn, and Cd are the main contaminants in surface soil, likely originating from airborne particulate matter deposition from metallurgical activity. Risk assessment considering soil ingestion and dermal contact exposure routes revealed that the cadmium Hazard Quotient approaches unity for children, and the cadmium risk-based concentration is only slightly lower than the maximum concentration measured in soil.
Contamination & food safetyHealthExercise, Urban Food Production, Preparation and Consumption: Implications, Benefits and Risks to Grow-Your-Own (GYO) Gardeners
2022Jonathan Stubberfield, Mads Troldborg, E. Louise Ander, N.M.J. Crout, Scott D. Young, Rupert Hough · Agronomy · United Kingdom
This study investigated the influence of gardening routines on health benefits and risks among 120 urban gardeners in the UK. Participants showed a correlation between autumn/winter gardening activity and fruit/vegetable consumption, with higher physical activity levels and lower BMI than average. However, while gardening offers health benefits, the health risks from gardening on soils mildly contaminated with cadmium and lead may outweigh these benefits, requiring formal consideration within a risk management framework.
Contamination & food safetyHealthDIYBiodiversityFirst report demonstrating the presence of Toxocara spp. eggs on vegetables grown in community gardens in Europe
2022Sara R. Healy, Eric R. Morgan, Joaquín M. Prada, Martha Betson · Food and Waterborne Parasitology · United Kingdom
This proof-of-concept study investigated the presence of Toxocara spp. eggs on 82 'ready-to-eat' vegetable samples (lettuce, spinach, spring onion, celery) from 16 community gardens in southern England. Two lettuce samples tested positive for Toxocara spp. eggs, showing an overall prevalence of 2.4% for vegetable samples and 6.5% specifically for lettuce. This study is the first to demonstrate Toxocara spp. eggs on vegetables grown in community gardens in the UK and Europe, highlighting biosecurity and zoonotic risks.
Contamination & food safetyCommunityHealthPotential Toxic Elements Accumulation in Several Food Species Grown in Urban and Rural Gardens Subjected to Different Conditions
2021Sabina Rossini Oliva, Rafael López Núñez · Agronomy · Spain
This study investigated potential toxic element contamination in food and soils from urban and rural gardens in Seville, Spain, including urban gardens in a mining area. Soils from mining gardens were the most contaminated. While arsenic, cadmium, and lead concentrations in studied vegetables did not exceed legal maximum levels, high levels of barium (up to 42 mg kg−1) and zinc (up to 123 mg kg−1) were found in leafy green vegetables like chard and lettuce, indicating a need for further study on associated human health risks.
Contamination & food safetyHealthUrban–rural linkageHeavy metals and metalloids concentrations across UK urban horticultural soils and the factors influencing their bioavailability to food crops
2021Marta Crispo, Miriam C. Dobson, Roscoe S. Blevins, William Meredith, Janice A. Lake, Jill L. Edmondson · Environmental Pollution · United Kingdom
Heavy metal (HM) and metalloid concentrations were assessed in 200 urban horticultural soils across ten UK cities. HM were found to be widespread, with most concentrations below UK soil screening values (C4SLs). However, 83% of lead (Pb) concentrations exceeded C4SLs, which is a significant concern. Bioavailable HM concentrations represented a small fraction (0.01–1.8%) of total concentrations, and black carbon (BC) and organic carbon (OC) were suggested to contribute to HM immobilization.
Contamination & food safetyHealthCommunityBiodiversityDifferences in the Content of Zn Fractions in the Profiles of Soils from Allotment and Domestic Gardens in South-Eastern Poland
2021Iwona Makuch-Pietraś, A. Wójcikowska-Kapusta · Land · Poland
This research investigated the distribution, bioavailability, and total forms of zinc (Zn) in soils from domestic and family allotment gardens across six cities in south-eastern Poland. It found that horticultural treatments had a greater impact on sandy soils, and higher Zn contents were present in humus horizons. High values of concentration and Igeo indices indicated significant Zn pollution in these soils, with bioavailable zinc forms being notably high.
Contamination & food safetyHealthCommunityPotentially Toxic Trace Elements in the Urban Soils of Santiago de Compostela (Northwestern Spain)
2021Cecilia Herbón, María Teresa Barral, Remigio Paradelo · Applied Sciences · Spain (Santiago de Compostela)
The concentrations of trace elements Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Cr, and As were investigated in 55 urban soils in Santiago de Compostela, northwestern Spain. While most soils showed higher trace element concentrations than regional backgrounds, they were not classified as contaminated according to Spanish regulations. However, geoaccumulation index values indicated low to moderate pollution levels in most soils, with Cu, Pb, and Zn highest in city center green areas, and Cr and Ni linked to parent material lithology.
Contamination & food safetyHealthOrganic cycleCommunityOccurrence and human health implications of chemical contaminants in vegetables grown in peri-urban agriculture
2019Anna Margenat, Víctor Matamoros, Sergi Dı́ez, Núria Cañameras, Jordi Comas, Josep M. Bayona · Environment International · Spain (Barcelona)
A study assessed 16 trace elements and 33 organic microcontaminants in lettuce, tomato, cauliflower, and broad beans from peri-urban farms near Barcelona, Spain, and a rural site. Concentrations ranged from non-detectable to 17.4 mg/kg for trace elements and non-detectable to 256 μg/kg for organic microcontaminants, with tomatoes showing the highest levels. Risk assessment indicated a low human health risk from consuming these vegetables in the peri-urban area, comparable to the rural site.
