1. Always wear gloves and goggles to protect your hands and eyes from harmful chemicals.

2. Note which chemicals in the test kit are especially hazardous and be careful not to spill them.  Be especially cautious of the chemicals with the skull and crossbones symbol.

3. If chemicals come into contact with skin, flush the area of the skin with water for at least 45 seconds.  Depending on the warning on the bottle, take other precautions if necessary. 

4. Always keep caps on chemicals when not in use to avoid spills.

5. Make sure to have a glass of tap water available to soak transfer pipettes in between uses. 

6. Wash the filter after each extraction.

7. Create necessary data tables before beginning to test.

8. Test all soil samples of one round at the same time to get the most reliable data.

9. To perform calcium tests, we suggest using the LaMotte STH-14 Chemical Test Kit.  This can be ordered at http://www.lamotte.com/pages/soil/modelsth.html

Outside:

1. Label all plastic bags and flags on both sides with a Sharpie before going outside to avoid the labels wearing off.

2. Wear long pants and use bug spray to keep mosquitoes, ticks, and other biting insects off your body. 

3. Bring water or locate a nearby stream to wash the soil core after each sample is collected.

4. If you are having difficulty getting the soil core in the ground, use a mallet to further the depth of the core.  Soil cores are fragile and may become damaged if kicked or handled roughly.

The background on this page is from: http://s226.photobucket.com/albums/dd93/beccalambson/Nature/?action=view&current=vector-bamboo-seamless-background-0.png&sort=ascending

The skull picture on this page is from: http://members.greenpeace.org/blog/greenpeaceusa_blog/2009/06/15/industry_lobbyists_stall_critical_chemic

The sharpie picture on this page is from: http://www.danettesdesignscrafts.com/Beadingsuppliesandthings.html

The soil corer picture on this page is from: http://www.biconet.com/testing/ep.html