Soil improvers and growing media - Determination of electrical conductivity

This document specifies an instrumental method for the routine determination of electrical conductivity in a water extract of a soil improver or growing medium. The determination is carried out to obtain an indication of the content of water soluble electrolytes in either soil improvers or growing media.

Bodenverbesserungsmittel und Kultursubstrate - Bestimmung der elektrischen Leitfähigkeit

Dieses Dokument legt ein gerätegestütztes Verfahren zur routinemäßigen Bestimmung der elektrischen Leitfähigkeit in einem wässrigen Extrakt aus Bodenverbesserungsmitteln oder Kultursubstraten fest. Die Bestimmung wird durchgeführt, um einen Hinweis auf den Gehalt an wasserlöslichen Elektrolyten in Bodenverbesserungsmitteln oder in Kultursubstraten zu erhalten.

Amendements du sol et supports de culture - Détermination de la conductivité électrique

Le présent document spécifie une méthode instrumentale de détermination de routine de la conductivité électrique dans un extrait aqueux d’amendement du sol ou de support de culture. La détermination est effectuée afin d’obtenir une indication de la teneur en électrolytes solubles dans l’eau présents dans des amendements du sol ou des supports de culture.

Izboljševalci tal in rastni substrati - Določanje električne prevodnosti

General Information

Status
Not Published
Public Enquiry End Date
01-Dec-2025
Technical Committee
KAT - Soil quality
Current Stage
4020 - Public enquire (PE) (Adopted Project)
Start Date
08-Oct-2025
Due Date
25-Feb-2026
Completion Date
15-Dec-2025

Relations

Effective Date
01-Nov-2025

Overview

prEN 13038:2025 (draft) is a CEN instrumental method for the routine determination of electrical conductivity (EC) in water extracts of soil improvers and growing media. It provides a standardized laboratory procedure to obtain an indication of the content of water‑soluble electrolytes (salinity) in amendments, substrates and related products. The draft supersedes EN 13038:2011 and aligns scope and applicability with the EU Fertilising Product Regulation.

Key topics and technical requirements

  • Scope and purpose: Measures the ability of an aqueous extract to conduct electricity as a proxy for water‑soluble ion content.
  • Extraction principle: 1:5 extraction ratio (1 volume sample + 5 volumes water) at 22 °C ± 3 °C; shaking for 1 hour to dissolve electrolytes.
  • Sample volumes: Prescribed sample volumes vary with particle size (e.g., 60 ml sample + 300 ml water for materials <20 mm; larger volumes for coarse or pre‑shaped materials).
  • Filtration: Filter extracts through low‑ash medium retentive filter paper; alternatives (centrifugation, glass‑fibre filters) allowed if paper filtration is impractical.
  • Conductivity measurement:
    • Use a conductivity meter with adjustable range, automatic temperature correction and resolution ≤ 1 mS/m at 25 °C.
    • Temperature correction set to 25 °C for reporting.
    • Calibrate cell constant using KCl standards: 0.100 mol/L KCl (1 290 mS/m at 25 °C) and 0.0100 mol/L KCl (141 mS/m at 25 °C). Cell constant k = K/G and must be within 5% of manufacturer value.
  • Reagents and water quality: Use water with EC ≤ 0.2 mS/m at 25 °C; KCl solutions prepared as specified or commercially obtained.
  • Reporting: Report EC as whole numbers in millisiemens per metre (mS/m) and include sample identification, any deviations, and laboratory bulk density.
  • Validation: Method validated by interlaboratory study in accordance with ISO 5725‑2; performance characteristics and repeatability/reproducibility are provided in Annex A for multiple matrices.

Applications and users

  • Quality control laboratories testing soil improvers, composts, growing media, digestates, coir, peat blends and blended substrates.
  • Manufacturers and suppliers of growing media and soil amendments for product specification and process control.
  • Regulatory bodies and conformity assessment bodies assessing compliance with the EU Fertilising Product Regulation (EU 2019/1009).
  • Research institutes and agronomy labs monitoring salinity and soluble electrolyte content for product development and agronomic guidance.

Related standards

  • CEN/TS 17732:2022 - Terminology for soil improvers and growing media
  • EN 12579:2024 - Sampling of soil improvers and growing media
  • prEN 13040‑1:2025 - Sample preparation for chemical/physical tests
  • EN 27888 / ISO 7888 - Water quality - Determination of electrical conductivity
  • ISO 5725‑2 - Validation: repeatability and reproducibility

Keywords: prEN 13038, electrical conductivity, soil improvers, growing media, EC determination, KCl calibration, 1:5 extraction, laboratory method, Fertilising Product Regulation.

Frequently Asked Questions

oSIST prEN 13038:2025 is a draft published by the Slovenian Institute for Standardization (SIST). Its full title is "Soil improvers and growing media - Determination of electrical conductivity". This standard covers: This document specifies an instrumental method for the routine determination of electrical conductivity in a water extract of a soil improver or growing medium. The determination is carried out to obtain an indication of the content of water soluble electrolytes in either soil improvers or growing media.

