Step 5: Can I Take a Soil Test to Check for PFAS in My Garden?

Before testing:

• Gardeners may want to investigate the history of their garden (visit Step 2: Are There PFAS Compounds Already in My Garden?). The state plans to test all sites that had licensed sewage sludge applications, prioritizing the highest risk sites first, over the course of the next few years. More information on Maine’s PFAS testing timeline: Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) page (Maine Department of Environmental Protection website).

If you want to take your own soil sample for PFAS, there are some things you should know:

• The UMaine Soil Lab does not currently test for PFAS.
• Instructions for collecting and submitting your own soil sample are available from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection: visit A Home Owners Guide to Soil Sampling for PFAS. The cost is around $400 – $500 per sample.
• For help reading your PFAS soil test results, Appendix E and Appendix F of the Guide to Investigating PFAS Risk on Your Farm (UMaine Extension Agriculture). Please keep in mind that there are no health-based soil guidelines to compare your results against. So, interpreting your results will be tricky.

To direct questions to University of Maine Cooperative Extension, please email: extension.PFASQuestions@maine.edu

Proceed to Step 6: What Can I Do if My Soil is Contaminated with PFAS? →