Lead was commonly used in the past in paints, building materials and petrol. It now contaminates soil through:
- chipping or flaking lead paint
- run-off of water contaminated with lead
- emissions from cars.
You may have lead in your soil from these sources. It does not go away with time and remains in the soil.
Lead is toxic. When lead is in soil, you can breathe it in, swallow it or absorb it through your skin when you garden or play. Children are particularly at risk.
Chickens, geese and ducks can also become contaminated with lead from soil in your backyard. You can ingest lead when you eat contaminated chickens, geese or ducks or their eggs.
There are ways to assess and manage lead in residential soil. Protecting yourself from lead contamination can also help protect you from other hazards in the soil – for example:
Check if you have lead in your soil
Lead-based paint is the most likely source of contamination. If your house was built before 1970, its paint may contain up to 50% lead. Levels of lead in domestic paint steadily decreased between 1965 and 1992.
As a general rule:
- if your house was painted before 1970, you should assume there is lead in the surrounding soil and protect yourself
- houses painted between 1970 and 1997 may still have lead-based paint, but the risk is lower
- houses in older suburbs are more likely to have lead contamination in the soil
- houses built on undeveloped land and painted after 1997 have the lowest risk of soil contamination from lead-based paint.
The condition of the paint is a risk factor for lead contamination in the soil. Houses where the exterior paint has not been maintained are more likely to have higher levels of lead in the surrounding soil.
Older renovated houses may also be at risk for soil lead contamination. This is because some of the old paint may have fallen onto the ground during removal.
Other materials at the property may also contain lead, such as roof flashing materials. If a house roof contains lead, water running off the roof can carry the lead into soil near the house.
Lead can also be found at shooting ranges. This contamination can spread to nearby residential land.
Get your soil sampled
You do not have to get your soil sampled. However, it can help you understand if you're at risk from lead contamination. Rather than assume the soil is contaminated, test to know for sure.
You may decide to sample the soil around your house if:
- your house was built before 1970 and the paint has always been in good condition
- your house was built and painted before 1997
- your house is in a suburb that has not been developed for more than 30 years
- your house was built between 1970 and 1997 and you know the paint was flaking
- young children play in the soil around your house
- you have chickens or other fowl in your yard.
When taking samples, you need to take them from the right areas. Take samples from:
- outdoor areas where waste may have been present – for example, where household incinerator ash has been disposed of
- outdoor areas where batteries, lead weights (for example, fishing weights), foil, stained glass, electronics, ammunition, toys, lubricants, solder, ceramics and other objects may have been stored or placed
- soil at building edges where rainwater drains from lead guttering, cladding or flashing
- soil adjacent to painted walls or other painted materials
- soil near roadways or driveways
- soil that has been brought onto the property from an unknown source.
Pay particular attention to soil near vegetable gardens and chickens.
Soil samples then need to be analysed. To get your soil analysed:
- visit our GardenSafe program for information about free soil analysis
- consult a qualified consultant
- contact a chemical analysis testing laboratory accredited by the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA).
Learn more about testing for contamination on the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action website.
Reduce your exposure to lead
If you suspect lead contamination on your property:
- maintain the painted surfaces on your home to stop older layers of lead paint from flaking
- keep children away from areas where there could be lead contamination
- make children’s play areas safe with thick grass cover or other clean imported materials
- line the bottom of children’s sandpits with material to separate clean sand from the underlying soil – for example, geotextile, paving or concrete.
Cover soil that has been impacted by lead-containing material, such as:
- incinerator ash
- lead paint
- roofing and guttering materials.
To cover the contaminated soil, place a 30 cm thick layer of clean soil or mulch on top of the contaminated soil. Do not dig in these areas. Top up the covering regularly to maintain its thickness.
Learn more about reducing your exposure to contaminated land.
If you're concerned about your health from lead exposure, contact your doctor. To learn more, visit Lead exposure and your health on the Better Health Channel website.
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