Testing Soil For Dangerous Parasites & Bacteria

If you yard is has been or is being used as a bathroom by dogs there is a good chance that the soil may be contaminated with parasites and bacterial that could adversely impact human health.

Studies have been done of public parks showing that as many as 40% may contain several intestinal parasites.

*One study where intestinal parasites were identified in 27 parks (40.3%), which were contaminated with Giardia (19.4%), microsporidia (19.4%), Toxocara (16.4%), Cryptosporidium (6%), Entamoeba histolytica (3%) and Ancylostomidae (3%).

Of course, public parks don't have the extremely high concentration of fecal matter that an average back yard would endure having dogs pooping in it daily. Depending on the size of the yard and the frequency of dog poop the levels of parasites or bacteria could be extremely high.

Soil is a known source of contamination for children who often ingest the soil or contract the parasites and bacteria through contact with their skin. Children often live with these parasites for years without knowing until more serious heath conditions arise.

It is never a good idea to have children playing in an area where dogs are allowed to poop.

Also at very high risk is anyone that has a back yard garden, because dog poop is not fertilizer, it is a bio hazard and contains pathogens that people need to avoid. Allowing dog poop to wash into the soil makes the soil potentially dangerous to handle.

If you are buying a home or having your children play in a yard that was occupied by dogs then we suggest having the lawn disinfected as a precaution. The cost is usually under $150 and give you a piece of mind knowing that any fecal matter left by previous residents has been neutralized.

To find out if your lawn is safe, we can extract soil samples and check for parasites and bacteria.

Bacteria levels can be checked on site but to identify the specific types of bacteria in the lawn will require sending samples back to our lab for testing.

Because of the high lab costs involved in testing and low cost of yard disinfecting, many home owners opt for the lawn disinfecting service as a preventative measure a couple of times a year.

The cost of soil testing will vary based on the size of the yard, the type of soil and grass and any obstacles in the yard that might prevent access to needed sample areas. Larger yards require more samples to get accurate results taking more lab time to process each sample.

Samples can be collected by any of our Dog Poop Techs and results can be returned in approximately 2 weeks. Once we know what types of parasites we are dealing with, we can suggest the best treatment method.

Soil testing will not confirm that you do not have parasites in the soil, only that you do have parasites. Because parasites can be isolated in areas that were not tested, however if parasites are found, you know for sure you have a problem that needs to be dealt with if you are allowing children to use the yard. Knowing there are flea eggs in the soil will tell you that disinfectant is not going to be enough, the lawn will need to be treated with pesticides as well.

Of course every yard has parasites, bugs and bacteria, but we are talking about intestinal parasites and zoonotic parasites that can be dangerous to human health.

We are looking for zoonotic parasites such as whipworm, hookworm, and Ascaris are known as soil-transmitted helminths (parasitic worms) as well as flea eggs, parvo virus and other pathogens that can endanger you or your pets.

In severe cases, the only way to get rid of the contamination is to remove the entire top level of soil and replace it. This sometimes becomes necessary if contaminated dog poop was left on the soil to wash away naturally into the soil without being picked up.

The impact of dog poop on soil, water and human health is not in debate. It is dangerous, creates a health hazard and contaminates drinking water. Dealing with the problem will help keep your family safe and help protect the environment.

If you have reason to believe your yard is contaminated, have the soil tested and get a complete professional yard disinfecting.

* (citation needed)