Short answer, yes, it can remain in soil attached to root vegetables and be taken up into the tubers themselves, less so with leaf material, and further less so

Short answer, yes, it can remain in soil attached to root vegetables and be taken up into the tubers themselves, less so with leaf material, and further less so with fruits. It depends on the concentration of lead in the soil, the type of soil, and so on. The primary worry is soil-dust contaminated with lead, which can go airborne. " Do not grow leafy vegetables or root or tuber crops (carrots, potatoes, beets, turnips) in lead-contaminated soils. Grow them in raised beds filled with clean soil, where the clean soil cannot become contaminated with paint flakes, chips, or dust. Fruits that are marketed as vegetables, such as tomatoes, peppers, beans, cucumbers, and squash, may be grown in lead-contaminated soils will not accumulate significant concentrations of lead. The primary risk of lead consumption from eating a plant grown in a lead-contaminated soil is from ingesting lead-rich soil that adheres to the surface of the plant. Therefore, washing and peeling greatly reduces the risk of ingesting lead deposited on surfaces of vegetables and fruits "[0] [0]http://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8424.pdf http://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8424.pdf