CEN/TC 444/WG 7 - Sampling

This document provides guidance on the description of soil in the field and its environmental context. It is applicable to natural, near-natural, urban and industrial sites. The soil observations and measurements can be made on a project site level, on a plot level, on layer or horizon level and on specific soil constituents.
It also provides guidance on how to describe layers of anthropogenic (artificial) material or layers that were not modified by pedogenic processes in the strict sense and how to describe coarse material of natural or artificial origin.
This document can be used in combination with other publications that provide guidance or requirements regarding specific aspects of soil observations and measurements.
NOTE 1    It might not be possible or necessary to record data under all the headings listed in Clauses 4 to 11.
NOTE 2    Overall guidance for presentation of information from soil surveys is given in ISO 15903.
NOTE 3    The guidance provided assumes that sampling will be done in accordance with ISO 18400.

This Technical Report gives guidance on the strategy for on-site verification and quality control of waste at landfills. It describes methods of visual inspection, control of documents and choice of necessity of testing by either screening methods or reference methods. It gives guidance on sampling, sample preparation and extraction for analysis.
The same procedures may be useful for on-site verification and quality control of waste at treatment plants.

This Technical Report describes procedures for the packaging, preservation, short-term storage and transport of both solid and liquid waste samples, including paste-like substances and sludges. Where available and appropriate for field application, requirements for specific storage conditions and/or preservation methods should be selected from the chosen analytical standard and collaboration with the testing laboratory.
NOTE 1   This Technical Report provides a shop shelf of example sampling techniques that can be selected to meet a wide range of sampling situations. For a specific situation one of the presented procedures may be appropriate.
NOTE 2   The procedures listed in this Technical Report reflect current best practice, but these are not exhaustive and other procedures may be equally relevant.

This Technical Report describes procedures for reducing the overall size of the waste materials in the field to aid practical transportation of a sample to the laboratory.
NOTE 1   This Technical Report provides a shop shelf of example sampling techniques that can be selected to meet a wide range of sampling situations. For a specific situation one of the presented procedures may be appropriate.
NOTE 2   The procedures listed in this Technical Report reflect current best practice, but these are not exhaustive and other procedures may be equally relevant.

This Technical Report provides guidance on process of defining of a Sampling Plan based on the objective of the testing programme. It specifically deals with the strategic decisions that are needed, based on the sampling objective.
NOTE 1   Given the great variety of waste types, sampling situations and objectives, this Technical Report cannot provide definitive instructions that cover all scenarios. Instead, it discusses the basic statistical approach to be followed, and provides statistical tools that can be applied to determine the amount and type of sampling (e.g. number of samples and sample size) in any given situation to achieve results of adequate reliability (i.e. precision and confidence).
NOTE 2    The document provides considerable detail on current best practice, but is not exhaustive.
NOTE 3   To clarify the text, the document provides a number of worked examples.

This Technical Report describes techniques for sampling liquid and granular waste material, including paste-like materials and sludges, found in a variety of locations. The Technical Report provides information to allow the selection and preparation of equipment and apparatus to be used in the sampling activity.
NOTE 1   This Technical Report provides a shop shelf of example sampling techniques that can be selected to meet a wide range of sampling situations. For a specific situation one of the presented procedures may be appropriate.
NOTE 2    The procedures listed in this Technical Report reflect current best practice, but these are not exhaustive and other procedures may be equally relevant.

This Technical Report discusses the statistical principles of sampling, and provides a number of statistical tools to assist in the design of testing programmes for application to sampling under various conditions.
NOTE 1   Given the great variety of waste types, sampling situations and objectives, this Technical Report cannot provide definitive instructions that cover all scenarios. Instead, it discusses the basic statistical approach to be followed, and provides statistical tools that can be applied to determine the amount and type of sampling (e.g. number of samples and sample size) in any given situation to achieve results of adequate reliability (i.e. precision and confidence).
NOTE 2   The document provides considerable detail on current best practice, but is not exhaustive.
NOTE 3   To clarify the text, the document provides a number of worked examples.

This European Standard specifies the procedural steps to be taken in the preparation and application of a Sampling Plan. The Sampling Plan describes the method of collection of the laboratory sample necessary for meeting the objective of the testing programme. The principles or basic rules outlined in this European Standard, provide a framework that can be used by the project manager to:
   produce standardised Sampling Plans for use in regular or routine circumstances (elaboration of daughter/derived standards dedicated to well defined sampling scenarios);
   incorporate the specific sampling requirements of European and national legislation;
   design and develop a Sampling Plan for use on a case by case basis.
This European Standard has been developed for the characterization of waste.
There may be a need for more than one Sampling Plan to meet all the requirements of the testing programme. Ultimately the Sampling Plan provides the sampler with detailed instructions on how sampling should be carried out.
NOTE   Although this European Standard in most cases refers to the taking of one sample or increment or the preparation of one laboratory sample, it should be noted that often this should be more than one. For simplicity reasons this European Standard uses singular terms, while plural terms are also possible or even likely.