If you are concerned, you could get your soil tested for heavy metals. There aren’t any studies to show whether the heavy metals that may be contained in cinder blocks or concrete blocks can leach into the soil. John Farfaglia looked into this more and said that there probably needs to be more research on this. “So yes, modern day ‘cinder’ block might have fly ash in it.” “I take that to mean that sometimes they have to put fly ash in a batch because it is requested by a builder, and to keep costs down, assuming the builder does not want to buy the whole batch, they have to sell the remainder to home depot and other retailers so the block you buy at a retailer like home depot might have fly ash in it. Fly ash is a recycled green product and is requested from some builders because they have green criteria they would like to meet – LEED certification, reduce CO2 emissions, etc.’ “The manufacturer responded with: ‘It may sometimes be included in the mixture. Concrete Block and look at the question answer section, you will see that a customer asked: ‘Is there any fly ash in these concrete blocks? If so, how much?’ If you go to this product page at home depot for a 16 in. “Connie, you and Farfaglia are wrong – fly ash is still used in manufacturing ‘cinder’ blocks, sometimes. UPDATE (): A reader left a comment, saying: If you’re unsure of the source of used materials, he recommends using new material. If you’re using materials for a vegetable garden, you would want to be more cautious. If you’re going to use bricks for pathways, pressure washing the materials should be sufficient. The materials may have been resting in soil that was contaminated with chemicals. However, one thing you should take into consideration when using old bricks, old concrete blocks or other recycled material is where those materials came from, he said. The concern cited in many warnings is specifically fly ash, the residue you get from burning coal, that might have been used in older cinder blocks, but he doubts whether that is commonly used anymore. He found universities recommending the use of concrete blocks in container gardens or raised beds. I have seen warnings on the Internet that cinder blocks or concrete blocks used in a garden might leach harmful chemicals into the soil and ultimately into your food plants.Īfter doing some research, Farfaglia’s short answer was: “I doubt whether there is any issue to worry about.” John Farfaglia, extension educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension in Niagara County, responded to my questions on soil safety. Is it safe to use cinder blocks in a raised bed, or might chemicals from the concrete blocks leach out of the blocks to contaminate your soil and food plants you grow there?Ĭan you grow food plants in the hellstrip, the area between the street and sidewalk? When growing food, it’s important to protect your soil.
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