Soil Testing Laboratory

When soil testing is needed

• Before a transaction. Undisclosed contamination transfers with the land, and remediation cost is rarely small - see environmental due diligence
• For environmental clearance. Soil characteristics form part of the baseline in an EIA study
• After a spill or leak. To establish extent and depth before deciding on remediation
• Around storage and waste areas. Where tanks, drum yards and hazardous waste storage sit, as ongoing assurance

Parameters we analyse

• Heavy metals - lead, cadmium, chromium including hexavalent, mercury, arsenic, nickel, zinc
• Total petroleum hydrocarbons and oil and grease
• pH, electrical conductivity, cation exchange capacity, organic carbon
• Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and micronutrients for agricultural assessment
• Texture, bulk density, porosity and permeability

Sampling decides the answer

Soil contamination is rarely uniform. It concentrates around the source and moves with the water table, so a single surface sample from a convenient corner tells you almost nothing. We sample on a grid across the area of interest, at multiple depths, with the depth profile chosen from the suspected source and the local water table - which is what makes the result defensible if it is ever challenged.