Why is Dunedin's urban soil more polluted than Auckland's?

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2022-12-01 13:13

New Zealand

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Researchers studying soil pollution in Auckland found that there were lower levels of heavy metals than they expected. Despite Auckland's higher population and urban density, they found its soil was less polluted than Dunedin's. They suggest Dunedin's high proportion of pre-1970 homes with leaded paint, and the city's history of industrial production has led to more heavy metals in the ground than would normally be expected of a city with its population.