SC - Roots

[Robyn Probert]

At 11:50 AM 03/06/98 -0400, Christianna wrote:
>No, my lord and I created the dirt in the front bed ourselves, sand,
>peat, vermiculite, compost, etc., so the composition of the soil is not
>what I'm worried about.  The proximity to the road is my concern.  And
>after reading the posts regarding the toxicity factors, I don't know if I
>will ever eat anything from my own yard again!  When I planted the front
>bed, I determined not to eat anything from it anyway, and planted for
>fragrance, flowers, and ornamentals.  It was the root thread that got me
>thinking, and that's why I asked.  
>	Christianna

You are right to be concerned about the proximity to the road. I originally
studied and worked as a biologist and was always interested in this stuff
because I grow a lot of my own herbs and veggies. The soil is a problem, but
replacing it willo so,ve the problem until the junk biuld up again. The air
pollution is just as much of a problem. Plants get water and some nitrogen
from the soil, but their carbon comes from the C02 in the air. The lead and
other nasties settle on the leaves and are absorbed through the pores as
part of the gas exchange, so the heavy metals become part of the plant.
Eating plants growing by a busy road is not a good idea.

The good news is that the contamination problem decreases very rapidly away
from the road margin, so stuff grown in your backyard should be just fine.

Rowan

- -----------------------------------------------------------------
Robyn Probert				
Customer Service Manager		Phone +61 2 9239 4999
Services Development Manager		Fax   +61 2 9221 8671
Lawpoint Pty Limited			Sydney NSW  Australia
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