[Ema]

Hi all I'd be greatful for your thoughts on this.

My partner is looking at buying a cottage on Dartmoor, eventually we'd like a large veggie garden. The area is known for tin mining, having done a little googling the soil and rivers have high levels of arsenic and copper. I believe this is at levels where it wouldn't be safe to eat your home grown veggies.

Is it at all possible to create beds where the metals couldn't leach into the beds soil? I'm thinking really heavy duty plastic membrane and raised beds.
Has anyone done something similar?

[mumofstig]

I certainly wouldn't panic.......... Not all soil will be contaminated by mining.

I'd wait til you get there and talk to locals, who will have more knowledge than Google about the soil and water.
There are many farms which would not be allowed to grow food if it contained dangerous levels of poisons, ditto the reservoirs there.

If you are worried when you get there, have a Laboratory soil analysis done so you know exactly what soil you have to deal with.

[Hampshire Hog]

Hi Ema I agree with mum
 locals will know more than a generic Google search. I am sure you could create raised beds with compost if you wish to. Given effects of rain and gravity I wouldn't expect  ground soil impurities to leach into your beds. If you are very concerned you can easily get a small sample ( or samples) of soil from the current owner on the basis of wanting to plan your vegetable/fruit growing. This is obviously a legitimate request for an individual planning a vegetable plot ......of course if the owner is unwilling to provide a sample that would make me suspicious!

Good luck

HH

[Snoop]

It doesn't sound that bad from this:

http://www.yourdartmoor.org/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/406177/Figure-4.pdf

The bibliography at the end of this:

http://www.naturaldevon.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Geology-Soils.pdf

has lots of references and websites you might find useful.