Study of Kansas City lots could reveal better ways to remove dangerous lead from soil

Lead levels in some Kansas City kids are 9 times higher than the national average. A new study by Kansas State University researchers is looking for cheaper ways to reduce lead exposure in soil.
A new study by Kansas State University researchers is looking at ways to reduce the risk of exposure to lead in soil in the hope of finding affordable methods that could be replicated around the country.

Ganga Hettiarachchi, a professor of soil and environmental chemistry, is leading the research with her team through a $700,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Hettiarachchi said conversations with officials from the health department and Brownfields program in Kansas City, Missouri, made her realize the scope of the issue.