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Nestwell
Anions Soil Test
8
Lab markers
15
Days until results

Anions Soil Test

Soil lab test kit

Price

$177

The anions in your soil — nitrate, chloride, sulphate — which is where fertiliser load and salt build-up become visible.

  • 30-day money-back guarantee
  • Free shipping in 3-5 business days

What’s included

  • All sampling materials
  • Easy-to-follow instructions
  • Full contaminant details for your address
  • Prepaid 2-day return shipping
  • Accredited lab network
  • Regulatory analytical methods
  • Per-location results
  • Scored against EPA + CDC standards
  • HSA/FSA eligible via TrueMed

It’s worth testing for if…

  • You are diagnosing poor growth on fertilised ground
  • Road salt or irrigation salinity is a concern
  • You want the nutrient chemistry behind a soil test

What are Inorganic compounds?

8 measurements
Anions Soil Test

The anions in soil are the chemistry behind how it behaves. Nitrate tracks fertiliser load and how much is leaching past the root zone; chloride and sulphate track salinity, from road salt, irrigation water or fertiliser salts. Salinity problems look like drought stress and are often misdiagnosed as watering problems.

How to Test

Take small scoops from a few spots across the area you care about, mix them in the bag provided, and seal it. A blend beats a single hole, because contamination in soil is patchy.

Every measurement, explained

At Nestwell, we provide science backed ranges for all the exposures in your home, allowing for personalized suggestions of in home remediation.

8 measures, 6 of them written up by our advisors. Scroll the cards to read each one.

Nitrate, fluoride, chloride, perchlorate and similar. This is the group that picks up agricultural and industrial runoff, and the one that septic systems and fertiliser show up in.

  • Nitrate (as N)

    Hazardous

    What it is

    A common water contaminant that comes from fertilizers, septic systems, and agricultural runoff.

    Can be linked to

    • Blood and bone marrow

    Dangerous for infants under 6 months — high nitrate levels can interfere with oxygen in the blood, causing 'blue baby syndrome.'

    detects to 3.5 mg/kg

  • Sulfate

    What it is

    A naturally occurring compound found in water from mineral deposits, shale, and industrial waste.

    Very high levels can cause a bitter taste and temporary digestive issues like diarrhea, especially in people not used to it.

    detects to 6.3 mg/kg

  • Bromide

    What it is

    A naturally occurring element found in saltwater and some groundwater sources.

    Not harmful itself at typical levels, but can react with disinfectants to form harmful disinfection byproducts in treated water.

    detects to 3.9 mg/kg

  • Chloride

    Hazardous

    What it is

    A naturally occurring ion found in water, often from road salt, wastewater, or natural mineral deposits.

    Can be linked to

    • Allergies and skin irritation

    Not a significant health risk at typical levels, but high chloride can give water a salty taste and corrode plumbing.

    detects to 5.88 mg/kg

  • Fluoride

    What it is

    A mineral that occurs naturally in water and is often added by water utilities to help prevent tooth decay.

    Beneficial for dental health at recommended levels, but excessive long-term exposure can cause dental or skeletal fluorosis.

    detects to 3.6 mg/kg

  • Nitrite (as N)

    Hazardous

    What it is

    A nitrogen compound that can get into water from fertilizers, sewage, and natural processes in soil.

    Can be linked to

    • Blood and bone marrow

    Nitrite is especially dangerous for infants — it can interfere with the blood's ability to carry oxygen, causing 'blue baby syndrome.'

    detects to 3.3 mg/kg

Also measured

Nitrite and Nitrate · Orthophosphate (as P)

“Detects to” is the method detection limit — the lowest concentration this kit's method can distinguish from zero. The lab may substitute an equivalent or updated method, in which case its limit may differ from the one shown.

Designed To Understand Your Whole House

A single kit answers one question properly rather than several vaguely. Whichever you start with, it is the same lab, the same methods, and the same reporting — so results from one kit sit beside results from the next, in one place, on the same scale.

