Soil Testing

Federal and state regulatory agencies require minimum clean-up levels before property ownership can be transferred or construction undertaken. These levels can be specific to the intended use, whether commercial or residential, and are intended to reduce the potential for human exposure to soil contaminants, either through direct ingestion, inhalation or absorption through the skin.

SGS Soil Testing Services

Using state-of-the-art technology to produce accurate and reliable data, our soil analysis experts can test your soil samples for a wide range of analytes. We have the most recent technology for rapid extraction and isolation of these analytes. Various clean-ups are used to remove interference from complex matrices and provide the most accurate and reliable data.

SGS's soil capabilities can analyze for the following variety of parameters:

• Semi-Volatiles
• Volatiles
• Pesticides
• Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)
• Metals
• Perfluorinated compounds
• General chemistry (such as Cyanide, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Hexavalent Chromium, etc.)
• Dioxins and furans
• Asbestos
• Explosives

Risk-Based Remediation Goals (RBRGs) for contaminated land in Hong Kong

In Hong Kong, the Environmental Protection Department has introduced RBRGs to support a more targeted and effective approach to land remediation. These goals consider site-specific factors, such as exposure pathways and future land use, to help stakeholders prioritize risks and optimize cleanup strategies.

RBRGs have been developed for 54 chemicals of concern (COCs), categorized as follows:

• Volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) – 13 substances
• Semi-volatile organic chemicals (SVOCs) – 19 substances
• Metals – 15 substances
• Dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) – 2 substances
• Petroleum carbon ranges – 3 groups
• Other inorganic compounds – 1 substance
• Organometallics – 1 substance

We help you align remediation targets, applying this framework to help reduce environmental and financial liabilities, streamline regulatory approvals, increase public trust and ensure safe, sustainable reuse of brownfield sites across Hong Kong.

Why choose SGS?

With a global network of environment, health and safety specialists, backed by a network of accredited laboratories, SGS provides efficient, accurate results in accordance with your project objectives. The data we provide will help you make quality decisions designed to aid your business and to help protect the environment and human health.

To learn more about soil testing services, contact your local SGS office.