Contamination & food safetyHealthPeri-urban agricultureUrban agriculture and health: assessing risks and overseeing practices
2019Christine Aubry, Nastaran Manouchehri · OpenEdition (OpenEdition) · France (Paris)
Urban and peri-urban agriculture is exposed to various forms of pollution related to cultivation methods and urban air and soil quality, with different crop types exhibiting varied reactions to pollutants. The T4P and REFUGE programs on urban farms in the Paris region, and the ADURAA and QUALISANN programs studying vegetable-growing in Antananarivo, Madagascar, aim to assess health risks and oversee practices using methodological frameworks.
Contamination & food safetyHealthPolicyClimate changeThe spatial and temporal variation of water quality at a community garden site in an urban setting: citizen science in action
2018Martin Dawson, Mike Hutchins, Nuria Bachiller‐Jareno, Steven Loiselle · Freshwater Science · United Kingdom (London)
A citizen-science study from 2014 to 2016 assessed water quality in a 5.6-ha urban community garden in southwestern London, using borehole water. Measurements of specific conductance and tryptophan-like fluorescence were taken over 28 months. The study found no evidence of external contamination sources or temporal changes in water quality. However, significant variations in water quality between boreholes were directly linked to on-site manure storage and use, and local geological conditions.
Contamination & food safetyCommunityHealthManagement initiatives in support of the soil quality of urban allotment gardens: Examples from Nantes (France)
2018Cécile Le Guern, Liliane Jean‐Soro, Béatrice Bechet, Thierry Lebeau, Dorine Bouquet · Land Degradation and Development · France
Urban allotment gardens in Nantes, France, were found to have soil contamination, with lead (Pb) levels ranging from 100–400 mg kg−1, posing health risks. Local actors collaborated to characterize soil, evaluate sanitary risks, and discuss management options. The most frequent solution was replacing polluted soils with clean soils, while other strategies included on-site management of excavated soil, non-accumulative cropping, or changing land use.
Contamination & food safetyCommunityHealthOrganic cycleChanges in the sizes of agricultural areas and their agricultural and environmental functions within the territories of Cracow’s Mogiła and Wyciąże neighbourhoods
2018Piotr Krzyk, Bogusława Kwoczyńska · Problemy Drobnych Gospodarstw Rolnych / Problems of Small Agricultural Holdings · Poland (Cracow)
This study quantitatively assessed the conversion of agricultural land to investment purposes in Cracow's Mogiła and Wyciąże neighborhoods from 2010-2013, based on local plans. It also addressed soil quality, heavy metal content, and pH. Analysis of spatial management plans for these areas indicated a systematic decline in the share of biologically active areas.
Contamination & food safetyPeri-urban agriculturePolicyClimate changeEconomicsHealthA study on air quality and heavy metals content of urban food produced in a Mediterranean city (Barcelona)
2018Mireia Ercilla‐Montserrat, Pere Muñoz, J.I. Montero, Xavier Gabarrell, Joan Rieradevall · Journal of Cleaner Production · Spain (Barcelona)
This study measured heavy metal content in air and hydroponic lettuce leaves at four sites in Barcelona, including high-traffic areas, to assess potential contamination from atmospheric pollution. The results showed that heavy metal concentrations in lettuce leaves were below EU-legislated limits in all cases, and air concentrations were less than 50% of legislative limits. The study concluded that Barcelona's air heavy metal content is low and not a source of contamination for urban crops, even near high-traffic areas.
Contamination & food safetyHealthPeri-urban agricultureAn apple a day? Assessing gardeners' lead exposure in urban agriculture sites to improve the derivation of soil assessment criteria
2018Jane Entwistle, Patrick M. Amaibi, John R. Dean, Michael E. Deary, Daniel Medock, Jackie Morton, Ilia Rodushkin, Lindsay Bramwell · Environment International · United Kingdom
This study assessed gardeners' lead exposure in urban agriculture sites (UAS) to improve the derivation of soil assessment criteria. Researchers sampled nearly 280 paired soil and crop samples across 31 UAS gardens in the United Kingdom and measured blood lead levels (BLL) of 43 gardeners and 29 non-gardening neighbors. While 98% of sampled soils had lead concentrations above the current UK UAS soil guideline (80 mg/kg), all participants' BLL were below 0.1 mg/kg despite high soil lead. The study indicated that soil-to-plant concentration factors (SPCFs) used for UAS significantly over-predicted lead uptake.
Contamination & food safetyHealthAir pollution risk assessment on urban agriculture
2017Marthe Ortolo · Infoscience (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) · Netherlands
This study outlines a plan to assess air pollution risks in urban agriculture in the Netherlands, focusing on heavy metal (Cd, Hg) and PAK accumulation in spinach in Amsterdam urban gardens. It includes a literature review, policy maker interviews, and practical measurements of airborne contamination. The study aims to model different uptake routes by plants, but actual findings on contamination levels are not presented in this abstract.
Contamination & food safetyHealthPolicyClimate changeRisk assessment from exposure to arsenic, antimony, and selenium in urban gardens (Madrid, Spain)
2016Eduardo De Miguel, Miguel Izquierdo‐Díaz, Amaia Gómez, Juan Mingot, Fernando Barrio‐Parra · Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry · Spain (Madrid)
Forty-two soil samples from seven urban gardens in Madrid, Spain, were collected to measure concentrations of arsenic, antimony, and selenium, along with soil properties. Antimony concentrations exceeded recommended values for agricultural use in 70% of the urban gardens. A human health risk assessment indicated acceptable levels for noncarcinogenic and carcinogenic risks, though carcinogenic values were elevated, with arsenic identified as the main risk driver.
Contamination & food safetyHealth