Testing for Heavy Metals & Microbiological Contaminants (Test Results Inside)

[Waka]

I've been growing in coco for 5+ years and Ive heard through out the years that the finished buds could have high levels of heavy metals in it. So I decided to cough up the $250 to get the test done and put this rumor to rest. I also decided to get the microbiological test done while I was at it. Below is the medium, nutrients, water, ppm

Coco Brand
Cana Coco

Nutrients
Genreal Hydroponics FloraSeries & Genreal Organics CaMG+

Water
I only use rain water that I collect in my rain barrel. At the collection spout there's a 72 micron stainless steel mesh screen to filter out debris and then I use a 5 micron cloth filter to further filter out containment's. The water test at 20ppm

Feeding Schedule
I water with nutrients every other day with plants in 5 gallon pots. PPM is around 700ppm.

Flush
I flush with straight rain water for two to three weeks depending on the strain.

Below are the test results that I got back

Heavy Metals Test
Massachusetts has strict testing requirements so I chose their guidelines to compare my results to. Below are their requirements to pass the heavy metals test. Their requirements are in microgram/kiligram (ug/kg). Test results are given in parts per billion (ppb) but they are interchangeable. 1ug/kg = 1ppb.


My Test Results


As you can see the results are so low in heavy metals that their equipment could not detect the amount of arsenic & mercury. For Cadmium & lead the levels are between the range of limit of detection and limit of quantification but not high enough that it can actually quantify the number .

For shits and giggles below are the microbiological results as well.

Massachusetts State Requirements (Measured in Colony Forming Units or CFU)


My Results


Again results are way below the requirements.

I hope this post was informative for everyone and post any questions you Havel

 

[eric2028]

Nice! $250 is a bargain. I did the same here in MI and was happy with the results too. Just makes ya sleep better knowing your technique and formula is good to go!

 

[Waka]

Nice! $250 is a bargain. I did the same here in MI and was happy with the results too. Just makes ya sleep better knowing your technique and formula is good to go!

That's awesome you did the test as well and I 100% agree. It bothered me for the longest time if it was safe to consume or not. Totally worth the peace of mind.

 

[f-e]

I recently discovered Dipslides. As you have guessed, slides that you dip. Then leave 24 hours for the microlife to grow. Many slides contain a dye, so the microlife turns a different colour. It gets more involved, with slides that contain food for specific species, and poisons for others, so you can look for specific nasties. They have use in the automotive sector for testing coolant(I guess for exhaust) and are something I must of overlooked for a long time.

Box of 10 is about $30 from Amazon. Come with a chart so you can look at your result and guesstimate an actual count. People growing in shit might want to see what they have bred on their bud. I might check mine having turned my coco to compost over many years. I just found it this week though, so have got no further with it. Obviously some bio life is good, and some bad, and slides are available for all sorts. If anybody wants to pick up on this task, I will love you long time


Thank you Waka. That's my brand

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

Awesome. Ty

 

[MindEater]

Obviously some bio life is good, and some bad, and slides are available for all sorts. If anybody wants to pick up on this task, I will love you long time

I remember rinsing my mouth out with vinegar to make sure my mouth was cleaner than a dogs when my sister did her junior high science experiment. The dogs mouth was still cleaner

 

[Waka]

I recently discovered Dipslides. As you have guessed, slides that you dip. Then leave 24 hours for the microlife to grow. Many slides contain a dye, so the microlife turns a different colour. It gets more involved, with slides that contain food for specific species, and poisons for others, so you can look for specific nasties. They have use in the automotive sector for testing coolant(I guess for exhaust) and are something I must of overlooked for a long time.

Box of 10 is about $30 from Amazon. Come with a chart so you can look at your result and guesstimate an actual count. People growing in shit might want to see what they have bred on their bud. I might check mine having turned my coco to compost over many years. I just found it this week though, so have got no further with it. Obviously some bio life is good, and some bad, and slides are available for all sorts. If anybody wants to pick up on this task, I will love you long time


Thank you Waka. That's my brand

Not a bad deal at all. I might check it out in the future. Thanks!