A member of the Hanscom Field Advisory Commission is investigating the details of a soil lead level testing service offered by the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Margaret Coppe of Lexington said at the panel’s Feb. 16 meeting that the lab “offers a total sorbed metals test that measures total lead and other heavy metals… for $55 per test. They recommend taking 12 samples from the area to be tested at various depths.”
She mentioned that a next step might be to discuss specifics with UMass Amherst on how an initial sampling survey might be carried out: “Is it a whole neighborhood? Would you lay out a quadrant of some sort and take samples so many feet apart?”
HFAC’s interest in soil lead-testing was set in motion when members learned that Massport’s assumption that Hanscom airfield neighborhoods are unaffected by contamination from leaded avgas emissions is based on modeling which has never been verified by actual soil or air sampling performed on or near Hanscom Field, https://thebedfordcitizen.org/2021/01/hanscom-field-advisory-commission-investigates-the-trouble-with-leaded-avgas/
Coppe prefaced her findings by reminding HFAC members that according to the CDC, “Lead is in the environment from a variety of sources, one of which is aviation gas.”
“Most of the literature that I came across focused on blood lead levels in children due to exposure to lead in the soil in areas where they play, or ingesting lead from crops grown in areas with high lead levels. The soil lead becomes a health risk when directly ingested or inhaled as dust.” Coppe cited information from the UMass Amherst Soil and Plant Nutrient Testing Laboratory website, which states: “It is recommended that all soils that may be managed in a way that creates an exposure pathway for humans, and especially children, be tested for Total Sorbed Lead.”
She noted that the analysis is surprisingly affordable, at $600 to $700 for each set of 12 samples, but added, “We want to make sure that however we go about doing this, it’s done in a way that is … credible.” “Scientifically sound and objectively performed,” Chair Christopher Eliot of Lincoln seconded. Coppe will consult with the UMass Amherst Soil and Plant Nutrient Testing Laboratory to learn more about the sampling survey process.
At an earlier HFAC meeting focused on the use of leaded avgas at Hanscom Field, Bedford State Rep. Kenneth Gordon had offered to explore the possibility of working with his fellow Hanscom area legislative colleagues to secure funding for soil lead testing near the airfield through a budget request for FY22.
The commission will update Rep. Gordon with Coppe’s findings to date on soil lead testing cost.
Chair Eliot also asked Mike Vatalaro, Massport community relations representative, to convey two questions pertaining to the use of leaded avgas at Hanscom Field from the commission to Massport headquarters:
- Is UL94 [a type of unleaded avgas sold at 60 other airports in the US] an available, viable fuel for Hanscom Field, today or in the near future?
- What is the plan to replace leaded fuel at Hanscom Field?
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