A soil sample from around the drip line of a house resulted in 530 ppm. As a risk assessor you must explain to the owner what should be done with the soil.

A soil sample from around the drip line of a house resulted in 530 ppm. As a risk assessor you must explain to the owner what should be done with the soil.

• A. Soil where children have contact must be abated; interim controls can be used to eliminate the present hazard.
• B. Dispose of soil in household trash.
• C. Cover the soil with concrete.
• D. No action needed.

Answer: (A)

When soil contains lead at a level high enough to pose a risk, action is needed to reduce contact and prevent exposure, especially for children. Lead in soil is a recognized exposure pathway because kids can ingest soil or dust from the ground during normal play or daily activities. For residential settings, a soil lead concentration around 400 ppm is a commonly used benchmark for concern in areas where children have contact. A result of 530 ppm around the drip line falls above that level, so it signals a real exposure hazard that must be addressed. The appropriate response is to abate the contamination or apply interim controls to eliminate or greatly reduce contact with the contaminated soil. Abatement could mean removing or replacing the contaminated soil, while interim controls might include covering the area with a clean barrier (such as concrete, asphalt, paving, or a durable ground cover) or creating a managed area (like raised planters) with clean soil. The goal is to prevent direct contact and limit dust that could recontaminate living spaces. Simply disposing of the soil in household trash is not an adequate or reliable remedy, and doing nothing would leave the hazard in place.

When soil contains lead at a level high enough to pose a risk, action is needed to reduce contact and prevent exposure, especially for children. Lead in soil is a recognized exposure pathway because kids can ingest soil or dust from the ground during normal play or daily activities. For residential settings, a soil lead concentration around 400 ppm is a commonly used benchmark for concern in areas where children have contact. A result of 530 ppm around the drip line falls above that level, so it signals a real exposure hazard that must be addressed.

The appropriate response is to abate the contamination or apply interim controls to eliminate or greatly reduce contact with the contaminated soil. Abatement could mean removing or replacing the contaminated soil, while interim controls might include covering the area with a clean barrier (such as concrete, asphalt, paving, or a durable ground cover) or creating a managed area (like raised planters) with clean soil. The goal is to prevent direct contact and limit dust that could recontaminate living spaces. Simply disposing of the soil in household trash is not an adequate or reliable remedy, and doing nothing would leave the hazard in place.