Heavy metals in soil
Polluted soil threatens the environment and human health in communities worldwide. Testing soil for contaminants typically requires expensive laboratory equipment, and in the absence of adequate public investments in soil testing, people are often unaware of heavy metals in the soils around them. Why does the science of soil contamination remain largely “undone,” and how can Science and Technology Studies (STS) help to improve the ways that people know and relate to soil? The National Science Foundation has provided a grant to seek answers to these questions, beginning January 1, 2020.
The goals of this interdisciplinary and international project are to 1) study the soil testing field, including those who are engaged in community-based soil contamination research, 2) design a Community Soil Study Toolkit, including do-it-yourself (DIY) arsenic and lead tests, and 3) carry out participatory studies of soil contamination with community partners in the United States and Chile. This project relies on a partnership with the ongoing Nuestros Suelos (Our Soil) project led by Sebastian Ureta at Universidad Alberto Hurtado in Santiago, Chile. Throughout the study, we will document, critically reflect on, and evaluate our interventions, in order to more rigorously understand the possibilities and pitfalls of “citizen science” to address complex socio-environmental problems.
The goals of this interdisciplinary and international project are to 1) study the soil testing field, including those who are engaged in community-based soil contamination research, 2) design a Community Soil Study Toolkit, including do-it-yourself (DIY) arsenic and lead tests, and 3) carry out participatory studies of soil contamination with community partners in the United States and Chile. This project relies on a partnership with the ongoing Nuestros Suelos (Our Soil) project led by Sebastian Ureta at Universidad Alberto Hurtado in Santiago, Chile. Throughout the study, we will document, critically reflect on, and evaluate our interventions, in order to more rigorously understand the possibilities and pitfalls of “citizen science” to address complex socio-environmental problems.
