Frequently Asked Questions

It depends on what the space is used for (e.g. gardening or child play area).

In the United States, the EPA limit for safe gardening is 200 ppm. For areas where children play, the limit is 400 ppm. For areas not used for gardening or play, the limit is 1200 ppm.

If you grow a food garden, consider planting in raised beds.

Wash all produce thoroughly, and peel root vegetables.

Try to find grassy areas for outdoor play, or deeply mulched playgrounds, especially in dry seasons when dust levels are high. Grass makes a good barrier to keep lead and other heavy metals in the ground.

Take your shoes off at the door to avoid tracking contaminated dust throughout your home. Learn more about living with pollution and find local resources to contact within each city on our Living With Pollution page.

If there are no points on the map near your home, that just means we don't have any data yet in that location. But you can find out and improve the map by becoming a community partner and sending us some samples of your soil. Get started here!

Though it costs money for us to analyze dust and soil samples, it's free for you to have your samples tested because we want everyone to be empowered to make informed decisions about their environment.

If you're able to do so, please consider making a donation to this community-engaged science.

We're glad you asked! Please consider sending us some samples of your environment or making a donation to support this work, or both!