Microbiology Examination
Pathogens like E.coli and salmonella are dangerous and can make us quite sick. And they can come from a variety of sources including raw or improperly composted manure, irrigation water containing untreated sewage or manure and contaminated washing water. Dog, human or cat faeces is another common source. Some of these can survive for extended periods stretching to years but it is difficult to say precisely how long they will exist in soil. The Safe Soil UK Microbiology Examination will deliver the following:
- Enumeration of E.coli
- Enumeration of Clostridium perfringens
- Enumeration of Faecal Streptococci
- Enumeration of Salmonella sp
Please allow an extra week for the turnaround of the lab analysis of this suite or two to three weeks.
Note: Bacteria, including the above, occur naturally in water and soil and, as such, there are no thresholds in place for acceptable levels vis à vis human health, though we try to illustrate and contextualise levels in a given sample by outlining naturally occurring ranges in soils.
Shipping info:
We will send you a testing kit that includes a soil sample bag, instructions on how to take a sample from your growing space. When you're done, place the two-thirds full sample bag back in the box that will have a pre-paid postage address label already affixed, seal it and pop the package into a Royal Mail post box or drop it off at a local post office.