Q: Are my fruits and vegetables safe to eat after covered in ashes? If air quality is at “dangerous” levels, will my plants absorb those toxins?
A: These questions are often answered by the many wildfires that have left our gardens empty of smoke and ash.
Short answer –
- There is no danger of eating vegetables from a smoky garden. But it can also affect the taste of vegetables or fruits.
- Ash may be a bit of a problem, but if the ashes wash leaves or fruits, the product is safe to eat.
Master Gardeners studied the effects of smoke and ash on production and soil after the 2017 Santa Rosa fire. Sonoma County gardeners put together a civic science study. This was done in response to concerns that fire-fighting chemicals, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PHHs) and other combustible chemicals from combustible products, could pollute the environment.
During the fire, it was difficult to supply local gardens and small-scale agricultural products, which provided significant food security to the region. The concern is that people who work in the garden or on a small farm can inhale toxic chemicals from ash or inhaled smoke. And plants can absorb air pollution directly through the leaves. There is a risk of air pollution from wildfire smoke, but little research has been done on human health risk by inhaling smoke and ash.
To answer the question of product safety after exposure to smoke and ash, Sonoma County gardeners worked together to sample samples at more than 25 stations in the county. They used a sample protocol developed on the advice of environmental health and food safety specialists. Samples include washed and unwashed products. The study found no toxins, PAHs or dioxide levels in the product from 25 different sites around the site, and there was a “low risk” of eating vegetables and fruits after exposure to ash and smoke as long as they were ash. Wash.
The study further states that the benefits of eating leafy greens are greater than any other risk. Most of the specimens were leafy vegetables such as kale, lettuce and chard because they have a wide range of direct exposure to air pollution. In all, more than 200 samples were taken and tested. However, not a single station came from a burning area. These sites have a different level of pollution.
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In the final report of the Citizens’ Science Study on “Building Safety After Wildfires”, researchers recommend these best practices to reduce any risk associated with wildfires:
- Wear a respirator mask while working in the garden
- Wash the product thoroughly in running water.
- Boil root vegetables
- Regularly inspect soil for contaminated soil, raised beds, and compost.
To read the full study, go to https://ucanr.edu/sites/SoCo/files/308873.pdf.
The Shasta Master Gardeners Program can be reached by phone at 242-2219 or email mastergardener@shastacollege.edu. The Office of the Gardener is trained by volunteers trained at the University of California to answer gardeners’ questions using scientific research data.