Research & reports

Zane Vincēviča–Gaile, Māris Kļaviņš, Vita Rudoviča, Artūrs Vīksna · Environmental and Climate Technologies · Europe

A study quantified element content in root vegetables (onion bulbs and carrot roots) grown in farmlands and allotment gardens in Latvia, using atomic absorption spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. It measured 17 trace elements (Ag, As, Ba, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cu, La, Mn, Ni, Pb, Rb, Se, Sr, V, Zn) and 5 major elements (Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Na), finding that carrot roots contained higher amounts of several elements than onion bulbs. Differences in element content were also found between the farmland-grown and allotment-garden-grown sample subgroups, with onions grown in farmlands more affected by contaminants.

Christina Purcell · Arrow - TU Dublin (Technological University Dublin) · United Kingdom

Background material from a paper on urban community gardens in Dublin, Ireland (2011, UK-based repository) describes Dublin's community gardens as ranging in scale from small disused residential plots (Cabra Park) to a four-acre site in Santry, taking forms from individually worked plots to communal gardens, with some space allocated to charities such as soup kitchens or to college plots. Citing prior literature, it notes an estimated 18,000 community gardens in the United States and Canada and reports that such gardens have been associated with improved nutrition, increased physical activity, greater social engagement, and better mental health, but this excerpt itself presents no original data or results measuring fruit and vegetable intake in Dublin.

Van den Berg A. E., Van Winsum-Westra M., De Vries S., Van Dillen S. M. E. · Environmental Health · Netherlands

Comparative survey of Dutch allotment gardeners and non-gardening neighbors finding gardeners, especially older adults, scored better on health, wellbeing, physical activity, and social contacts, evidencing welfare benefits of shared urban gardening.

Sibel Mansuroğlu, Ali Sabancı · Journal of Food Agriculture & Environment · Turkey

In primary schools of the Konyaalti district, Antalya, Turkey, the study examined the physical school-garden landscape against landscape-architecture principles and educational outcomes, assessing existing conditions, planning and design problems, the qualitative state of outdoor space, and principals' awareness of using well-designed gardens to enhance educational opportunity. School gardens showed problems of poor or insufficient planning and design, inadequate land allocation, and unqualified management regarding gardens' educational importance, and an extremely high student-to-teacher ratio left teachers without the time or energy for personal garden projects, though the researchers saw potential for principals, teachers and parents to build ties with civic and public organizations.

Cezary Kabała, T. Chodak, L. Szerszeń, Anna Karczewska, Katarzyna Szopka, Urszula Fratczak · Fresenius environmental bulletin · Poland (Wroclaw)

An analysis of 180 allotment garden soils in Wroclaw, Poland, found that concentrations of Cu, Pb, and Zn (12.5-659 mg Pb kg-1, 38.1-2103 mg Zn kg-1, 12.9-595 mg Cu kg-1) were influenced by industrial pollution sources, organic matter, pH, and macronutrients. Soils in gardens on former housing or industrial areas had significantly higher metal concentrations. Up to 35% of soils in the city zone were excessively contaminated, making them unsuitable for vegetable and fruit production and requiring reclamation.

Peter Groenewegen, A.E. van den Berg, S. de Vries, Robert Verheij · BMC Public Health · Netherlands

This article discusses the design of a research program in the Netherlands on the effects of green space in the living environment on health, well-being, and social safety. The program consists of three observational studies at different scales: macro (national data), intermediate (urban green space effects), and micro (allotment gardens). It combines existing land use and health interview survey data with new data collected via questionnaires and interviews, to be analyzed using multilevel analysis and GIS techniques.

C. Paul Nathanail, Caroline McCaffrey, Naomi Earl, Neil D. Foster, A. G. Gillett, Richard Ogden · Human and Ecological Risk Assessment An International Journal · United Kingdom

This paper describes a deterministic method for deriving Site-Specific Assessment Criteria (SSAC) in the UK for human health risks from chronic exposure to heavy metals, metalloids, and organic substances in soil. The SSAC indicates soil concentrations above which unacceptable health risks may occur, considering standard and non-standard land uses and various exposure pathways. The method is not intended to generate or replace UK Soil Guideline Values, as this is the responsibility of UK authoritative bodies.

Hough R., Breward N., Young S., Crout N., Tye A., Moir A., Thornton I. · Environmental Health Perspectives · United Kingdom

The study modeled uptake of cadmium, copper, nickel, lead, and zinc into home-produced vegetables and assessed the heavy-metal exposure risk to urban populations from eating homegrown food.