Accredited labs, regulatory methods

Every sample is analyzed by an accredited environmental lab with the same methods regulatory testing uses.

Numbers with regulatory context

Results come back as a measured value next to the standard it is judged against, not just a "detected".

One box, no home visit

Everything arrives at once and we tell you both where and how to sample, no outside home inspection needed.

How Nestwell Testing Works

How Collection Works

Understand the science –›

  1. Collect

    Take small scoops from a few spots across the area you care about, mix them in the bag provided, and seal it. A blend beats a single hole, because contamination in soil is patchy.

  2. Mail

    Everything goes back in the same box with the prepaid return label. No appointment, nobody in your house, and easy to send back when convenient for you.

  3. Read

    Results land in your Nestwell dashboard in about 15 days, each scored against the standard that applies to it.

A sample bottle being filled at a kitchen tap
Wiping a surface to collect a sample
Nestwell kit boxes on a kitchen counter

Why Nestwell?

CapabilityNestwellHardware Store StripsIn Person Inspector
Samples from across your homeYesOne sample, one placeYes
Real exposure concentrationsYesPaper colour keySometimes
Accredited lab, regulatory methodsYesNoSometimes
Nobody has to come into your homeYesYesNo
Results tracked over time in one placeYesNoOne time result

A number is only useful next to its limit.

At Nestwell, we provide science backed ranges for all the exposures in your home, allowing for personalized suggestions of in home remediation.

Accredited labs only

Samples are analysed by accredited environmental laboratories using the analytical methods used for regulatory compliance work: the same reading a professional consultant would order.

Each result has a standard

A number on its own is not an answer. The EPA action level for lead in water is 15 ppb; the CDC states there is no safe level of lead exposure for children. Each finding is shown against the limit that applies to it.

Where there is no limit, we say so

The EPA sets no numeric limit for mold, and moisture control is the real remedy. Mold results are reported as what is growing and at what relative level, never as just a pass or a fail.

Medical advisors

Built with leading medical experts

Dr. Malathi Srinivasan

Dr. Malathi Srinivasan

Clinical Professor of Medicine, Primary Care and Population Health

Stanford University

“Our physical & home environment is a direct determinant of our health, and is immunoregulatory. In a year, we breathe about 6 million times, drink 250 gallons of liquid, and eat almost 2 tons of food, with hundreds of compounds interacting on our skin and immune systems. Small environmental changes make a big difference, especially in early childhood development and for vulnerable adults.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Have questions? Find answers to common customer concerns below.

What does the Anions Soil Test actually measure?

The panel runs 8 measures, covering Inorganic compounds. Every one is listed on this page with its detection limit, so you can check for a specific substance before you buy.

How do I take the sample?

Take small scoops from a few spots across the area you care about, mix them in the bag provided, and seal it. A blend beats a single hole, because contamination in soil is patchy. It takes about 10 minutes, and everything you need comes in the box.

How long until I get results?

The kit reaches you in about 3 days. Once the lab receives your sample, results appear in your Nestwell account in about 15 days. Return shipping is prepaid and included.

Who analyses the sample?

An accredited environmental laboratory, using published analytical methods — the same methods and the same labs used for regulatory and commercial testing. Nestwell does not run the analysis itself.

Why do some substances on the panel have explanations and others do not?

Our advisors have written up 6 of the 8 measures on this panel so far. The rest are still measured, reported and held to the same detection limits — they are listed under "Also measured" until the write-up exists. We would rather show you the gap than fill it with something we have not checked.

What happens if something comes back high?

Your results are shown against the relevant reference values rather than as a bare number, so you can see which measures stand out and by how much. The lab reports what it measured; it does not diagnose, and a lab result is not medical advice.

Can I pay with an HSA or FSA?

Most Nestwell kits are HSA/FSA eligible through Truemed. Eligibility is shown on the kit page at checkout, and where it applies you can pay with pre-tax dollars.

Free. 3 minutes. No card required.

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$177