Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hi,
My name is Megan and I am looking to find a lab where i can send in samples of soil to measure carbon content and other nutrients in the soil. It would be really helpful anyone knows about any good labs for this!

Dear meganmendonca,

This sounds like you are working on an interesting project! As for labs that analyze soil samples for carbon, there are many out there, but they can charge hefty fees for such services. As an example, here are a few labs that can analyze carbon content for about $25-$30/sample.

https://midwestlab.com/elemental-analys ... n-testing/
https://www.microana.com/elemental-analysis-price.htm
https://www.elementalanalysis.com/chno.html

There are many other analytical service labs out there though. For measuring carbon content in soil, you will probably want a lab that does dry combustion (elemental analysis) or loss on ignition services. To find them, you can use Google to search for "CHN combustion service" or "elemental analysis services." You should find both commercial and university laboratories that provide this service.

If you live near a university, it might be possible to have your samples analyzed there. Just search for the name of the nearby university and "research facilities" or "research equipment." The university webpage usually has a list of these service facilities on campus. You could also reach out to the chemistry department to see if they can point you in the right direction.

If you contact a commercial laboratory, let them know that you are doing a science fair project, and they might be able to provide you with discounted services.

Hope this is helpful! Feel free to follow up with more questions if I was unclear.

Best of luck!
Dr. Christina Payne

Thank you so much. I will definitely look into this.