Getting the lead out tests urban gardeners

Friday, August 22, 2003 10:57 am

An environmental studies major at Bates with a concentration in environmental geology, senior Rachel Booty is researching soil contamination by heavy metals — primarily lead — for her thesis. In particular, she's investigating the impact such contamination makes on urban living. Her research has involved testing plant and soil samples from the downtown gardens run by Lots to Gardens, the community garden program that Booty works for, and comparing them to control materials taken from test gardens on campus.