KAT - Soil quality

This document defines terms used in the field of soil quality.

This document specifies methods for quantitative determination of seven selected polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB28, PCB52, PCB101, PCB118, PCB138, PCB153 and PCB180) in soil, sludge, sediment, treated biowaste, and waste using GC-MS and GC-ECD (see Table 2).
The limit of detection depends on the determinants, the equipment used, the quality of chemicals used for the extraction of the sample and the clean-up of the extract.
Under the conditions specified in this document, lower limit of application from 1 μg/kg (expressed as dry matter) for soils, sludge and biowaste to 10 μg/kg (expressed as dry matter) for solid waste can be achieved. For some specific samples the limit of 10 μg/kg cannot be reached.
Sludge, waste and treated biowaste may differ in properties, as well as in the expected contamination levels of PCB and presence of interfering substances. These differences make it impossible to describe one general procedure. This document contains decision tables based on the properties of the sample and the extraction and clean-up procedure to be used.
NOTE            The analysis of PCB in insulating liquids, petroleum products, used oils and aqueous samples is referred to in EN 61619, EN 12766-1 and ISO 6468 respectively.
The method can be applied to the analysis of other PCB congeners not specified in the scope, provided suitability is proven by proper in-house validation experiments.

This document provides requirements and guidance on key aspects of remediation techniques. It describes the principles, main characteristics, advantages and limitations to be considered in the selection within an option appraisal of individual or combinations of in situ and on-site remediation techniques, including:
—     the type of contaminants to be dealt with;
—     current and/or intended site use;
—     local legal, policy, socio-economic and environmental contexts.
This document is applicable to the remediation of contaminated sites, i.e. where soil, or soil gas, ambient air or groundwater are contaminated. It identifies which phase/matrix can be targeted by a technique, e.g. fluid (groundwater, gas, non-aqueous phase liquid) or solid, and which contaminant it can applied to. This document also provides information on hazards that can be associated with the implementation of remediation.
This document does not provide:
—     an exhaustive list of remediation techniques;
—     guidance on sites contaminated with radioactive substances, pathogenic or infectious agents, or “pyrotechnic devices” (e.g. unexploded ordnances);
—     guidance on ex situ techniques that are set up off-site;
—     a framework that covers all individual situations, or prescribes which technique(s) to use in a specific context.

This document is applicable to the sampling of the following solid inorganic fertilizers and liming materials supplied or ready for supply, and stored in static heaps:
-   Single nutrient fertilizers,
-   Uniform complex fertilizers,
-   Milled, granulated or dredged liming materials,
-   Any other materials deemed suitable for sampling by the method described in this part of the standard,
for the purpose of testing for compliance with legal requirements and other descriptions and declarations.
NOTE 1   The term “fertilizer” is used throughout the body of this document and includes liming materials and inhibitors unless otherwise indicated.
NOTE 2   Manufacturers, importers and sellers might choose to use this method to obtain samples of other products or blends as well as long as both parties to a transaction agree. The build-up of a static heap often leads to granulometric segregation, which makes the collection of a truly representative sample unlikely.
NOTE 3   It is the responsibility of manufacturers, importers and sellers, however, to ensure they supply a product that complies with its label declaration at the moment of delivery and fulfils the expectations of the end user at the moment of application.

This document specifies sampling plans and methods of representative sampling of inorganic fertilizers, liming materials and inhibitors for physical and chemical analysis, from packages and containers up to and including 1 000 kg, in liquid and solid form. This document covers sampling of products in bulk only while in motion.
NOTE 1   The sampling of bulk heaps of specified types of fertilizers is covered in prEN 1482 3. Sampling for detection of microbial presence is covered by prEN 1482 4.
NOTE 2   The term product is used throughout the body of this document and is understood to include inorganic fertilizers, liming materials and inhibitors unless otherwise indicated.
It is applicable to the sampling of batches of fertilizer, liming material and inhibitors supplied or ready for supply to third parties, as such, or in smaller batches, each of which would be subject to local, national or regional legislation.
This document does not cover complete, statistical sampling plans.
This document is also applicable to the blends of products where inorganic fertilizers, liming materials, or inhibitors are the main part of the blend in quantity. If fertilizers, liming materials, or inhibitors are not the main part of the blend, the European Standard for the main part of the blend applies. In case a blend of fertilizing products is composed of parts in equal quantity, the user decides which standard to apply. Special care is needed to ensure that the blend is/stays homogeneous and well mixed when sampled.
NOTE 3   It is the responsibility of manufacturers, importers and sellers, however, to ensure they supply a product that complies with its label declaration at the moment of delivery and fulfils the expectations of the end user at the moment of application.

