Free/low cost dust and soil testing - Citizen science via EPA and Macquarie University. Xpost Gardening Australia
Free/low cost dust and soil testing - Citizen science via EPA and Macquarie University. Xpost Gardening Australia
VegeSafe and DustSafe are community science participation programs run by Environmental Science staff at Macquarie University.
Basically Macquarie University and the EPA are partnering in citizen science programs to receive soil and dust samples for testing. This is to provide them with data around contamination from lead and other metals, and in return you receive a report about the safety of your soil/household dust and what to do if the levels are unsafe.
VegeSafe through the Environmental Science staff at Macquarie University is open to all Australians and they request a donation starting at $20. Victorians are encouraged to use GardenSafe.
GardenSafe through the EPA is geared at Victorians, apparently has some extras and is free other than the postage to submit soil samples.
DustSafe tests household dust. They have testing facilities in England, Australia and USA, and ask for a donation starting at $20.
That top link again, to see all three programs and submit samples
Edit: Soil contamination also affects backyard chickens and their eggs.
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I did VegeSafe last year after reading an article about the potential for lead concentrating in homegrown eggs and veggies. Our house (and neighbourhood ) date from the era of lead bring in paint and petrol, so I wanted to check.
Thankfully the only area of this yard that came back as a red flag was the dripline (i.e. next to the house), so we should be okay as long as we grow our food away from the building.
I haven't done mine as I've been growing in little containers.
A map I saw which I can't seem to find again suggested my spot might be low risk, however I was between points of low and high contamination. Also back when I was more capable of digging over what soil is there I found discarded chunks of concrete and building materials buried in a lazy disposal by the builders.
So that's a concern. I'm now wondering if I should have let the cat eat grass from there