§ Mr. Skinnerasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the extent of contamination of food and fodder crops by atmospheric fall-out from petrol.
§ Mr. Wiggin: Surveys in the United Kingdom and various other countries have shown that some lead contamination of crops grown near roads may occur. The degree of contamination depends on several factors, including the distance of drops from the road and the plant species 172W exposed. Contamination is primarily due to surface deposition and a large proportion of deposited lead is removed during normal food preparation. We are continuing to investigate any relationship between the lead content of vegetable and cereal crops and their exposure to airborne lead.