This document specifies a method for sampling, extracting and preserving macro-invertebrates from soils, including the litter zone.
The sampling and extraction methods in this document are applicable to almost all types of soil, with the exception of soils in extreme climatic conditions (hard, frozen or flooded soils) and matrices other than soil, e.g. tree trunks, plants or lichens.

This document specifies methods for the reduction and preparation of samples of fertilizers, liming materials, inhibitors and blends and sets out the requirements for sample preparation reports. It also specifies methods for the preparation of test samples and test portions from laboratory samples of fertilizer for subsequent chemical or physical analysis. It does not cover the preparation of samples for certain physical tests which require test portions of more than 2 kg.
NOTE 1   The term “fertilizer” is used throughout the body of this document and is understood to include liming materials and inhibitors unless otherwise indicated.
NOTE 2   In relation to the procedures set out in this part of the standard any special procedures specific to a particular test method will be set out in that method standard.

This document specifies a method for determination of the content of mercury (Hg) in plant biostimulants using (cold) vapour generation apparatus coupled to an atomic absorption spectrophotometer and a method using a direct amalgamation technique. It is applicable to aqua regia digests prepared according to EN 17701-1:2024.
NOTE   It is also possible to use other suitable methods for the determination of mercury described in Annex A if users prove that the method gives the same results as the methods described in this document.
This document is applicable to the blends of fertilizing products where a blend is a mix of at least two of the following component EU fertilising products categories: Fertilizers, Liming Materials, Soil Improvers, Growing Media, Inhibitors, Plant Biostimulants, and where the following category Plant Biostimulants is the highest % in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of liquid form by dry mass. If Plant Biostimulants is not the highest % in the blend, the European Standard for the highest % of the blend applies. In case a blend of fertilizing products is composed of components in equal quantity or in case the component EU fertilising products used for the blend have identical formulations , the user decides which standard to apply.

This document specifies a method for verifying that hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) is not present in plant biostimulants.
This document is applicable to all types of plant biostimulants (solid and liquid) used in agriculture.
The method specified is suitable to quantify the chromium(VI) content in plant biostimulants down to 2 mg/kg.
The results obtained from this method are strictly dependent on the extraction conditions. Results obtained by using other extraction procedures (extraction solution, pH, extraction time, etc.) are not comparable with the results produced by the procedure specified in this document.
This document is applicable to the blends of fertilizing products where a blend is a mix of at least two of the following component EU fertilising products: Fertilizers, Liming Materials, Soil Improvers, Growing Media, Inhibitors, Plant Biostimulants and where the following category Plant Biostimulants is the highest percentage in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of liquid form by dry mass. If Plant Biostimulants is not the highest percentage in the blend, the European Standard for the highest percentage of the blend applies. In case a blend of fertilizing products is composed of components in equal quantity or in case the component EU fertilising products used for the blend have identical formulations , the user decides which standard to apply.

This document specifies a method for the extraction and determination of phosphonates (P-PO3) in plant biostimulants using ion chromatography and conductivity detection (IC-CD).
This document is applicable to the blends of fertilizing products where a blend is a mix of at least two of the following component EU fertilising products categories: Fertilizers, Liming Materials, Soil Improvers, Growing Media, Inhibitors, Plant Biostimulants, and where the following category Plant Biostimulants is the highest percentage in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of liquid form by dry mass. If Plant Biostimulants is not the highest percentage in the blend, the European Standard for the highest percentage of the blend applies. In case a blend of fertilizing products is composed of components in equal quantity or in case the component EU fertilising products used for the blend have identical formulations , the user decides which standard to apply.

