Suomen ympäristökeskus

 

ISO 5667-15:2009 provides guidance on procedures for the preservation, handling and storage of samples of sewage and waterworks sludge, suspended matter, saltwater sediments and freshwater sediments, until chemical, physical, radiochemical and/or biological examination can be undertaken in the laboratory. The procedures in ISO 5667-15:2009 are only applicable to wet samples of sludge, sediment and suspended matter.

 

This part of ISO 5667 specifies the general requirements on procedures for the preservation, handling and storage of samples of sewage and waterworks sludge, suspended matter, marine sediments and freshwater sediments for chemical, physical, radiochemical and/or biological examination in the laboratory. The procedures in this part of ISO 5667 are only applicable to wet samples of sludge, sediment and suspended matter. This document is not applicable to samples intended for biotesting with ecotoxicological or biological assays (which is specified in ISO 5667-16[5]) nor intended for microplastics (which is specified in ISO 5667-27[7]).

 

This document specifies the crucial steps of a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) method to measure the abundance of selected microbial gene sequences from soil DNA extract. The number of microbial gene sequences quantified by qPCR provides an estimation of the abundance of selected microbial groups in soil.

 

ISO 17601:2016 specifies the crucial steps of a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) method to measure the abundance of selected microbial gene sequences from soil DNA extract which provides an estimation of selected microbial groups. It is noteworthy that the number of genes is not necessarily directly linked to the number of organisms that are measured. For example, the number of ribosomal operon is ranging from one copy to 20 copies in different bacterial phyla. Therefore, the number of 16S rRNA sequences quantified from soil DNA extracts does not give an exact estimate of the number of soil bacteria. Furthermore, the number of sequences is not necessarily linked to living microorganisms and can comprise sequences amplified from dead microorganisms.

 

This method gives a standardized procedure for the conditioning operation when selecting a conditioning product at laboratory scale and also for the production of flocculated thickened sludge for subsequent dewatering tests. This document provides a method for laboratory for laboratory chemical conditioning of sludge. The method applies to sludges and suspensions from: This document is applicable to all sludge that can have similar environmental or health impacts, or both, with exclusion of hazardous sludge from industry and dredged sludge.

 

This dcoument specifies a method for the determination of fluoro-, chloro-, bromo- and iodo-organic compounds (AOF, AOCl, AOBr, AOI). Due to the high solubility of AgF in water the scope of ISO 9562 is restricted to Cl-, Br- and I-organic compounds (AOX, calculated as chlorine) because of the applied argentometric detection. The PN follows the proven AOX ISO 9562 method: adsorption of organohalogen compounds on activated carbon, oxidative combustion at 1000 °C with following alterations: constant water feed during combustion (hydropyrolysis), absorption of combustion gases in water, halide specific detection using ionchromatography. The method is applicable for the determination of 2 µg/l AOF, expressed as F 10 µg/l AOCl, expressed as Cl 1 µg/l AOBr, expressed as Br 1 µg/l AOI, expressed as I. Samples for determination of AOF are treated differently than samples for the determination of AOCl, AOBr and AOI. - Samples for determination of AOF are not acidified. The adsorption takes place under unchanged pH conditions. Washing is also performed with a neutral washing solution. - Samples for the determination of AOCl, AOBr and AOI are adjusted to a pH value 2 with nitric acid, the adsorption and washing take place in a nitric acid environment.

 

This document specifies a method for the determination of organically bound halogens fluorine, chlorine, bromine and iodine which are adsorbable on activated carbon. Adsorption takes place on activated carbon packed in columns. The method is applicable for the determination of: The method is applicable for the determination of adsorbable organically bound fluorine, chlorine, bromine or iodine in water, e.g. in groundwater, surface water, bank filtrate, drinking water, aqueous eluates, cooling water and wastewater. The working range is limited by the capacity of the activated carbon, the process blank and the capacity of the chromatographic separation column. Sample dilution into the working range can be required. The range of application can be extended to lower concentrations with lower process blanks e.g. using low blank active carbons. The method can also be applied for samples containing suspended solids. Halogens adsorbed on the suspended solids (e.g. undissolved halides) are also determined. Filtration of the sample prior to analyses using a membrane filter (0,45 µm) allows the separate determination of dissolved adsorbable and particulate bound fractions of organically bound fluorine, chlorine, bromine or iodine. Results from an international interlaboratory trial are presented in Annex K.

 

This part of ISO 23611 provides guidance for the design of field studies with soil invertebrates (e.g. for the monitoring of the quality of a soil as a habitat for organisms). Detailed information on the sampling of the most important soil organisms is provided in the other parts of this International Standard (ISO 23611-1 to ISO 23611-5). This part of ISO 23611 is used for all terrestrial biotopes in which soil invertebrates occur. Basic information on the design of field studies in general is already laid down in ISO 10381-1. This information can vary according to the national requirements or the climatic/regional conditions of the site to be sampled. NOTE While this part of ISO 23611 aims to be applicable globally for all terrestrial sites that are inhabited by soil invertebrates, the existing information refers mostly to temperate regions. However, the (few) studies from other (tropical and boreal) regions, as well as theoretical considerations, allow the conclusion that the principles laid down in this part of ISO 23611 are generally valid, References [4], [6], [40], [21]. This part of ISO 23611 gives information on site-specific risk assessment of contaminated land, study of potential side effects of anthropogenic impacts (e.g. the application of chemicals or the building of roads), the biological classification and assessment of soils in order to determine the biological quality of soils, and longterm biogeographical monitoring in the context of nature protection or restoration, including global change (e.g. as in long-term ecological research projects).

