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Soil testing provides analytical information that can help environmental consultants, industrial facilities, landowners, agricultural operations and project teams evaluate soil chemistry, contamination, nutrients, microbiological activity and other site-specific conditions.
PBR Laboratories provides soil testing support from Edmonton for projects throughout Alberta, Western Canada and Canada. Depending on the site, material and decision being made, testing may include:
The appropriate testing program depends on the site history, soil matrix, suspected contaminants, sampling plan and decision the results need to support.
Soil testing measures selected chemical, microbiological or compositional characteristics of a submitted soil sample.
Testing may support questions such as:
A laboratory result applies to the submitted sample. How confidently it represents a larger site depends on where, how and why the sample was collected. PBR’s decision framework specifically identifies representative sampling as critical when laboratory results support site or lot-level decisions.
Environmental soil testing can support:
Testing may involve soil chemistry, petroleum hydrocarbons, metals and environmental microbiology depending on the project.
Agricultural soil testing can provide analytical information about:
These results can support soil characterization and agricultural management decisions. PBR should not imply that it provides agronomic fertilizer recommendations unless that service is separately verified.
Soil chemistry testing characterizes chemical conditions in a submitted soil sample.
PBR's documented soil capabilities include parameters such as:
These parameters can support environmental, agricultural, industrial and reclamation decisions.
What decisions can soil chemistry results support?
Results may help characterize:
soil condition → salinity/sodicity → nutrient status → contaminant investigation → remediation or management decisions
Explore Soil Chemistry Testing →
Environmental soil contamination testing evaluates soil for parameters relevant to suspected or known site impacts.
Potential testing areas can include:
When is environmental soil testing useful?
Testing may support:
The required analytical program should be based on the site's history and the decision the results need to support.
Explore Environmental Soil Contamination Testing →
Microbiological testing can provide information about microbial populations relevant to environmental systems and selected remediation investigations.
PBR's existing environmental microbiology capability includes areas such as:
PBR's documented service catalogue also includes several bacterial activity response tests for water and soil matrices.
What can soil microbiology help investigate?
Depending on the project, microbiological testing may contribute to questions involving:
Explore Soil Microbiology Testing →
Petroleum hydrocarbon testing can support investigations involving fuel, oil or other hydrocarbon impacts to soil.
PBR's current soil service information identifies petroleum hydrocarbon testing among its soil chemistry capabilities.
Testing may support:
What does an elevated hydrocarbon result mean?
An elevated result indicates the concentration measured in the submitted sample and must be interpreted against the applicable project criteria, site context and sampling location.
It does not by itself establish the full extent of contamination.
Additional sampling may be needed to determine:
Explore Petroleum Hydrocarbon Testing in Soil →
Metals testing can support environmental investigations, baseline characterization and selected agricultural or industrial applications.
Depending on the project and method, metals may be evaluated to help answer:
Does detecting a metal mean soil is contaminated?
Not automatically.
A measured concentration needs to be interpreted in the context of:
Explore Metals Testing in Soil →
Agricultural soil testing can provide analytical information about soil conditions relevant to crop, land and nutrient-management decisions.
PBR's documented soil chemistry capabilities include:
What can these results help determine?
Testing can support evaluation of:
Laboratory data should be interpreted alongside the intended agricultural or land-use decision.
Explore Agricultural Soil & Nutrient Testing →
These parameters deserve a dedicated authority section because they answer different questions.
Soil pH
pH indicates whether the submitted soil is acidic, neutral or alkaline under the applicable method. It can influence chemical behaviour and nutrient availability.
Electrical Conductivity
Electrical conductivity provides information related to the soluble ionic content of the soil extract and is commonly used in evaluating salinity-related conditions.
Sodium Adsorption Ratio
Sodium adsorption ratio provides information related to the relative amount of sodium compared with calcium and magnesium. It can be useful in evaluating sodicity-related concerns.
Are salinity and sodicity the same?
No.
They are related but distinct soil conditions and may require different analytical parameters for interpretation.
Related Resource: Soil pH, Electrical Conductivity, SAR & Salinity Explained →
PBR's documented soil chemistry capabilities include total:
These measurements can contribute to soil characterization and agricultural or environmental evaluations.
What does a nutrient result mean?
The result describes the amount measured in the submitted sample under the applicable analytical method.
