Precautionary recommendations for dealing with potential heavy metal contamination in home gardens in Wildberg

In residential areas and especially on play areas for small children, the soil should be largely completely covered.

Suitable options include:

• A dense grass area or ground cover

• Bark mulch,

• Paving and terrace slabs,

• A cover with gravel

These measures can help reduce direct contact with potentially contaminated soil. As a precaution, children should not dig in the soil or play with it. After intensive gardening with direct soil contact, hands should be thoroughly washed. In cases of heavy soiling, it is advisable to change and wash clothing as well.

It is recommended to refrain from growing vegetables and fruits in home gardens. These plants can absorb heavy metals from the soil.

Drinking and domestic water from private wells or other self-supply systems should be tested for lead and other heavy metals. If the limit values of the Drinking Water Ordinance are exceeded, the water is not suitable for human use. There are generally no health concerns about using this water for watering a purely ornamental garden. However, beds where vegetables and fruits are grown should not be irrigated with contaminated water.

In cases of high heavy metal contamination in the soil, keeping animals in your garden should also be approached with special caution. This also applies to feeding plants from your own garden. Animals that graze in the garden or are fed with grass and other plants from the garden can absorb heavy metals. High levels of heavy metal intake can cause health problems in animals. This also applies to fish in garden ponds, as they can absorb pollutants very quickly through their gills and skin from the water. The uptake of heavy metals through the consumption of animals cannot be ruled out.

Particularly in the case of keeping chickens and other poultry, the animals' scratching and digging can stir up more dust. Additionally, pecking can lead to the animals ingesting soil particles. Currently, there are no maximum or limit values for lead in eggs under existing food law. Lead can generally accumulate in eggs. Therefore, the health assessment depends, among other factors, on the level of contamination in the eggs and the quantity of eggs consumed. Soil residues on eggs should always be thoroughly washed off.