Historically Black neighborhoods in Hartford that faced discriminatory redlining policies are most likely to be contaminated with high levels of lead in the soil, according to a new study from the University of Vermont.
Those neighborhoods — Clay-Arsenal, Downtown Hartford and Sheldon-Charter Oak — were rated “least desirable” by federal housing officials in the 1930s, receiving the lowest possible 'D' grade and marked red in the city's historical redline maps. Banks often denied mortgages to those living in redlined areas or charged higher interest rates, even if the borrower was able to pay back the loan.
“The number one parameter that determines whether a block has a risk for high lead level is the historic redlining rate,” said Nico Perdrial, one of the study’s authors and professor of geoscience at the University of Vermont.
Today those neighborhoods have large Latino populations, and in the case of downtown Hartford, a sizable white community. They're also 20 percent more likely to have high levels of lead in the soil. Within those neighborhoods, soil surrounding multi-family homes are 40 percent more likely to be contaminated.
Ingesting or inhaling lead can cause brain damage and slow development in children, even at low levels, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Those [neighborhoods] that were at the time ‘non-desirable’ were also those that were polluted the most,” Perdrial said, “and today this pollution remains in the soil.”
How lead seeps into soil
Lead in the soil is thought to come from lead-based paint and gasoline. Although both sources of lead have been banned for decades, paint chips can flake off of older homes and buildings, while airborne particles from lead-based gasoline can stay in the atmosphere for decades and eventually settle on the ground.
That means there are still many ways for people to come into contact with lead in the soil and bring it inside.
“It could be directly digging in the soil. If you have soil on your shoes and you trek it into your home, then it's in your home where you can either breathe it or it could blow into your food,” said Justin Richardson, who also worked on the study and is assistant professor of environmental sciences at the University of Virginia.
Why children of color are most at risk
Researchers took 150 soil samples from parks, schools and empty lots in Hartford and tested them for lead.
About a third of the samples had lead levels above 200 parts per million, the threshold used by the Environment Protection Agency to determine if soil at a residential site is contaminated.
The study, which looked at soil samples in Hartford, Conn. and Springfield, Mass., found lead contamination closely tracked neighborhood demographics with income, housing type, age and race serving as key predictors.
In Hartford, those most likely to be exposed to lead in soil are children of color living in multifamily houses.
The study's findings align with reports from the Connecticut Department of Public Health that found lead poisoning disproportionately affects children of color in the state.
“Both Non-Hispanic Black children and Hispanic children have a higher risk of lead poisoning compared to their Non-Hispanic counterparts, with rates of 2.9%, 4.0%, and 1.3% respectively,” according to the department’s 2024 report.
What to do if you live near contaminated soil
If you’re not sure whether the soil near your home is contaminated with lead, the first step is to get your soil tested. You can send a soil sample to the University of Connecticut, which offers a standard analysis that includes lead screening.
For those who live on or near a site that’s contaminated, it’s important not to dig in the dirt or grow food in the soil. Always wash your hands after touching the dirt and take off shoes before coming inside to avoid breathing in lead-contaminated dust or accidentally ingesting it. Those reminders are especially important for children.
“We've all been children, we've played outside, we dig in the dirt,” Perdrial said. “We typically, as a toddler, we put things in our mouth.”
While it is possible to remove contaminated soil and replace it with clean soil, known as the “dig and dump” method, that option is costly and unsustainable, according to Perdrial.
“Eventually, we'll run out of soil if we do that for everything,” Perdrial said, noting it’s more important to eliminate the original source of lead.
“If we have a house that is painted with lead and we remove the soil around the house, if you don't remove the paint, you don't remove the source of lead. So eventually the soil will become contaminated again,” he said.
Connecticut officials note lead paint must be removed by licensed professionals to avoid spreading lead contamination.
Other clean-up methods include adding a new layer of soil, like sod, or adding lime to your soil to slow the uptake of lead.
Áine Pennello is a Report for America corps member, covering the environment and climate change for Connecticut Public