Interpretation depends on:
Related Resource: Understanding Soil Nutrient Test Results →
An elevated soil result means the laboratory measured a concentration or value above the reference or criterion being used for that project.
It does not automatically identify:
Those questions may require additional investigation and sampling.
The next step should be based on:
result → site history → sample location → applicable criteria → investigation objective
Related Resource: What to Do After an Elevated Soil Test Result →
One laboratory sample represents one specific portion of a site.
For environmental investigations, sampling design can determine whether the results are useful for understanding the broader site.
Common sampling problems include:
PBR's decision framework emphasizes representative sampling, proper containers, preservation, matrix suitability and the intended decision as critical workflow considerations.
Ask PBR about sample requirements before collecting environmental soil samples.
Soil contamination does not always remain confined to soil.
Depending on the contaminant, site conditions and project objective, an investigation may also need to consider:
PBR's Environmental Water services provide a natural cross-link for projects where soil and water results need to be considered together.
Environmental consultants may use soil laboratory results to support:
The most useful testing program begins by defining:
Explore Soil Testing for Environmental Consultants & Site Assessment →
Industrial and energy sites may require soil testing where operations, historical activities or releases create potential environmental concerns.
Relevant analyses may include:
Explore Industrial Soil Testing →
Environmental soil testing can help investigate historical land use and possible contamination before or during development.
PBR's analytical soil services are focused on environmental and chemical testing. They should not be represented as geotechnical engineering services unless those capabilities are separately verified.
Potential environmental testing may include:
Explore Environmental Soil Testing for Land Development →
Soil testing can support different stages of a remediation or reclamation project.
A typical analytical workflow may include:
Initial characterization → Identify contaminants → Evaluate distribution → Remediation or reclamation activity → Follow-up sampling → Review analytical results
Relevant testing may include soil chemistry, hydrocarbons, metals and environmental microbiology depending on the project.
PBR Laboratories provides soil testing support from Edmonton for environmental consultants, industrial facilities, land-development projects, agricultural clients and other organizations throughout Alberta.
Testing can be selected around:
Looking for soil testing in Alberta? Speak with PBR about the site, sample matrix and analytical objective.
PBR supports soil testing projects throughout Western Canada where environmental, agricultural or industrial decisions require analytical soil data.
Clients can contact PBR to discuss:
PBR provides analytical support for soil-testing projects across Canada.
The appropriate testing program should be designed around:
site or land-use objective → sampling plan → analytical parameters → laboratory result → project decision
This reflects PBR's core positioning as a laboratory that helps clients understand results and make informed decisions rather than simply receive analytical data.
PBR supports soil chemistry, environmental contamination testing, selected petroleum hydrocarbon and metals testing, environmental microbiology, agricultural soil chemistry and nutrient-related analysis for applicable soil matrices. Specific methods and sample requirements should be confirmed for the project.
Yes. PBR supports environmental soil testing where chemical, hydrocarbon, metals or other contamination concerns need to be investigated.
PBR's soil service information includes petroleum hydrocarbon testing among its soil chemistry capabilities. The appropriate analysis should be selected according to the suspected contaminant and project requirement.
PBR provides metals testing for applicable soil matrices. The required metal list and analytical method should be confirmed against the project objectives.
Yes. PBR's documented environmental microbiology capabilities include several bacterial groups relevant to environmental and soil investigations, depending on the matrix and objective.
Yes. PBR's documented soil chemistry capabilities include pH, electrical conductivity, nutrient-related parameters, sodium adsorption ratio, cation exchange capacity, total organic carbon and major ions.
Salinity generally relates to soluble salts, while sodicity relates to the relative amount of sodium in the soil system. Electrical conductivity and sodium adsorption ratio provide different information and should not be treated as interchangeable.
The number and location of samples depend on the site size, soil variability, suspected contamination, sampling depth and decision the results will support. Representative sampling is critical.
The verified PBR material used for this page supports environmental, chemical and microbiological soil testing. It does not establish broad geotechnical engineering services such as bearing-capacity or Atterberg-limit testing.
Yes. PBR is based in Edmonton and supports clients throughout Alberta, Western Canada and Canada.
Tell PBR:
PBR can discuss available soil testing, matrix considerations and sample requirements before submission.