This document specifies an instrumental method for the routine determination of electrical conductivity in a water extract of a soil improver or growing medium. The determination is carried out to obtain an indication of the content of water soluble electrolytes in either soil improvers or growing media.

oSIST prEN 13038:2025 is classified under the following ICS (International Classification for Standards) categories: 65.080 - Fertilizers. The ICS classification helps identify the subject area and facilitates finding related standards.

oSIST prEN 13038:2025 has the following relationships with other standards: It is inter standard links to SIST EN 13038:2012. Understanding these relationships helps ensure you are using the most current and applicable version of the standard.

oSIST prEN 13038:2025 is associated with the following European legislation: EU Directives/Regulations: 2019/1009; Standardization Mandates: M/564, M/564 AMD 1, M/564 AMD 2, M/XXX. When a standard is cited in the Official Journal of the European Union, products manufactured in conformity with it benefit from a presumption of conformity with the essential requirements of the corresponding EU directive or regulation.

oSIST prEN 13038:2025 is available in PDF format for immediate download after purchase. The document can be added to your cart and obtained through the secure checkout process. Digital delivery ensures instant access to the complete standard document.

Standards Content (Sample)


SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-november-2025
Izboljševalci tal in rastni substrati - Določanje električne prevodnosti
Soil improvers and growing media - Determination of electrical conductivity
Bodenverbesserungsmittel und Kultursubstrate - Bestimmung der elektrischen
Leitfähigkeit
Amendements du sol et supports de culture - Détermination de la conductivité électrique
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: prEN 13038
ICS:
65.080 Gnojila Fertilizers
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

DRAFT
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
October 2025
ICS 65.080 Will supersede EN 13038:2011
English Version
Soil improvers and growing media - Determination of
electrical conductivity
Amendements du sol et supports de culture - Bodenverbesserungsmittel und Kultursubstrate -
Détermination de la conductivité électrique Bestimmung der elektrischen Leitfähigkeit
This draft European Standard is submitted to CEN members for enquiry. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee
CEN/TC 223.
If this draft becomes a European Standard, 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.

This draft European Standard was established by CEN 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, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
Recipients of this draft are invited to submit, with their comments, notification of any relevant patent rights of which they are
aware and to provide supporting documentation.

Warning : This document is not a European Standard. It is distributed for review and comments. It is subject to change without
notice and shall not be referred to as a European Standard.

EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2025 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. prEN 13038:2025 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
European foreword . 3
1 Scope . 4
2 Normative references . 4
3 Terms and definitions . 4
4 Principle . 4
5 Reagents . 4
6 Apparatus . 5
7 Sampling . 5
8 Preparation . 5
9 Procedure . 5
9.1 Extraction of materials in solid form . 5
9.2 Extraction of material in pre-shaped form . 6
9.3 Extraction of liquid or pasty materials . 6
9.4 Filtration . 6
9.5 Measuring conductivity of the potassium chloride solutions . 6
9.6 Measurement of the specific electrical conductivity of the filtrates . 6
10 Test report . 7
11 Validation of the method . 7
11.1 Validation in accordance with ISO 5725-2. 7
11.2 Performance characteristics. 7
Annex A (informative) Performance characteristics of the method . 8
Bibliography . 10

European foreword
This document (prEN 13038:2025) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 223 “Soil
improvers and growing media”, the secretariat of which is held by NEN.
This document is currently submitted to the CEN Enquiry.
This document will supersede EN 13038:2011.
— adaption of scope and applicability with respect to the EU-Fertilizer Product Regulation [3].
This document has been prepared under a standardization request addressed to CEN by the European
Commission. The Standing Committee of the EFTA States subsequently approves these requests for its
Member States.
1 Scope
This document specifies an instrumental method for the routine determination of electrical conductivity
in a water extract of a soil improver or growing medium. The determination is carried out to obtain an
indication of the content of water soluble electrolytes in either soil improvers or growing media.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements 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.
CEN/TS 17732:2022, Soil improvers and growing media – Terminology
EN 12579:2024, Soil improvers and growing media - Sampling
prEN 13040-1:2025, Soil improvers and growing media — Sample preparation — Part 1: Sample
preparation for chemical and physical tests, determination of dry matter content, moisture content and
laboratory bulk density
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in CEN/TS 17732:2022 and the
following apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp/
— IEC Electropedia: available at https://www.electropedia.org/
3.1
electrical conductivity
ability of an aqueous extract of the sample to conduct electricity as a function of the ion concentration
4 Principle
A sample is extracted with water at 22 °C ± 3,0 °C in an extraction ratio of 1 to 5 (1 V sample + 5 V water)
to dissolve the electrolytes. The specific electrical conductivity of the extract is measured and the result
is adjusted to a measurement temperature of 25 °C.
5 Reagents
5.1 Water, having an electrical conductivity not higher than 0,2 mS/m at 25 °C.
5.2 Potassium chloride solution, c(KCl) = 0,100 mol/l.
Dissolve 7,456 g potassium chloride (KCl), previously dried for 2 h at 105 °C, in water (5.1) and dilute to
1 000 ml. The specific electrical conductivity of this solution at 25 °C is 1 290 mS/m.
5.3 Potassium chloride solution, c(KCl) = 0,0100 mol/l.
Add 100,0 ml of potassium chloride solution (5.2) into a 1 000 ml volumetric flask and dilute to the
1 000 ml mark with water (5.1) at 20 °C. The specific electrical conductivity of this solution at 25 °C is
141 mS/m.
...

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