High lead levels have been found in produce from a Loudwater garden which is half a mile from the M25.

Mrs Isabel Johnson, of Trout Rise, asked for laboratory tests on her fruit and vegetables because of warnings about lead in vehicle exhaust emissions.

From her one acre garden, which looks down on the heavily wooded Chess Valley, she can hear the continual roar of vehicles using the motorway.

“I wondered how much lead there was from there. Although people said I was too far away and the lead would have dropped out, I took some samples, sent them offf and got a shock.”

Tests from laboratories used by her brother’s food business showed her swedes to have a lead concentration of 40 parts per million, dry weight, compared to a British standard of 0.2 parts per million in commercial baby food.

She said: “You cannot eat anything as high as 40 parts per million.”

Mrs Johnson did not stop there. She sent a second batch of produce for analysis at laboratories used by Three Rivers Council environmental health department.

Back came another shock list of results – gooseberries at 15 parts per million, mint at 71, parsley at 160 and thyme at 247 parts per million.

Both laboratories advised her not to eat produce from her garden.

“Everybody tells me not to worry. I think you have got to get it into perspective. I don’t eat as much from the garden as I used to,” said Mrs Johnson.

Lead dust has been found on leaves in the garden. Garden soil tests carried out 13 years ago revealed no trace of the metal.

Mrs Johnson is against plans to widen the M25. “Traffic will go up, therefore pollution will go up,” she said.

[From the Watford Observer of May 4, 1990]

NOSTALGIA NOTE: Leaded “four star” petrol was finally banned from January 1, 2000. It would be interesting to know what the pollution count is now...