Soil Testing for Heavy Metals (Lead, Arsenic, Copper, Zinc) $0 + Postage @ Soilsafe Aotearoa (University of Auckland)

Deal Price: FREE (plus cost of postage)

Found this great initiative for anyone in NZ who is curious about what's actually in their garden soil. Professional soil testing for heavy metals usually costs upwards of $150+, but Soilsafe Aotearoa (run by the University of Auckland) offers it for free as part of a citizen science project.

What you get:

• Screening of up to 5 soil samples from your property.
• Tests for concentrations of Lead, Arsenic, Copper, and Zinc.
• An individualized report emailed to you (usually within 8 weeks) comparing your results to national soil standards.

How to do it:

1. Register: Go to the SoilSafe website and enter your email to get a unique Sample ID.
2. Collect: Gather a cricket-ball-sized amount of soil from up to 5 areas (e.g., veggie garden, front yard, "dripline" under the eaves).
3. Bag & Label: Use non-compostable zip-lock bags and label them with your ID and location (A, B, C, etc.).
4. Post: Send your samples to the School of Environment in Auckland.
   
   • Note: You do have to pay for the postage/courier to send the samples to them.

Why do it?

If you have an older house (pre-1980s), there is a higher risk of lead from old paint or leaded petrol residue in the soil. It's especially worth doing if you have young kids playing in the dirt or if you grow your own veggies.

A few caveats:
* They do not test for nutrients (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, etc.) or pH levels. This is purely for heavy metal contamination.
* It is a research project, so your (anonymized) data helps map soil quality across NZ.
* Turnaround time is about 8 weeks, so don't expect results overnight!