Soil samples can be taken at any time of the year, although spring and fall sampling are usually the most convenient. Separate samples should be collected from areas that differ in soil texture, soil color, the kinds of plants previously grown, and previous applications of fertilizer, organic amendments, and lime. Samples are most easily collected using a soil tube, soil auger, or a garden trowel or spade. Soil samples can be taken with either disturbed or undisturbed stratification. The former are those which are taken without maintaining the natural structure. Undisturbed samples are removed from the earth carefully using a cutting cylinder so that the structure is retained. The size of a soil sample depends on the test procedure to be used and is generally between 0.3 and 1 kg.

Soil Testing is an important tool in crop production and a key to the development of efficient nutrient management systems. Soil testing measures plant nutrients in soil, how acid soil is and its organic matter content. Soil testing involves two steps such as to collect a soil sample from the lawn and to send it to a laboratory for analysis.

Soil vapor extraction is referred to as soil venting, vacuum extraction and volatilization or enhanced volatilization. The growing interest in this technology for removing volatile compounds is due primarily to the ease with which SVE system can be installed and operated to achieve removal of volatile organic contaminants from the surface. It embraces two fundamental concepts first, the contaminants must be transformed into a vapor form and second, the vapor must be able to move through the subsurface and be extracted. It has the potential for treating large volumes of soil at reasonable costs, in comparison to other available technologies. They are easy to install and use standard, readily available equipment. This allow for rapid mobilization and implementation of re-medical activities. It has many advantages that make this technology applicable to a broad spectrum of contaminated sites.

Soil vapor surveys can be used for a number of purposes, including initial site screening, site assessment/characterization, risk assessments, remediation & post-remediation monitoring and ongoing monitoring. Three principal methods exist for collecting soil vapor data: active, passive, and flux chambers. The active approach consists of the withdrawal of an aliquot of soil vapor from he subsurface, typically with a sampling probe, followed by analysis of the withdrawn vapor. The passive approach consists of the emplacement of an adsorbent into the subsurface and subsequent removal and analysis of the adsorbent. Flux chambers consist of an enclosed chamber that is placed on the surface for a specific period of time.