ISO DIS 18400-206

Description / Abstract: This International Standard provides recommendations on the collection, handling and storage of soil for subsequent testing under aerobic conditions in the laboratory (i. e. determination of effects on plants and invertebrates). It applies to the collection, handling and storage for assessing the effects of soil on microorganisms, invertebrates (e. g. survival, reproduction, growth, behavior) and plant (e. g. development, growth). This document is not applicable to the handling of soil where anaerobic conditions need to be maintained throughout.

This International Standard describes how to minimize the effects of differences in temperature, water content, and availability of oxygen on aerobic processes as well as the fractionation of soil particles to facilitate reproducible laboratory determinations[1],[2].

This International Standard is mainly applicable to temperate soils. Soils collected from extreme climates (e. g. permafrost, tropical soils) can require special handling.

NOTE This International Standard does not provide guidance on the collection, handling and storage of soil organisms when assessing the structure and function of soil organism communities in the field. Such guidance is provided in ISO 23611-1 to ISO 23611-6.