This document specifies a horizontal method for the enumeration of microorganisms that are able to grow and form colonies in a solid medium after anaerobic incubation at 30 °C.
The method applies to microbial plant biostimulants, except those composed of aerobic bacteria.
This method does not apply to the microbiological monitoring of the environment in which microbial plant biostimulants are manufactured.
No information about potential human pathogens can be inferred from anaerobic plate counts.
This document is applicable to the blends of fertilizing products where a blend is a mix of at least two of the following component EU fertilising products categories: Fertilizers, Liming Materials, Soil Improvers, Growing Media, Plant Biostimulants and where the following category Plant Biostimulants is the highest percentage in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of liquid form by dry mass. If Plant Biostimulants is not the highest percentage in the blend, the European Standard for the highest percentage of the blend applies. In case a blend of fertilizing products is composed of components in equal quantity or in case the component EU fertilising products used for the blend have identical formulations , the user decides which standard to apply.

This document specifies the general rules to determine the concentration of microorganisms present in plant biostimulants expressed as the number of active units per volume or weight, or in any other manner that is relevant to the microorganism, e.g. colony forming units per gram (cfu/g).
This document is applicable to the blends of fertilizing products where a blend is a mix of at least two of the following component EU fertilising products categories: Fertilizers, Liming Materials, Soil Improvers, Growing Media, Plant Biostimulants, and where the following category Plant Biostimulants is the highest % in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of liquid form by dry mass. If Plant Biostimulants is not the highest % in the blend, the European Standard for the highest % of the blend applies. In case a blend of fertilizing products is composed of components in equal quantity or in case the component EU fertilising products used for the blend have identical formulations , the user decides which standard to apply.

This document was developed to provide the methodology for the enumeration and determination of Azotobacter spp. [2] [3] in microbial plant biostimulants in accordance with the Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 of the European Parliament and of the Council [1].
This document is applicable to the blends of fertilizing products where a blend is a mix of at least two of the following component EU fertilising products categories: Fertilizers, Liming Materials, Soil Improvers, Growing Media, Plant Biostimulants and where the following category Plant Biostimulants is the highest % in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of liquid form by dry mass. If Plant Biostimulants is not the highest % in the blend, the European Standard for the highest % of the blend applies. In case a blend of fertilizing products is composed of components in equal quantity or in case the component EU fertilising products used for the blend have identical formulations , the user decides which standard to apply.

This document specifies a horizontal method for the enumeration of yeasts and moulds present in plant biostimulants intended for use in agriculture, by means of the colony count technique after aerobic incubation at 25 °C ± 2,5 °C.
This document allows the enumeration of yeasts and moulds, in technical and formulated plant biostimulants, both in liquid and solid states. The method is applicable to microbial plant biostimulants except those composed of fungi or yeasts.
If necessary, yeasts and moulds enumerated can be identified using suitable identification tests.
This document is applicable to the blends of fertilizing products where a blend is a mix of at least two of the following component EU fertilising products categories: Fertilizers, Liming Materials, Soil Improvers, Growing Media, Plant Biostimulants, and where the following category Plant Biostimulants is the highest % in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of liquid form by dry mass. If Plant Biostimulants is not the highest % in the blend, the European Standard for the highest % of the blend applies. In case a blend of fertilizing products is composed of components in equal quantity or in case the component EU fertilising products used for the blend have identical formulations , the user decides which standard to apply.

This document specifies general rules for the aerobic preparation of the initial suspension and of dilutions for microbiological examinations of microbial plant biostimulants.
This horizontal method might not be applicable in very detail for certain products. In this case, different methods which are specific to these products can be used if necessary, for justified technical reasons.
This document is applicable to the blends of fertilizing products where a blend is a mix of at least two of the following component EU fertilising products categories: Fertilizers, Liming Materials, Soil Improvers, Growing Media, Plant Biostimulant and where the following category Plant Biostimulants is the highest % in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of liquid form by dry mass. If Plant Biostimulants is not the highest % in the blend, the European Standard for the highest % of the blend applies. In case a blend of fertilizing products is composed of components in equal quantity or in case the component EU fertilising products used for the blend have identical formulations , the user decides which standard to apply.

