When First Lady Michelle Obama decided to plant a vegetable garden at
the White House, she faced a problem that many new homeowners in
America run into. Previous residents of her house had applied sewage sludge to
her lawn, but left no warnings to alert the her about the potential
toxicity of her soil as a result of the sludge application. When the
Obamas tested the soil in preparation for planting their garden, they
found some lead in the soil. At 93 parts per million (ppm), the lead
showed that the soil was probably contaminated by something, even though
at 93 ppm the lead itself was not necessarily a danger. Still, the
Obamas took precautions to further lower the lead level to 14ppm, and
make the lead unavailable to plants by adding soil amendments that
diluted the lead and increased the acidity of the soil.

Sludge Politicized

Unfortunately for the Obamas, and for the entire nation, once the
story hit the news, it became politicized. While the issue was initially
raised as a comment on the safety of using sewage sludge as fertilizer –
an issue that has no political party – the right soon grabbed a hold of
the story as a way to make fun of the Obamas. Some on the left fiercely
defended the Obamas in return. But the Obamas are not the villains in
this story; they are the victims. They are among many other Americans
whose yards and gardens are contaminated with sewage sludge without
their knowledge and who, as a result, are exposed to toxic contaminants
in the soil. And lead is just a fraction of the overall problem.

When it was conceived, the White House garden was intended as a
symbol of support for home gardening and fresh, organic food. In fact,
famed chef and visionary Alice Waters
lobbied for the White House garden for more than a decade. When it
finally became a reality last year, she said, “Fresh, wholesome food is
the right of every American. This garden symbolizes the Obamas’
commitment to that belief.” But in planting her garden, Michelle Obama
not only set the example she intended for home gardening, she also
illustrated why using sewage sludge as fertilizer is so harmful.