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An aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)-based, real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay (Procept (R)) was used to determine dioxin-like compounds in soil and sediment samples from seven sites known to be contaminated by dioxin and related compounds. The biological equivalent quotient (BEQ) generated by the Procept (R) assay was compared with toxicity equivalent (TEQ) measurements by isotope dilution gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). This research demonstrated that the Procept (R) assay has several limitations, when compared with GC-MS, including poorer detection limits and precision, and increased sensitivity to a wide range of AhR agonists and antagonists, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). However, results indicate that the Procept (R) assay can be used as an effective screening technique for dioxin-like compounds at the EPA draft recommended interim preliminary remediation level for dioxin in soils of 72 pg/g TEQ.