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

[May Carter]

Hi all
I thought those of you who have been asking about soil contamination and
fruit/vegetable growing might be interested in the attached report.  This
research was carried out in Perth, Western Australia in 2002.  Obviously
there will be different environmental conditions, but some of the findings
re contamination levels may be relevant.
 
Regards
May
 
May Carter
PhD Candidate
School of Natural Sciences
Edith Cowan University
Joondalup WA 6027
Email: m.carter at ecu.edu.au 
Home address: 49 Coral Road, Kalamunda, WA 6076
Phone: (61 8) 9293 0225 or 0409 889 270
Email: mayc at upnaway.com
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: canufnet-bounces at list.web.net [mailto:canufnet-bounces at list.web.net]
On Behalf Of Andrea Dawber
Sent: Thursday, 19 February 2009 2:46 AM
To: For Trees Company Ltd.; Canadian Urban Forest Network
Subject: Re: [CANUFNET] Safety Testing of Fruits & Nuts/heavy metals
+othercontaminant testing.
 
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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