 

This part of ISO 23611 provides guidance for the design of field studies with soil invertebrates (e.g. for the monitoring of the quality of a soil as a habitat for organisms). Detailed information on the sampling of the most important soil organisms is provided in the other parts of this International Standard (ISO 23611-1 to ISO 23611-5). This part of ISO 23611 is used for all terrestrial biotopes in which soil invertebrates occur. Basic information on the design of field studies in general is already laid down in ISO 10381-1. This information can vary according to the national requirements or the climatic/regional conditions of the site to be sampled. This part of ISO 23611 gives information on site-specific risk assessment of contaminated land, study of potential side effects of anthropogenic impacts (e.g. the application of chemicals or the building of roads), the biological classification and assessment of soils in order to determine the biological quality of soils, and long-term biogeographical monitoring in the context of nature protection or restoration, including global change (e.g. as in long-term ecological research projects).

 

This document specifies a method for the determination of ammonium nitrogen (NH4-N) in drinking water, groundwater, surface water, wastewater, bathing water and mineral water using the small-scale sealed tube method. The result can be expressed as NH4 or NH4-N or NH3 or NH3-N.

 

This document specifies a method for the determination of nitrate as NO3-N in water of various origin such as natural water (including groundwater, surface water and bathing water), drinking water and wastewater, in a measuring range of concentration between 0,10 mg/l and 225 mg/l of N03-N using the small-scale sealed tube method. Different measuring ranges of small-scale sealed tube methods can be required.

 

This document specifies a method for the determination of nitrate as NO3-N in water of various origin such as natural water (including groundwater, surface water and bathing water), drinking water and wastewater, in a measuring range of concentration between 0,20 mg/l and 30 mg/l of NO3-N using the small-scale sealed tube method. Different measuring ranges of small-scale sealed tube methods can be required.

 

This document specifies a method for the determination of total bound nitrogen (ST-TNb) in water of various origins: groundwater, surface water, and wastewater, in a measuring range of concentration generally between 0,5 mg/l and 220 mg/l of ST-TNb using the small-scale sealed tube method. Different measuring ranges of small-scale sealed tube methods can be required.

 

This document specifies a method for the determination of total bound nitrogen (ST-TNb) in water of various origins: groundwater, surface water and wastewater, in a measuring range of concentration generally between 0,5 mg/l and 150 mg/l of ST-TNb using the small-scale sealed tube method. Different measuring ranges of small-scale sealed tube methods can be required.

 

This document specifies a method for the determination of gross alpha and gross beta activity concentration for alpha- and beta-emitting radionuclides. Gross alpha and gross beta activity measurement is not intended to give an absolute determination of the activity concentration of all alpha and beta emitting radionuclides in a test sample, but is a screening analysis to ensure particular reference levels of specific alpha and beta emitters have not been exceeded. This type of determination is also known as gross alpha and gross beta index. Gross alpha and gross beta analysis is not expected to be as accurate nor as precise as specific radionuclide analysis after radiochemical separations. Maximum beta energies of approximately 0,1 MeV or higher are well measured. It is possible that low energy beta emitters can not detected (e.g. 3H, 55Fe, 241Pu) or can only be partially detected (e.g. 14C, 35S, 63Ni, 210Pb, 228Ra). The method covers non-volatile radionuclides, since some gaseous or volatile radionuclides (e.g. radon and radioiodine) can be lost during the source preparation. The method is applicable to test samples of drinking water, rainwater, surface and ground water as well as cooling water, industrial water, domestic and industrial wastewater after proper sampling, sample handling, and test sample preparation (filtration when necessary and taking into account the amount of dissolved material in the water). The method described in this document is applicable in the event of an emergency situation, because the results can be obtained in less than 1 h. Detection limits reached for gross alpha and gross beta are less than 10 Bq/l and 20 Bq/l respectively. The evaporation of 10 ml sample is carried out in 20 min followed by 10 min counting with window-proportional counters. It is the laboratory's responsibility to ensure the suitability of this test method for the water samples tested.

 

This document specifies the procedure for a quantitative determination of major and trace element concentrations in homogeneous solid waste, soil, soil-like material and sludge by energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometry or wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF) spectrometry using a calibration with matrix-matched standards. This document is applicable for the following elements: Na, Mg, Al, Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Br, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ag, Cd, Sn, Sb, Te, I, Cs, Ba, Ta, W, Hg, Tl, Pb, Bi, Th and U. Concentration levels between a mass fraction of approximately 0,000 1 % and 100 % can be determined depending on the element and the instrument used. An optional XRF screening method for solid and liquid material as waste, sludge and soil is added in Annex A which provides a total element characterization at a semi-quantitative level, where the calibration is based on matrix-independent calibration curves, previously set up by the manufacturer.

