For the most part, discussions about asbestos centre around fibrous roof sheets, popcorn ceiling, or that suspicious-looking insulation in the attic. Property owners tend to think of it as almost exclusively a “building” problem, but in New Zealand, asbestos can just as easily be a ground problem.
Wherever you are in the course of caring for your property, whether that be acquisition, renovation, or demolition, understanding asbestos soil testing in NZ is vital. While it helps you to tick a box for the council, it also does something far more important. It ensures the earth you’re moving, the landscaping you’re planning, and the very dirt your kids will play on is safe.
So, let’s unpack this less-commonly understood aspect of asbestos sample testing: soil. Why it’s necessary, when you need it, and how asbestos even ends up in the soil in the first place.
How does asbestos end up in the soil?
It seems strange that a mineral used in building products would end up buried in the earth, but it happens more often than you’d think. In many older New Zealand properties, asbestos was simply part of the landscape.
Sometimes it’s the result of a “she’ll be right” demolition job from thirty years ago, where offcuts were buried on-site to save a trip to the tip. Other times, it’s because of historic fires or even just the slow weathering of unsealed asbestos fences and cladding over decades. Because asbestos doesn’t break down or “rot” like wood, those tiny fibres stay exactly where they landed until the soil is disturbed.
Why should you be concerned?
The good news is, you don’t necessarily need to test every square inch dirt on your property to be safe. That said, there are a few specific scenarios in which asbestos soil testing in NZ should become a priority for you.
- Before you initiate any earthworks. If you’re putting in an extension, a new pool, or any major earthworks on a property that went up before 2000, it’s important to test the soil first. It’s much cheaper to find and remove deposits of asbestos before the digger arrives than it is to stop a project halfway through because you’ve uncovered something suspicious.
- After demolition. While asbestos testing inside the property is important prior to demolition, asbestos soil testing in NZ is best done once demolition is complete.
- If you’re buying or selling and you don’t have an asbestos test on record for your soil already, it’s a good idea to provide that as an environmental cleanliness report for interested buyers.
- If you can see visible debris, like small greyish “cement-like” fragments in your garden beds after a heavy rain, that is a major red flag that needs professional eyes.
If any of these circumstances describe your current property situation, it’s well worth investing in asbestos soil testing in NZ to make sure you’re moving forward safely. There are some circumstances where you might be tempted to skip this step, but we must re-emphasise that this is vitally important.
Why asbestos soil testing in NZ is always worth it:
If we were to boil it down, the “why” of asbestos sample testing in New Zealand soil comes down to two things: health and liability.
Asbestos in the soil is relatively safe as long as it is buried and damp. But if that soil dries out and someone starts digging, mowing, or playing in it, things get dangerous quickly. The disturbance kicks up microscopic fibres into the air where they can be inhaled, causing long-term health issues like asbestosis or mesothelioma.
From a legal standpoint, New Zealand’s health and safety regulations are very clear. If you are a homeowner, you need to have asbestos samples tested before starting any significant renovations.
If you are a property developer or business owner, you have an even greater duty of care to ensure the site is safe. If asbestos is discovered during a project and hasn’t been managed correctly, the fines and the cost of decontaminating machinery can be astronomical.
How we keep soil testing accurate:
When we perform asbestos sample testing, we’re looking for asbestos in your soil at the microscopic level. This involves taking representative samples from different depths and locations across your entire property.
Then, we take these samples to a controlled lab environment to be analysed using high-powered microscopes. We look for two different things:
- Bonded asbestos, which are the bigger pieces, are more identifiable as material or ACM.
- Friable asbestos, which is the loose fibres or material likely to release fibres when disturbed.
Depending on what we find, your soil will need to be treated differently. We’ll make specific recommendations for how to handle any asbestos we find (if, indeed, we find any at all). For example, some might need to be isolated, while others need to be professionally removed.
At the end of the day, the number one thing we want to give you with any asbestos soil testing in NZ is certainty. It lets you move forward with your renovation, demolition, or extension without that nagging “what if” in the back of your mind, or long-term health conditions lurking in the shadows.
Take the time to get a soil test and be sure your land is safe to work on. You will never regret it!
Partner with the experts in asbestos soil testing in NZ.
We are Consultex Labs, your team of professional soil samplers and analysts. Whether you’re renovating or subdividing, our IANZ-accredited laboratory has technicians ready to provide a 24-hour turnaround on an asbestos soil test.
Book your soil sampling and testing today.