Toxic soil find: Parklands playground closed after soil contamination found by Adelaide City Council

A POPULAR playground in the city parklands has been closed because of soil contamination discovered by Adelaide City Council.

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A POPULAR playground in the city parklands has been closed because of soil contamination discovered by Adelaide City Council.

The contaminated soil — containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons including the carcinogen benzene — was found in the Park 15 play space, in the Parklands near Wakefield Rd and East Tce.

Two soil samples exceeded guidelines and the park is expected to be shut for at least another fortnight until the results of further testing are known.

Lord Mayor Martin Haese said the council “acted swiftly” and closed the park as soon as the contamination issue was discovered.

“I’m satisfied council administration moved very quickly on this and closed the playground immediately and notified all the relevant stakeholders including (nearby) Christian Brothers College,” he said.

The playground was regularly used by the school’s junior campus before the closure.

The council’s corporate manager for infrastructure management, Phil Burton, told the Adelaide Park Lands Authority on Thursday that the contamination could pose a health risk if it escaped the soil and people using the park came into contact with it.

He said the contaminated area posed a “higher than average” risk of contact because of the number of children using the playground.

The compounds could potentially be absorbed through the skin or become airborne.

Benzene occurs naturally in crude oil and is a widely used industrial chemical, but it has been linked to an increased chance of cancer.

A council spokeswoman said, in a statement, it was “unlikely” that members of the public who have used the park were put in danger.

The contaminated soil was found in the Park 15 play space in the Parklands near Wakefield Rd and East Tce.

“Based on the specialist advice received to date, it is unlikely that members of the public who have accessed and used the park have been exposed to unacceptable levels of risk,” she said.

“What it does mean, is that it is important that additional work is undertaken to fully understand the contamination at the site so that we can implement appropriate measures to fully remediate the environment and ensure there is no risk of any future exposures,” she said.

“While this work is undertaken, access to the Park 15 play space has been temporarily closed.”

The soil samples were taken as part of council works to determine a new location for an upgraded playground set to be installed next year.

Mr Burton said the contamination likely occurred many decades ago when parts of the Park were filled or through old street-sweeping practices.

The cause of the contamination is yet to be determined.

The playground is in the middle of the old Adelaide Formula 1 Grand Prix circuit

The playground is in the middle of the old Adelaide Formula 1 Grand Prix circuit, which was used between 1985 and 1995, near a section used by support categories as a pit area.

The testing will determine whether the council decides to relocate the park or remediate the current site, which could include the removal of soil and capping the area to prevent future exposure to the public.