This document specifies a horizontal method for the detection of enteropathogenic Vibrio species (spp.), which causes human illness in or via the intestinal tract. The species detectable by the methods specified include Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio cholerae and Vibrio vulnificus.
It is applicable to the microbial plant biostimulants.
NOTE 1   The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified that V. parahaemolyticus, V. cholerae and V. vulnificus are the major contaminants of Vibrio spp. [2].
NOTE 2   For confirmation, it is possible to use PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) tests; in this case a validation is carried out by the laboratory for the procedure and data generated.
This document is applicable to the blends of fertilizing products where a blend is a mix of at least two of the following component EU fertilising products categories: Fertilizers, Liming Materials, Soil Improvers, Growing Media, Plant Biostimulants, and where the following category Plant Biostimulants is the highest % in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of liquid form by dry mass. If Plant Biostimulants is not the highest % in the blend, the European Standard for the highest % of the blend applies. In case a blend of fertilizing products is composed of components in equal quantity or in case the component EU fertilising products used for the blend have identical formulations , the user decides which standard to apply.

This document specifies a method to verify that the pathogen Staphylococcus aureus is absent from microbial plant biostimulants. The method is based on the enumeration of coagulase-positive staphylococci in a sample by counting of colonies obtained on a solid medium (Baird-Parker medium) after aerobic incubation at 36 °C ± 2 °C.
This document is applicable to all formulations of microbial plant biostimulants in liquid or solid form. This document is not applicable to other fertilizing products.
This document is applicable to the blends of fertilizing products where a blend is a mix of at least two of the following component EU fertilising products categories: Fertilizers, Liming Materials, Soil Improvers, Growing Media, Plant Biostimulants and where the following category Plant Biostimulants is the highest % in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of liquid form by dry mass. If Plant Biostimulants is not the highest % in the blend, the European Standard for the highest % of the blend applies. In case a blend of fertilizing products is composed of components in equal quantity or in case the component EU fertilising products used for the blend have identical formulations , the user decides which standard to apply.

This document specifies a method for the enumeration of enterococci in microbial and non-microbial plant biostimulants. This document specifies a colony-count technique on a selective medium (Slanetz-Bartley agar) with confirmation on Bile Esculin Azide agar.
This document is applicable to all formulations of microbial and non-microbial plant biostimulants in liquid or solid form. This document is not applicable to other fertilizing products.
This document is applicable to the blends of fertilizing products where a blend is a mix of at least two of the following component EU fertilising products categories: Fertilizers, Liming Materials, Soil Improvers, Growing Media, Plant Biostimulants, and where the following category Plant Biostimulants is the highest % in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of liquid form by dry mass. If Plant Biostimulants is not the highest % in the blend, the European Standard for the highest % of the blend applies. In case a blend of fertilizing products is composed of components in equal quantity or in case the component EU fertilising products used for the blend have identical formulations , the user decides which standard to apply.

This document defines terms and definitions referred to in the plant biostimulant field and consists of six subclauses:
3.1   Claims
3.2   Terms relating to components
3.3   Terms relating to the application method
3.4   Terms relating to sampling
3.5   Terms relating to the physical form
3.6   Others terms relating to plant biostimulants

This document provides the methodology for the enumeration and determination of Rhizobiaceae (Rhizobium spp., Mesorhizobium spp., Ensifer spp., Bradyrhizobium spp.).
This document is applicable to the blends of fertilizing products where a blend is a mix of at least two of the following component EU fertilising products categories: Fertilizers, Liming Materials, Soil Improvers, Growing Media, Plant Biostimulants and where the following category Plant Biostimulants is the highest percentage in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of liquid form by dry mass. If Plant Biostimulants is not the highest percentage in the blend, the European Standard for the highest percentage of the blend applies. In case a blend of fertilizing products is composed of components in equal quantity or in case the component EU fertilising products used for the blend have identical formulations , the user decides which standard to apply.

