Soilsafe Aotearoa is a nationwide community-oriented programme focusing on the quality of domestic soil. It was launched in early 2021 and is run through the School of Environment at the University of Auckland in partnership with GNS Science. The launch of Soilsafe was supported by Mark Taylor and his team at Macquarie University (Sydney), where a similar programme, Vegesafe, has been running since 2013, facilitating the analysis of over 4000 Australian home soils for metals and metalloids. Significant efforts were dedicated to the development of the programme in New Zealand and its adaptation to our communities. In addition to the soil testing programme, Soilsafe includes a strong social science component. https://soilsafe.auckland.ac.nz/
We will present the first results of the domestic soil survey that includes the analysis of Arsenic (As), Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr), Copper (Cu), Manganese (Mn), Nickel (Ni), Lead (Pb) and Zinc (Zn) for up to five locations per participating home. Exceedances relative to the NZ National Soil Standard values will be discussed, and results will be compared to those previously obtained in Australia and the US.
Soilsafe also runs a series of mixed-method projects that capture diverse community attitudes, or ‘values’, on soil. A questionnaire and photo elicitation study are currently available in both te reo Māori and English, asking about domestic and community gardening habits before and during Covid-19 lockdowns, and values of care and concern for soil.
Soilsafe Aotearoa works at the intersection of environmental and human sciences, studying the soil and the people that interact with it. The aim of Soilsafe is to raise public awareness about the importance of soil health and empower people to reduce exposure to contaminants when needed. This requires interdisciplinary approaches and co-design with our communities to address the issues that are relevant to them.