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Hayden Library, located at 219 W. 5th Ave in Hayden, is hosting a free Soil Screening event, which will be held on Saturday, June 15, from 10 a.m. through 2 p.m. Everyone in Hayden/Winkelman is invited to bring the family for food, games and to learn about environmental public health together!
Bring in up to two soil samples per person from your home garden or other outdoor area in a 1-quart freezer bag and it will be screened for lead and arsenic. While waiting for results, have fun and food while learning what are the best practices to avoid lead and arsenic exposure, gardening in residential soils and childhood lead poisoning prevention resources.
To collect a single soil sample first identify an area of interest. If it is a large area, select 5-10 random spots, if smaller three spots are enough.
For a garden area, collect all soil from the surface down six to eight inches deep, per spot. In a play area or other non-garden area, collect all soil from the surface down one to two inches per spot
For each sampled area, mix soil from all spots together in a clean container. Remove pebbles, rocks and roots, and air dry the soil. Do not use either a flame or other heart source, such as an oven, to dry the soil! Finally, transfer one to two cups (0.5 lb) of the mixed soil into a clean 1-quart freezer bag.
Samples will be accepted until 1 p.m. but no later, to allow time for the analysis. If you have questions regarding this event, Dr. Monica Ramirez-Andreotta may be contacted by email at mdramire@arizona.edu or by phone at 520-621-0091.
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