This document specifies a method for extraction, separation, and determination of inorganic arsenic (iAs) in plant biostimulants using anion-exchange high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) or ion chromatography (IC) coupled to ICP-MS.
This document is applicable to the blends of fertilizing products where a blend is a mix of at least two of the following component EU fertilising products categories: Fertilizers, Liming Materials, Soil Improvers, Growing Media, Inhibitors, Plant Biostimulants, and where the following category Plant Biostimulants is the highest percentage in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of liquid form by dry mass. If Plant Biostimulants is not the highest percentage in the blend, the European Standard for the highest percentage of the blend applies. In case a blend of fertilizing products is composed of components in equal quantity or in case the component EU fertilising products used for the blend have identical formulations , the user decides which standard to apply.

This document gives guidance on a consistent approach to justify the claims associated with the use of plant biostimulants.
This document is aimed primarily at manufacturers, laboratories, researchers, technical centres, and companies that intend to place plant biostimulants on the market, as well as notifying authorities, notified bodies, and market surveillance authorities.
To be in compliance with this standard, it is important to also follow the recommendations and quality criteria described in the standard EN 17700-1:2024 on general principles to demonstrate plant biostimulant claims.

This document provides a method for verifying that the pathogen Shigella spp. is not present in microbial plant biostimulants.
The detection method for Shigella pathogens is not sensitive and quantification is rarely performed. Detection is usually performed using an enrichment medium followed by subculturing onto a variety of selective media.
This document is applicable to the blends of fertilizing products where a blend is a mix of at least two of the following component EU fertilising products categories: Fertilizers, Liming Materials, Soil Improvers, Growing Media, Plant Biostimulants and where the following category Plant Biostimulants is the highest percentage in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of liquid form by dry mass. If Plant Biostimulants is not the highest percentage in the blend, the European Standard for the highest percentage of the blend applies. In case a blend of fertilizing products is composed of components in equal quantity or in case the component EU fertilising products used for the blend have identical formulations , the user decides which standard to apply.

This document specifies a method for the determination of total contents of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni) and zinc (Zn) in aqua regia plant biostimulant digests using inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES).
This document is applicable to the blends of fertilizing products where a blend is a mix of at least two of the following component EU fertilising products categories: Fertilizers, Liming Materials, Soil Improvers, Growing Media, Inhibitors, Plant Biostimulants, and where the following category Plant Biostimulants is the highest % in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of liquid form by dry mass. If Plant Biostimulants is not the highest % in the blend, the European Standard for the highest % of the blend applies. In case a blend of fertilizing products is composed of components in equal quantity or in case the component EU fertilising products used for the blend have identical formulations , the user decides which standard to apply.
This method is applicable to aqua regia digests prepared according to EN 17701-1:2024. The method can be used for the determination of other elements, provided the user has verified the applicability.
NOTE   Alternatively, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) can be used for the determination of the elements in the aqua regia digests if the user proves that the method gives the same results.

This document specifies a method for the detection of Listeria monocytogenes in microbial plant biostimulants.
This document is applicable to the blends of fertilizing products where a blend is a mix of at least two of the following component EU fertilising products categories: Fertilizers, Liming Materials, Soil Improvers, Growing Media, Plant Biostimulants and where the following category Plant Biostimulants is the highest percentage in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of liquid form by dry mass. If Plant Biostimulants is not the highest percentage in the blend, the European Standard for the highest percentage of the blend applies. In case a blend of fertilizing products is composed of components in equal quantity or in case the component EU fertilising products used for the blend have identical formulations , the user decides which standard to apply.

This document gives guidance for the detection and identification of the specified microorganism Escherichia coli in technical and formulated plant biostimulants, both in liquid and solid states, and also the horizontal method for the enumeration of ß-glucuronidase-positive E. coli in plant biostimulants (both in liquid and solid states).
The qualitative method described in this document is based on the detection of E. coli in a non-selective liquid medium (enrichment broth), followed by isolation on a selective agar. Other methods can be appropriate, depending on the level of detection required.
NOTE 1   For the detection of E. coli, subcultures can be performed on non-selective culture media followed by suitable identification steps (e.g. using identification kits).
The quantitative method described in this document uses a colony-count technique at 44 °C ± 1 °C on a solid medium containing a chromogenic ingredient for detection of the enzyme ß-glucuronidase.
NOTE 2   Strains of E. coli which do not grow at 44 °C ± 1 °C and, in particular, those that are ß-glucuronidase negative, such as E. coli O157, will not be detected.
This document is applicable to the blends of fertilizing products where a blend is a mix of at least two of the following component EU fertilising products categories: Fertilizers, Liming Materials, Soil Improvers, Growing Media, Plant Biostimulants, and where the following category Plant Biostimulants is the highest % in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of liquid form by dry mass. If Plant Biostimulants is not the highest % in the blend, the European Standard for the highest % of the blend applies. In case a blend of fertilizing products is composed of components in equal quantity or in case the component EU fertilising products used for the blend have identical formulations , the user decides which standard to apply.

