A study has found that Boston foragers (people who collect fruit and nuts from urban forests and edible landscapes in a city setting) should not worry about finding metals in their harvest.
Boston's League of Urban Canners teamed up with Wellesley College researchers to study food collected along major roadways, on historical properties, in parks and near industries.
The canning group focuses on "heirloom" varieties and abandoned trees. The researchers tested 166 samples of cherry, peach, apple and other fruits and herbs. The results found only low levels of lead and arsenic, well below maximum levels recommended for children.