 

This document specifies a method for the determination of gross alpha and gross beta activity concentration for alpha- and beta-emitting radionuclides using liquid scintillation counting (LSC). The method is applicable to all types of waters with a dry residue of less than 5 g/l and when no correction for colour quenching is necessary. Gross alpha and gross beta activity measurement is not intended to give an absolute determination of the activity concentration of all alpha- and beta-emitting radionuclides in a test sample, but is a screening analysis to ensure particular reference levels of specific alpha and beta emitters have not been exceeded. This type of determination is also known as gross alpha and beta index. Gross alpha and beta analysis is not expected to be as accurate nor as precise as specific radionuclide analysis after radiochemical separations. The method covers non-volatile radionuclides below 80 °C, since some gaseous or volatile radionuclides (e.g. radon and radioiodine) can be lost during the source preparation. The method is applicable to test samples of drinking water, rain water, surface and ground water as well as cooling water, industrial water, domestic and industrial waste water after proper sampling and test sample preparation (filtration when necessary and taking into account the amount of dissolved material in the water). The method described in this document is applicable in the event of an emergency situation, because the results can be obtained in less than 4 h by directly measuring water test samples without any treatment. It is the laboratory's responsibility to ensure the suitability of this test method for the water samples tested.

 

This document specifies a method for the determination of gross alpha and gross beta activity concentration for alpha- and beta-emitting radionuclides. Gross alpha and gross beta activity measurement is not intended to give an absolute determination of the activity concentration of all alpha and beta emitting radionuclides in a test sample, but is a screening analysis to ensure particular reference levels of specific alpha and beta emitters have not been exceeded. This type of determination is also known as gross alpha and gross beta index. Gross alpha and gross beta analysis is not expected to be as accurate nor as precise as specific radionuclide analysis after radiochemical separations. Maximum beta energies of approximately 0,1 MeV or higher are well measured. It is possible that low energy beta emitters cannot be detected (e.g. 3H, 55Fe, 241Pu) or can only be partially detected (e.g. 14C, 35S, 63Ni, 210Pb, 228Ra). The method covers non-volatile radionuclides, since some gaseous or volatile radionuclides (e.g. radon and radioiodine) can be lost during the source preparation. The method is applicable to test samples of drinking water, rainwater, surface and ground water as well as cooling water, industrial water, domestic and industrial wastewater after proper sampling, sample handling, and test sample preparation (filtration when necessary and taking into account the amount of dissolved material in the water). The method described in this document is applicable in the event of an emergency situation, because the results can be obtained in less than 1 h. Detection limits reached for gross alpha and gross beta are less than 10 Bq·l-1 and 20 Bq·l-1 respectively. The evaporation of 10 ml sample is carried out in 20 min followed by 10 min counting with window-proportional counters. It is the laboratory’s responsibility to ensure the suitability of this test method for the water samples tested.

 

This document specifies a method to measure gross alpha and gross beta activity concentration for alpha- and beta-emitting radionuclides using Liquid Scintillation Counting (LSC). The method is applicable to all types of waters with a dry residue of less than 5 g·l-1and when no correction for colour quenching is necessary. The method is applicable to test samples non-saline waters following proper sampling, handling and preparation. Gross alpha and beta measurements do not provide the exact radioactive content of a sample but estimate activity based on standard calibration sources. These measurements, known as the alpha and beta index, serve as screening tools for an initial assessment of total radioactivity. The method covers non-volatile radionuclides below 80 °C, since some gaseous or volatile radionuclides (e.g. radon and radioiodine) can be lost during the source preparation. The method is applicable to test samples of drinking water, rain water, surface and ground water as well as cooling water, industrial water, domestic and industrial waste water after proper sampling and test sample preparation (filtration when necessary and taking into account the amount of dissolved material in the water). The detection limit depends on the sample volume, the instrument used, the background count rate, the detection efficiency and the counting time. The detection limit of the method described in this document, using currently available liquid scintillation apparatus, is approximately 20 mBq·kg-1(a) and 100 mBq·kg-1(ß), which is lower than the WHO criteria for safe consumption of drinking water 500 mBq·kg-1(a) and 1 000 mBq·kg-1(ß).[4] This value can typically be achieved with a counting time of 500 min for a test sample volume of 0,08 l. The method described in this document is applicable in the event of an emergency situation, because the results can be obtained in less than 4 h by directly measuring water test samples without any treatment.

 

This document provides standard procedures for the collection, handling and storage of soil for subsequent biological testing under aerobic conditions in the laboratory. It applies to the collection, handling and storage for assessing the effects of soil on microorganisms, invertebrates (e.g. survival, reproduction, growth, behaviour) and plants (e.g. development, growth). This document is not applicable to the handling of soil where anaerobic conditions need to be maintained throughout. This document 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 document is mainly applicable to temperate soils. Soils collected from extreme climates (e.g. permafrost, tropical soils) can require special handling.