This document specifies a method for the detection of Salmonella spp. in biostimulants.
This document is applicable to all microbial biostimulants in agriculture.
This document is applicable to the blends of fertilizing products where a blend is a mix of at least two of the following component EU fertilising products categories: Fertilizers, Liming Materials, Soil Improvers, Growing Media, Plant Biostimulants, and where the following category Plant Biostimulants is the highest % in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of liquid form by dry mass. If Plant Biostimulants is not the highest % in the blend, the European Standard for the highest % of the blend applies. In case a blend of fertilizing products is composed of components in equal quantity or in case the component EU fertilising products used for the blend have identical formulations , the user decides which standard to apply.

This document specifies the procedure for the determination of dry residue and calculation of the dry matter fraction of plant biostimulants for which the results of performed analysis are to be calculated to the dry matter basis.
This document is applicable to the blends of fertilizing products where a blend is a mix of at least two of the following component EU fertilising products categories: Fertilizers, Liming Materials, Soil Improvers, Growing Media, Inhibitors, Plant Biostimulants, and where the following category Plant Biostimulants is the highest percentage in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of liquid form by dry mass. If Plant Biostimulants is not the highest percentage in the blend, the European Standard for the highest percentage of the blend applies. In case a blend of fertilizing products is composed of components in equal quantity or in case the component EU fertilising products used for the blend have identical formulations , the user decides which standard to apply.

This document specifies methods for the reduction and preparation of samples of non-microbial plant biostimulants and sets out the requirements for sample preparation reports. It specifies methods for the preparation of test samples and test portions from laboratory samples of plant biostimulants for subsequent chemical, biological or physical analysis.
This document is applicable to the blends of fertilizing products where a blend is a mix of at least two of the following component EU fertilising products: Fertilizers/Liming Materials/Soil Improvers/Growing Media/Inhibitors/Plant Biostimulants, and where the following category Plant Biostimulants is the highest percentage in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of liquid form by dry mass. If Plant Biostimulants is not the highest percentage in the blend, the European Standard for the highest percentage of the blend applies. In case a blend of fertilizing products is composed of components in equal quantity or in case the component EU fertilising products used for the blend have identical formulations , the user decides which standard to apply.
This document does not include methods for the reduction and preparation of samples of microbial plant biostimulants and samples intended for determination of microbial pathogens, which will be covered by a different European Standard.

This document specifies a method for laboratory measurement of the pH value in liquid microbial plant biostimulants, using pH electrodes with a glass membrane.
This document does not apply to plant biostimulants other than microbial plant biostimulants.
This document is applicable to the blends of fertilizing products where a blend is a mix of at least two of the following component EU fertilising products categories: Fertilizers, Liming Materials, Soil Improvers, Growing Media, Plant Biostimulants and where the following category Plant Biostimulants is the highest percentage in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of liquid form by dry mass. If Plant Biostimulants is not the highest percentage in the blend, the European Standard for the highest percentage of the blend applies. In case a blend of fertilizing products is composed of components in equal quantity or in case the component EU fertilising products used for the blend have identical formulations , the user decides which standard to apply.

This document specifies the general principles for justifying the product claims for plant biostimulants. It is applicable to all claims and all types of application of plant biostimulants.
General principles define all general parameters, requirements and quality criteria to be applied in order to assess trials conducted to validate the claim(s) associated with the use of a plant biostimulant.
This document is aimed primarily at manufacturers, laboratories, researchers, technical centres and companies that intend to place plant biostimulants on the market, as well as notifying authorities, notified bodies, and market surveillance authorities.

