EN ISO 16072:2011

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-november-2011
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,62
Soil quality - Laboratory methods for determination of microbial soil respiration (ISO
16072:2002)
Bodenbeschaffenheit - Laborverfahren zur Bestimmung der mikrobiellen Bodenatmung
(ISO 16072:2002)
Qualité du sol - Méthodes de laboratoire pour la détermination de la respiration
microbienne du sol (ISO 16072:2002)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN ISO 16072:2011
ICS:
13.080.30 Biološke lastnosti tal Biological properties of soils
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EUROPEAN STANDARD
EN ISO 16072
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
June 2011
ICS 13.080.30
English Version
Soil quality - Laboratory methods for determination of microbial
soil respiration (ISO 16072:2002)
Qualité du sol - Méthodes de laboratoire pour la Bodenbeschaffenheit - Laborverfahren zur Bestimmung der
détermination de la respiration microbienne du sol (ISO mikrobiellen Bodenatmung (ISO 16072:2002)
16072:2002)
This European Standard was approved by CEN on 10 June 2011.

CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this European
Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national
standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN member.

This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by translation
under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre has the same
status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland,
Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.

EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

Management Centre: Avenue Marnix 17, B-1000 Brussels
© 2011 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN ISO 16072:2011: E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
Foreword .3

Foreword
The text of ISO 16072:2002 has been prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 190 “Soil quality” of the
International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and has been taken over as EN ISO 16072:2011 by
Technical Committee CEN/TC 345 “Characterization of soils” the secretariat of which is held by NEN.
This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an identical
text or by endorsement, at the latest by December 2011, and conflicting national standards shall be withdrawn
at the latest by December 2011.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. CEN [and/or CENELEC] shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
According to the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organizations of the following
countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain,
Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
Endorsement notice
The text of ISO 16072:2002 has been approved by CEN as a EN ISO 16072:2011 without any modification.

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 16072
First edition
2002-12-15
Soil quality — Laboratory methods for
determination of microbial soil
respiration
Qualité du sol — Méthodes de laboratoire pour la détermination de
la respiration microbienne du sol

Reference number
ISO 16072:2002(E)
©
ISO 2002
ISO 16072:2002(E)
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ii © ISO 2002 — All rights reserved

ISO 16072:2002(E)
Contents Page
Foreword. iv
Introduction . v
1 Scope. 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions. 1
4 Procedure. 2
4.1 General conditions. 2
4.2 Choice of the measuring system. 3
5 Measuring systems. 3
5.1 Determination of O consumption by static incubation in a pressure-compensation
system. 3
5.2 Determination of CO release by titration in a static system . 4
5.3 Coulometric determination of CO release in a static system . 6
5.4 Determination of CO release using an infrared gas analyser in a flow-through system. 7
5.5 Determination of CO release using gas chromatography in a flow-through system and a
static system . 10
5.6 Determination of soil respiration by pressure measurement in a static system . 15
Bibliography . 19

ISO 16072:2002(E)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies
(ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through ISO
technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been
established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and
non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
The main task of technical committees is to prepare International Standards. Draft International Standards
adopted by the technical committees are circulated to the member bodies for voting. Publication as an
International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the member bodies casting a vote.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
ISO 16072 was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 190, Soil quality, Subcommittee SC 4, Biological
methods.
iv © ISO 2002 — All rights reserved

ISO 16072:2002(E)
Introduction
This International Standard is derived from the German standard DIN 19737 (see [1]). It describes methods
for the determination of microbial soil respiration in the laboratory.
Microbial soil respiration results from the mineralization of organic substances. In this process, organic
substances are oxidized to the end products carbon dioxide and water, with concurrent uptake of O for
aerobic microorganisms. The soil respiration is measured by the determination of O consumption and/or by
CO release. Respiration is a measure of the overall activity of soil microorganisms.
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 16072:2002(E)

Soil quality — Laboratory methods for determination of
microbial soil respiration
1 Scope
This International Standard describes methods for the determination of soil microbial respiration of aerobic,
unsaturated soils. The methods are suitable for the determination of O uptake or CO release, either after
2 2
addition of a substrate (substrate-induced respiration), or without substrate addition (basal respiration).
This International Standard is applicable to the measurement of soil respiration in order to:
 determine the microbial activity in soil (see [3]);
 establish the effect of additives (nutrients, pollutants, soil improvers, etc.) on the metabolic performance
of microorganisms;
 determine the microbial biomass (see [4]);
 determine the metabolic quotient qCO .
2 Normative references
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced
document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 10381-6:1993, Soil quality — Sampling — Guidance on the collection, handling and storage of soil for the
assessment of aerobic microbial processes in the laboratory
ISO 11274:1998, Soil quality — Determination of the water-retention characteristic — Laboratory methods
ISO 11465:1993, Soil quality — Determination of dry matter and water content on a mass basis — Gravimetric
method
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
3.1
basal respiration
microbial soil respiration without addition of nutrients
3.2
substrate-induced respiration
SIR
microbial soil respiration after addition of nutrients
NOTE Glucose is an example of an added nutrient.
ISO 16072:2002(E)
3.3
microbial activity
metabolic performance of microorganisms
NOTE It can be measured, for example, as O uptake or CO release.
2 2
3.4
metabolic quotient
qCO
specific metabolic activity of soil microorganisms, which can be calculated as the quotient basal respiration:
microbial biomass
NOTE Metabolic quotient is usually expressed as milligrams of CO carbon released per hour per gram of microbial
biomass carbon.
3.5
rate of CO formation [O consumption]
2 2
R [R ]
CO O
2 2
amount of CO released [O consumed] per time unit from a mass unit of soil
2 2
NOTE 1 Soil respiration is usually measured as the rate of CO formation or O consumption.
2 2
–1 –1
NOTE 2 It is usually expressed as milligrams CO [or O ] per gram per hour (mg CO [or O ]·g ·h ).
2 2 2 2
3.6
microbial biomass
mass of intact microbial cells in a given soil
NOTE This is usually estimated from the measurement of carbon or nitrogen content of these cells.
4 Procedure
4.1 General conditions
4.1.1 Soil sampling and storage
Sample, store and pre-incubate soils in accordance with ISO 10381-6, independently of the choice of the
procedure and the respiration parameter to be measured (basal respiration, SIR).
4.1.2 Measuring and incubation conditions
Soil respiration is strongly influenced by water content and temperatu
...