Free Soil and Toy Testing for Early Care and Education Programs

As part of the Washington Choose Safe Places program, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is proud to offer free testing for lead and arsenic that may be in the soil or toys of your early learning and education center. These contaminants are harmful to children and staff, but you can take protective actions starting with getting your soil and/or toys tested.

Lead Hazards in Toys

If you are concerned that a toy in your facility may contain lead, we encourage you to send it in for testing. Toys may be at higher risk of containing lead if:

The toy was made outside the U.S.
The toy was made before 2008
The toy is an antique or collectable
A plastic toy that has been exposed to a lot of sunlight or cleaning products

Our program does not accept antique or collectable toys for mail-in testing. If you are concerned your antique or collectable toy may contain lead, we recommend removing those toys from your facility, or bringing them to one of our in-person soilSHOP testing events. For more information, contact us at wcsp@doh.wa.gov.

Soil Hazards

Get your playground area and/or garden soil tested if:

Your child care facility was built before 1978
Your child care facility is located on or near former orchard lands or the Tacoma or Everett smelter plumes
Your child care facility is located near busy roads and highways
You have in-ground gardens or areas where children frequently play in bare soil

Collect your sample, mail it in, and get results with guidance!

Collecting a Soil Sample

What you need:

Clean container
1 new, one-quart bag for each sample
Shovel or spoon to dig up soil
Ruler or measuring tape
Marker to label sample container

Follow the steps in this video or listed below.

Step 1: Identify an area of interest for your soil sample such as children’s play area or garden.

Step 2: Collect soil – For a large area over 2,000 square feet, collect soil from 5-10 random spots in that area and combine in a clean container. For a smaller area, collect soil from 3 random spots and combine in a clean container.

Area of interest	Depth of soil to collect for each spot (inches)
Play Area	Collect all soil from the surface down to 1-2 inches deep.
Garden Area	Collect all soil from the surface down to 6-8 inches deep.

Step 3: Mix soil well in a clean container.

Step 4: Remove pebbles, rocks, roots, and then air dry. Do not use a flame, oven, or hairdryer.

Step 5: Transfer 1-2 cups of the mixed soil into a new, one-quart bag. Ensure bag is sealed closed.

Send In Your Sample and/or Toy

Fill out the Soil and Toy Screening Intake Form (PDF). Also available in Spanish (PDF).

Package all soil sample bags and/or toys with the Intake Form together and mail to:

Washington State DOH
Attn: Elmer Diaz, Central Receiving
111 Israel Rd SE
Tumwater, WA 98501

All soil samples will be discarded after testing. Toy return shipping must be prepaid and is the responsibility of the owner. DOH is not responsible for loss or damage of toys through transit and testing. Toy testing is not anticipated to cause damage.

Monthly Testing of Samples

We test all mailed-in samples during the first week of each month. Test results will be sent out by email within an estimated 5-7 business days. Along with your test results, you will receive guidance from our staff on how to interpret the results and recommendations for next steps.

Toy Test Results Guidance

If your toy sample result has detected lead and you think children have been exposed, take away the toy immediately and inform caregivers to contact their child’s healthcare provider. Most children who are exposed to lead have no symptoms. Children’s healthcare providers can recommend appropriate follow-up actions. For more information, visit the CDC Lead Hazards in Toys website.

To reduce children’s risk for lead exposure, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) tests and issues recalls of current products that may potentially expose children to lead. Check the CPSC website or call 1 (800) 638-2272 to be sure your toys are safe. You can find photos and descriptions of currently recalled toys on that website. For additional information on lead in toys, visit the CDC Lead website.

Soil Test Results Guidance

Lead and arsenic levels are measured in parts per million (ppm). Washington state requires that soil contaminated above a certain level be cleaned up because it may be harmful to health. The state clean up level for lead is 250 ppm and arsenic is 20 ppm. The Washington State Department of Ecology regulates soil contamination under the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA).

If lead and arsenic sample results are below detection: That’s great news! The soil area you have tested is safe for children to play in. No further action is required.
If lead or arsenic sample results are detected below the State Cleanup Levels: Immediate action is not required. You can still take simple Healthy Actions to reduce children and staff’s exposure to low lead and/or arsenic concentrations.
If lead or arsenic sample results are detected above the State Cleanup Levels: Children should not be exposed to the tested soil area. Take steps to prevent exposure or remediate contaminated soil. Steps may include covering the soil area or removing and replacing soil. Our team will provide guidance on options to reduce exposure to soils. If you are interested in removing contaminated soil, we will guide you to cleanup resources.