Our Mission

Legacy Metals provides Baltimore residents with information on the heavy metal concentrations in their soils. Screening is free of charge thanks to funding from the JHU CHARMED Center and support from the Baltimore Social-Environmental Collaborative (BSEC). 

Was your home built before 1978? Do you live near a historically industrial area or major thoroughfare? Are you thinking of gardening in your yard? Are you concerned about heavy metal exposure in your neighborhood? No matter where you live in Baltimore, it’s worth checking out your soil heavy metal concentrations. If they’re higher than safe levels, there are simple steps you can take to significantly reduce exposure risk.

Sign up here and we’ll get in touch with you.

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Our Procedure
  1. We give out free soil collection kits to interested Baltimore residents.
  2. Residents collect soil of interest, both near and far from their buildings.
  3. We recollect the completed collection kits and screen the soil samples in our lab using an x-ray fluorescence analyzer.
  4. We email you a report of your results, including concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, nickel, lead, and zinc. The report includes interpretation and simple recommendations.

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Interpreting Results 

In each resident’s report, we compare their results to the Toronto Public Health Soil Assessment Guide, which outlines risk levels of given concentrations. Concentrations are in parts per million (ppm). Any concentrations below soil screening value (SSV) 1 are low risk, values between SSV1 and SSV2 are moderate risk, and values above SSV2 represent high risk for human health. 

MetalSSV1SSV2
Arsenic11110
Cadmium1.010
Chromium, total390630
Copper180660
Nickel34340
Lead34200*
Zinc5001800

*EPA guidelines are used for the lead SSV2 threshold, which is stricter than the Toronto Public Health Soil Assessment Guide for lead

For any soil, it’s important to follow good gardening practices of washing produce thoroughly and washing hands after handling soil.

If your soil surpasses SSV1 for any metal, it is advised to dilute it with external soil and organic matter, such as compost and manure, avoiding growing produce that accumulates contaminants, such as leafy greens, and peeling any root vegetables grown in the soil before eating.

If your soil surpasses SSV2 for any metal, it is advised to consider steps to reduce exposure, including avoiding direct contact with contaminated soil by covering it with mulch or grass and using raised garden beds filled with clean soil for growing produce, rather than planting in the native soil.

Read more: From The Ground Up – Guide For Soil Testing in Urban Gardens (Toronto Public Health)

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Community Partners

Baltimore Social-Environmental Collaborative (BSEC)

Farm Alliance of Baltimore

Temple X

Broadway East Neighborhood Association

Greater Remington Improvement Association

Bon Secours Community Works

JHU Office of Climate and Sustainability

Friends of Stony Run

Baltimore City Office of Sustainability

Interested in connecting your organization? Contact us here!