Tanja Pless‐Mulloli, Vivienne S. Air, Catherine Vizard, Ian Singleton, D. L. Rimmer, Philip Hartley · Epidemiology · United Kingdom

A study in an urban, industrial allotment site in the UK's northeast assessed the potential for public health impact related to soil contamination by taking 86 soil samples and analyzing vegetables and eggs. All 18 initial soil samples exceeded UK guidelines for lead (median 869 mg/kg) and arsenic (median 40 mg/kg), and widespread contamination with PCDD/F was also found. Despite high soil contamination, the uptake of lead and arsenic into vegetables and eggs was low, and these were not deemed major exposure pathways.

Tanja Pless‐Mulloli, Karen L. Foster, J Bush · Epidemiology · United Kingdom (Newcastle upon Tyne)

Investigations in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, analyzed the extent and consequences of disposing 2000 tons of incinerator ash on over forty allotments. Soil, egg, and vegetable samples (75 soil, 21 egg, 65 vegetable) revealed contamination of footpaths with dioxin/furan (max 9000 ng/kg I-TEQ) and high levels of copper, lead, and zinc. Mean dioxin/furan levels in soil were 38 ng/kg I-TEQ and in eggs were 16.4 ng/kg I-TEQ, indicating significant contamination and potential exposure pathways for allotment gardeners and children.

G. F. Backhaus, H. Balder · Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants (Julius Kühn-Institut) · Germany

The International Symposium on Plant Health in Urban Horticulture, held in Braunschweig, Germany, from May 22 to 25, 2000, served as a platform to discuss deficits in the care and development of urban greenery and propose integrated concepts. Urban horticulture comprises diverse elements characterizing urban life, but many stress factors damage these components, and integrated concepts for maintaining and preserving urban green areas are lacking. The symposium aimed to jointly prepare future needs for action for the health preservation of urban green at an international level.

B. Jankiewicz, B. Ptaszyński, Michael Wieczorek · Polish Journal of Environmental Studies · Poland (Lodz)

This study presents the results of lead determination in the soils of six allotment gardens located in various parts of Lodz. Lead was measured spectrophotometrically in the form of pink lead(II) dithizonate.

B. Jankiewicz, B. Ptaszyński, Michael Wieczorek · Polish Journal of Environmental Studies · Poland (Łódź)

This study determined cadmium in the soil of six allotment gardens in Łódź, located in areas with different traffic patterns (city center and suburbs). Cadmium was detected in the form of cadmium (II) dithizonate using the extraction-spectrophotometric method. This research indicates the presence of cadmium contamination in urban allotment garden soils.

M.J. Zwankhuizen, Francine Govers, J.C. Zadoks · Phytopathology · Netherlands

A study in Southern Flevoland, Netherlands, from 1994 to 1996, assessed inoculum sources of potato late blight. It found that 74% of early disease foci in commercial potato fields were linked to nearby infested refuse piles. Infected seed tubers, volunteer plants, and infested allotment gardens appeared to be of minor importance for late blight development in potato fields. However, in August 1994, infested organic potato fields became major mid-season infection sources, spreading the disease to adjacent conventional fields.

M. Krelowska‐Kulas · Food / Nahrung · Poland (Kraków)

An investigation using atomic absorption spectroscopy in Kraków, Poland, found that vegetables from urban allotment gardens had average levels of lead, cadmium, copper, zinc, and iron several times higher than control samples from farms 100 km away. In some cases, maximum levels of certain elements approached the admissible limit. However, average levels of lead and cadmium in pigs and cattle showed no reason for objection.

P. van Lune · Netherlands Journal of Agricultural Science · Netherlands

A study analyzed cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) in soils and crops from 57 allotment gardens in potentially contaminated areas of the Netherlands. The median Cd and Pb concentrations in the soil samples were found to be higher than those in soils used for arable farming and horticulture. However, Cd and Pb concentrations in the crops themselves were normal.

Howard J. Atkinson, Naomi Gibson, Harry C. Evans · Plant Pathology · United Kingdom (Leeds)

A survey of 140 growers across 12 allotment sites around Leeds, UK, identified a wide range of crop pests, with brassicas, potatoes, and carrots being more frequently damaged. Soil samples from 33 plots at 10 established sites and 6 plots at 2 new sites revealed potentially damaging levels of pale potato cyst nematode in 21 and 1 plots, respectively. Widespread overwintering populations of carrot fly larvae and pupae were also found in soil samples from eight sites.