WARNING!
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As backyard vegetable gardens become more common, environmental officials and scientists are warning homeowners that there may be lead in the soil. Flakes of lead paint from old homes often create contamination around houses that vegetables can take up. Remnants of leaded gasoline might also be in the soil near busy roads.
While the problem is pervasive in urban areas, suburban homes that were built near apple orchards are also at risk, because lead arsenate was once used regularly as a pesticide.