Soil Toxicity

Soil from Topanga / Calabasas, CA (XRF test results, March 2019).

Note: IF you are sending me soil samples to test, please follow the instructions on the link below very carefully and please send no more than one teaspoon to one tablespoon of soil per sample. When larger amounts of soil are sent, especially when surface soil is intermingled with soil under the surface, the readings are…

Soil from Southern California (XRF Test Results – February 2019).

Someone sent me some soil to test, and I thought I would share the results here with all of you! Although most of the items sent in by folks for me to test are household consumer goods, I often get soil samples to test for families with concerns about toxicants in their yard (or garden,…

Study: Remediating Soil Lead with Fish Bones, January 2012

“Fish bones are made of the phosphate mineral apatite, which readily combines with lead to form pyromorphite, a stable crystalline mineral that can’t be absorbed by the human digestive system.1,2 Now researchers are using fish bones and other phosphate-rich amendments to remediate lead in urban soils. “We have seen reduction in bioaccessibility in some lab…

You tested my soil, what do the results mean? How do I interpret the data? Is my soil safe?

Click here to read my post about soil testing. You may hear “experts” say that all soil has some amount of lead in it today, in the post-industrial revolution modern era. This is simply not true. I have personally tested countless soil samples from around the country that were completely negative (non-detect / ND) for lead,…