Got questions about lead in Durham parks? What we know about the city’s latest moves.
Durham has begun testing at several of its public parks after a Duke University study found high levels of lead in the soil, the city announced Monday.
Here’s what you need to know.
Getting answers
A meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 29, in City Hall downtown to answer Durham residents’ questions about lead in local parks.
The contractors will be there, as will state and local officials.
What parks are being tested?
The city said a contractor is carrying out testing at five parks.
- Walltown Park
- East End Park
- East Durham Park
- Lyon Park
- Northgate Park
That marks a change from two weeks ago, when a city spokesperson said Northgate Park wasn’t on the list.
The Duke study recommended testing in all five because of their history containing ash from trash incinerators.
Installing signs
The city is installing signs to notify park visitors of the testing, though the signs don’t mention the lead risk.
“Soil & Property Testing Underway,” they say in English and Spanish.
Visitors can scan a QR code linking to a new website that explains what the city is testing for and why.
When will the results be ready?
A private contractor, Mid-Atlantic Associates, began the work on June 19.
The results take several weeks and could be shared in late July or early August.
Next steps will be decided then.
Will the parks close?
No, the parks will not close during the study.
The Environmental Protection Agency has determined that lead is unsafe in play areas at 400 parts per million and in all other areas at 1,200 ppm.
Each of the three parks where tests were conducted contained some areas above the safe level for a play area, but the city says children don’t play in those spots.
“The areas identified in the student report as needing additional testing are not areas of high or moderate traffic,” a new website dedicated to the lead testing states.
How was the lead found?
Duke University student Enikoe Bihari uncovered “disturbing” lead levels in three city parks in a study completed in December. The study was her master’s project and has not been peer-reviewed by other scientists.
Residents weren’t notified of the findings — for which the dean of Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment later apologized — until someone in Walltown stumbled upon the study in late spring.
The city reported finding out June 1, the day Walltown Community Association chair Brandon Williams reported emailing the mayor.
News reporters began spreading the word in mid-June.
Where did the lead come from?
The parks with contaminated soil today each historically contained a garbage incinerator or received ash from one.
Dan Richter, a Duke University soil scientist who advised Bihari, said the contamination was a “70-year-old problem.”
“Ash is not a good thing when it’s public waste that’s burned. Anything goes into the trash pile,” Richter said.
How do you get lead testing?
There’s no safe level of lead in the blood and scientists have documented even low levels of lead causing children to struggle with learning and behavior.
The Durham County Health Department doesn’t offer lead screenings to individuals, so contact another health care provider for testing.
“Many private insurance policies cover the cost of testing for lead in the blood. The cost of blood lead testing for children enrolled in Medicaid is covered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services,” the CDC reports.
Staff writer Adam Wagner contributed to this report.
This story was originally published June 27, 2023 at 8:03 AM.
