[CANUFNET] Safety Testing of Fruits & Nuts/heavy metals +othercontaminant testing.

[Andrea Dawber]

Was any fruit testing done as well as soil testing?

Andrea Dawber
GreenHere Director
Tel. 416-656-8025 ext. 371; 403
www.greenhere.ca



On Feb 18, 2009, at 9:51 AM, For Trees Company Ltd. wrote:

> Hello Andrea,
> I concur with Mark. Extensive testing of trees and tree fruit  
> growing in a subdivision in Calgary built on the former site of an  
> oil refinery showed lead and hydrocarbon traces far below any health  
> concerns, even though lead contamination was measurable in the soil.
> Gerard Fournier, BCMA # PR-0130BT
> Owner/Operator
> For Trees Company
>
> Trees For Life...Landscapes for Living...
> 403-335-8965
> www.fortrees.ca
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Payne, Mark" <Mark.Payne at york.ca>
> To: "Canadian Urban Forest Network" <canufnet at list.web.net>
> Sent: Wednesday, February 18, 2009 7:15 AM
> Subject: Re: [CANUFNET] Safety Testing of Fruits & Nuts/heavy metals  
> +othercontaminant testing.
>
>
> Andrea,
>
> Beverly Hale from Guelph U has done a lot of work on vegetation  
> uptake.
> You can also try contacting Mike Payne at OMAFRA.
> In my experience fruit trees do not uptake many contaminants well and
> even those that are uptaken well are often at low concentrations by in
> individual fruits.  I hope this was helpful.
>
> Mark Payne, MSc. QPRA
> Environmental Research and Policy Analyst
> Environmental Health Team
> Public Health
> York Region
> 465 Davis Drive, Suite 240
> Newmarket, ON L3Y 2P1
> (905) 895 4511 x4511
> toll free 1 (877) 464-9675 x4511
> fax (905) 836-8315
>
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>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: canufnet-bounces at list.web.net
> [mailto:canufnet-bounces at list.web.net] On Behalf Of Andrea Dawber
> Sent: Friday, February 13, 2009 12:54 PM
> To: Canadian Urban Forest Network
> Cc: a.kenney at utoronto.ca
> Subject: [CANUFNET] Safety Testing of Fruits & Nuts/heavy metals +
> othercontaminant testing.
>
> Dear Canufnet folks,
>
> GreenHere has been using Andy Kenney's tree inventory in its taget
> area for the past 2 years, and there are almost 500 fruit trees -
> pears, plums, apricots, apples, serviceberries, peaches, cherries,
> walnuts, hackberry, butternut, etc.
>
> Food security/hunger and nutrition issues for the local communities
> could be partially addressed through the creation of a community fruit
> & nut harvesting program. (25% of families live on incomes of less
> than $20k.)
>
> However, the area is mixed industrial/residential with 3 railway
> corridors running through it.  Air and soil contamination is a concern
> with regards to the safety of fruit to be harvested from the area.
>
> Does anyone have any experience with testing for industrial
> contaminants in fresh fruit and/or what are the threshhold limits for
> certain contaminants i.e. heavy metals like lead and mercury?
>
> Any guidance or expert referrals that you may have with regards to
> ensuring the safety of food harvested and/or suggested tests to do
> would be most appreciated.
>
> Yours truly,
>
> Andrea Dawber
> GreenHere Director
> Tel. 416-656-8025 ext. 371; 403
> www.greenhere.ca
>
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