PFAS in soil, water and waste, answered plainly
The questions site owners, waste managers and consultants put to us first. Where the answer depends on your regulator, the regulation page lists the instruments, state by state.
What is a verified endpoint for PFAS contamination?
An endpoint is the point at which a site meets the criterion that applies to it: the soil, water or waste is shown by independent laboratory results to satisfy the value your regulator sets for its intended use or disposal. It is verified when the results come from a NATA-accredited laboratory, treated samples have untreated pairs, and the record is prepared for the independent auditor you appoint.
What is the PFAS NEMP, and does it apply to my site?
The PFAS National Environmental Management Plan (PFAS NEMP) is the national guidance for investigating, assessing and managing PFAS, published by the Heads of EPAs Australia and New Zealand. The current version is 3.1, released on 2 June 2026. It is applied through each state and territory regulator, so the criterion for your site is set by your regulator's instruments, informed by the NEMP. See the instruments by jurisdiction.
Is PFAS-affected soil hazardous waste, and can it go to landfill?
It depends on the jurisdiction and on the soil's total and leachable PFAS results. Each state and territory sets classification and landfill acceptance criteria consistent with the NEMP, and a classification letter based on NATA-accredited results decides the class. Where leachable PFAS drives the class, a treatment that binds the PFAS can change the outcome in some jurisdictions. Our desk screen tells you whether that applies to your soil.
Can PFAS be removed from soil, or only bound?
Most proven soil treatments bind PFAS in place with a sorbent such as activated carbon so that it no longer leaches; the PFAS stays in the soil and is reported as bound, not removed. Removal processes exist, mostly for excavated soil, and we claim removal only where a mass balance and NATA-accredited results show it. Our own removal process is in development, with pilot sites sought.
How long does a screen or a treatability test take, and what does it cost?
A one-page desk screen of reports you already hold comes back within one working day. A written site screen follows within five working days of the call, at a fixed fee quoted before we start. A treatability test on your own soil reports within three weeks of the sample arriving, with laboratory certificates attached; it is quoted once we know the soil and the number of candidate treatments. Fees and times.
Who verifies the result, and who audits it?
Analysis is by NATA-accredited laboratories, and you receive their certificates of analysis. Where the law requires a statutory audit, it is carried out by a site contamination auditor accredited by your state or territory regulator and appointed by you, never by us. We prepare the records the auditor needs and never audit our own work.
Do you work outside South Australia, and on water as well as soil?
Yes. We work across Australia, reading your data against the criterion set by the regulator in your state or territory. The work covers PFAS in soil, in water and leachate, and in waste: screening, treatability testing, specification and verification. Water and leachate.
What should I send for a desk screen?
Whichever of these you have: the classification letter, the laboratory reports with total and leachable PFAS results, the tonnage or volume, and your current disposal quote. If the soil has not been characterised yet, say so, and the first step becomes a sampling plan instead. Documents can follow under a non-disclosure agreement. Send what you have.
Next step
Send us what you have
The classification letter, the laboratory reports, the tonnage and your current disposal quote, or whichever of them you hold. A reply within one working day, in confidence.