Presentation Type

Poster

Subjects

Green roofs (Gardening) -- Oregon -- Portland, Urban ecology, Heavy metals -- Environmental aspects, Green roofs (Gardening) -- Heavy metal content -- Measurement

Advisor

Olyssa Starry

Student Level

Undergraduate

Abstract

The world is changing quickly and with the increase of urban populations fresh, healthy food can be expensive and space for local farming limited. Roofs can be underutilized in these densely populated cities and can offer a space for local fresh farming but there is a lack of understanding about air pollutants' effects on vegetables grown on roofs. This study is to find if growing leafy vegetables on the roof can limit heavy metal exposure from air pollutants. By growing Spinacia oleracea in four roofs, and five ground locations around the Portland State University campus we can extract the heavy metals found in these greens and compare them to each other and spinach bought in the grocery store. The expected results show that growing leafy greens on the roof will have fewer heavy metals and grow faster and stronger than the ground sites. Proof that growing vegetables on the roof with less contaminates can lead to larger-scale gardens and fresher more healthy vegetables

Rights

© Copyright the author(s)

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Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/35410

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Comparing heavy metal content found in Spinach grown on the roof and ground sites at Portland State University

The world is changing quickly and with the increase of urban populations fresh, healthy food can be expensive and space for local farming limited. Roofs can be underutilized in these densely populated cities and can offer a space for local fresh farming but there is a lack of understanding about air pollutants' effects on vegetables grown on roofs. This study is to find if growing leafy vegetables on the roof can limit heavy metal exposure from air pollutants. By growing Spinacia oleracea in four roofs, and five ground locations around the Portland State University campus we can extract the heavy metals found in these greens and compare them to each other and spinach bought in the grocery store. The expected results show that growing leafy greens on the roof will have fewer heavy metals and grow faster and stronger than the ground sites. Proof that growing vegetables on the roof with less contaminates can lead to larger-scale gardens and fresher more healthy vegetables