What you should know about the HUD-funded Baltimore Soil Study

Lead is a highly toxic metal that may cause a range of health problems, especially in young children. When lead is absorbed into the body, it can cause damage to the brain and other vital organs. Lead may also cause behavioral problems, learning disabilities, seizures and in extreme cases, death. Of greatest concern is that even "low level" lead exposure reduces children's ability to learn.

Lead is a part of our environment. Both inside and outside the home, deteriorated lead-paint mixes with household dust. Lead-contaminated soil is tracked into the home on shoes and the coats of our pets, and is often a problem when bare soil is exposed, like around the foundation of the home or in children's play areas. There are approximately 24 million homes in the U.S. that have at least one type of lead hazard, with over six million homes having hazardous levels of lead in yard soils. The risk of lead poisoning is greatest in older, inner city homes. Because of the scope and importance of this problem, HUD has funded research to identify practical, cost effective methods to control lead hazards both within and outside of homes.

Some recent press reports have incorrectly stated that a HUD-funded scientific study, conducted in 2000 - 2001, involved placing "sludge" on yards and that this material may have posed a threat to the health and safety of low-income families living in inner city Baltimore. The researchers did not apply "sludge" to yards in the study. These reports are misleading and did a great disservice to the research institutions in question, the Kennedy Krieger Institute and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and the federal efforts to eliminate lead poisoning in our children.

The material that was applied is, in reality, Eckology/Orgro Class A compost, a commercially-available product sold at lawn and garden stores throughout the region. Class A compost is tested regularly to ensure it meets Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requirements for low levels of metals and to ensure that there are no detectable levels of pathogens. Orgro and similar products are used by landscapers in homes and gardens all across America. In fact, Orgro has been applied at Camden Yards, FedEx Field, and even on the grounds of the White House.

The purpose of the study was to determine whether the risk from lead-contaminated soil could be reduced by applying this compost. Highly contaminated yards in some of Baltimore's most affected neighborhoods were selected to receive the compost treatment and then be reseeded. There is no evidence that families and their children were or will be harmed as a result of the research. On the contrary, this project reduced the chances any children would be harmed by lead from the contaminated soils.

The initial article also questioned the selection of certain inner city neighborhoods to participate in the study and how well participants were informed of potential risks. Families were not placed at risk from the use or presence of this compost. In designing and implementing the research, the research team consulted with community groups, such as the Middle East [Baltimore] Community Organization and the Historic East Baltimore Community Action Coalition, among others. Homes were selected because they had high levels of lead in the soil and small yards. Every precaution was taken to ensure that study participants were well informed and treated with decency and respect. The soil treatments were thoroughly explained to the residents of the homes, including how the compost was made.

The study results demonstrated that this approach to treating lead-contaminated soil is effective. Adding the compost to the soil and reseeding improved grass coverage, provided a barrier to direct soil contact, and also reduced the amount of lead that would be absorbed if any of the soil were ingested. The soil treatment made the homes and yards safer for any children who might live or visit there and demonstrated an economical way for families and property owners to address lead hazards in their yards.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is committed to achieving the nation's goal of eliminating childhood lead poisoning as a major public health problem by 2010. Our efforts are paying off. The number of lead-poisoned young children in America has been dramatically reduced from nearly 900,000 in the early 1990s to an estimated 230,000 children today. This striking decline has been accomplished through a blend of research, good policy, aggressive enforcement, and public education.

Since the establishment of the Office of Health Homes and Lead Hazard Control (OHHLHC) in 1991, we have awarded more than $1.4 billion to programs in 43 states and the District of Columbia, for lead hazard control, lead safety education and outreach, lead and healthy homes research, and healthy homes demonstration projects. In Maryland, HUD has invested over $72 million toward eliminating childhood lead poisoning through lead hazard control and research grants, and other projects addressing housing-related health and safety hazards.

Over the past decade, Baltimore has reduced the number of children with elevated blood lead levels by almost 92 percent. HUD's grantees in Maryland, such as the Kennedy Krieger Institute, the City of Baltimore, the Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning and the National Center for Healthy Housing have been instrumental in making Baltimore a far healthier city for our children.

The epidemic of childhood lead poisoning will not go quietly into the pages of history. Eliminating this dangerous threat to our children's health requires persistent and aggressive action. HUD is proud of the achievements of our partners, and their efforts to ensure a healthy life for every child in this country.