Urban land use impact on soil heavy metal levelsin Lafayette, Louisiana

Urban soils can accumulate metal(loid)s from past and current human activities, yet data from mid-sized U.S. cities remain limited. The study aims to comprehensively map and analyze soil contamination, understand its socioeconomic impacts. The ultimate goal is to equip the community with critical data to mitigate heavy metal exposure and inform future urban planning and public health policies. This dataset reports concentrations of As, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn measured in 1,290 composite topsoil samples (0–2.5 cm) from five land uses in Lafayette, Louisiana (USA). This study provides critical insights into the distribution of heavy metals in urban settings, emphasizing the need for preventative measures and targeted interventions to mitigate exposure risks. The comprehensive mapping and analysis of soil contamination in Lafayette, LA, serve as a model for addressing similar issues in other urban areas, contributing to the broader understanding of environmental justice and public healt..., Between 2021 and 2023, we collected 1,290 composite topsoil samples from 24 selected census tracts within Lafayette, Louisiana (USA). The goal was to comprehensively map soil heavy metal(loid) contamination and understand its health and socioeconomic impacts. Samples were collected from both public and residential areas, including high-traffic roadways, industrial zones, parks, and residential regions near house foundations, street sides, open spaces, and gardens. Typically, one representative sample with five subsamples was collected. In residential areas, five samples were collected within one meter of house foundations, five within one meter of street sides, and five from open spaces. All samples were collected from the topsoil layer (0-2.5 cm depth), which is the primary zone of contact for children and the layer where heavy metals tend to accumulate. Collected soil samples were oven-dried for 24 hours at 105 degrees Celsius, ground, and sieved through a <2 mm sieve to ensure un..., # Urban land use impact on soil heavy metal levelsin Lafayette, Louisiana

Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.v6wwpzh93](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.v6wwpzh93)

## Description of the data and file structure

In this file, elemental concentrations are reported by census tract to ensure the privacy and confidentiality of individual site owners.

## Files and variables

#### File: Lafayette_soil_heavy_metals_dataset.xlsx

**Description:** Sampling: composite **topsoil 0–2.5 cm**; 2021–2023; public and private sites across the five land-use types.

* Preparation/analysis: oven-dried, ground, <2 mm; measured with pXRF (90 s exposure).
* Reporting: values are by **census tract** to protect privacy; zeros mark **below detection limit**.

##### Variables

* **Census tract** — U.S. Census tract ID used to group sampling locations (coordinates withheld for privacy).
* **Soil sample location** — Micro-site context within the tract (e.g., house foundation, street side, open space, garden).
* **Cr** — C..., ,