This document gives guidance on a consistent approach to justify the claims associated with the use of plant biostimulants.
This document is aimed primarily at manufacturers, laboratories, researchers, technical centres, and companies that intend to place plant biostimulants on the market, as well as notifying authorities, notified bodies, and market surveillance authorities.
To be in compliance with this standard, it is important to also follow the recommendations and quality criteria described in the standard EN 17700-1:2024 on general principles to demonstrate plant biostimulant claims.

This document provides the methodology for the enumeration and determination of Azospirillum spp. in microbial plant biostimulants.
This document is applicable to the blends of fertilizing products where a blend is a mix of at least two of the following component EU fertilising products categories: Fertilizers, Liming Materials, Soil Improvers, Growing Media, Plant Biostimulants and where the following category Plant Biostimulants is the highest percentage in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of liquid form by dry mass. If Plant Biostimulants is not the highest percentage in the blend, the European Standard for the highest percentage of the blend applies. In case a blend of fertilizing products is composed of components in equal quantity or in case the component EU fertilising products used for the blend have identical formulations , the user decides which standard to apply.

This document specifies a potentiometric method for the determination of chloride (Cl-) content in the presence or in the absence of organic material. This method is applicable to plant biostimulants.
This document is applicable to the blends of fertilizing products where a blend is a mix of at least two of the following component EU fertilising products categories: Fertilizers, Liming Materials, Soil Improvers, Growing Media, Inhibitors, Plant Biostimulants, and where the following category Plant Biostimulants is the highest % in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of liquid form by dry mass. If Plant Biostimulants is not the highest % in the blend, the European Standard for the highest % of the blend applies. In case a blend of fertilizing products is composed of components in equal quantity or in case the component EU fertilising products used for the blend have identical formulations , the user decides which standard to apply.

This document gives guidance on a consistent approach to justify the claims associated with the use of plant biostimulants.
This document is aimed primarily at manufacturers, laboratories, researchers, technical centres, and companies that intend to place plant biostimulants on the market, as well as notifying authorities, notified bodies, and market surveillance authorities.
To be in compliance with this standard, it is important to also follow the recommendations and quality criteria described in the standard EN 17700-1:2024 on general principles to demonstrate plant biostimulant claims.

This document gives guidance on a consistent approach to justify the claims associated with the use of plant biostimulants.
This document is aimed primarily at manufacturers, laboratories, researchers, technical centres and companies that intend to place plant biostimulants on the market, as well as notifying authorities, notified bodies, and market surveillance authorities.
To be in compliance with this standard, it is important to also follow the recommendations and quality criteria described in the standard EN 17700-1:2024 on general principles to demonstrate plant biostimulant claims.

This document specifies sampling plans and methods of representative sampling of plant biostimulants to obtain samples for physical, chemical and biological analysis.
It is applicable to the sampling of batches of plant biostimulants supplied or ready for supply to third parties, as such, or in smaller batches.
This document is applicable to the blends of fertilizing products where a blend is a mix of at least two of the following component EU fertilising products: Fertilizers/Liming Materials/Soil Improvers/Growing Media/Inhibitors/Plant Biostimulants, and where the following category Plant Biostimulants is the highest percentage in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of liquid form by dry mass. If Plant Biostimulants is not the highest percentage in the blend, the European Standard for the highest percentage of the blend applies. In case a blend of fertilizing products is composed of components in equal quantity or in case the component EU fertilising products used for the blend have identical formulations , the user decides which standard to apply.
This document is intended to be used by manufacturers, buyers and competent authorities to obtain samples prior to transport and supply it to a laboratory for testing.

This document specifies the methods to be used for the determination of quantity of plant biostimulants sold or offered for sale.
This document specifies the methods to be used for the determination of quantity of solid and liquid forms of plant biostimulants in packages, containers or in bulk.
This document is not applicable to the quantity determination of: inorganic, organic and organo-mineral fertilizers, liming materials, inhibitors, soil improvers and growing media.
This document is applicable to the blends of fertilizing products where a blend is a mix of at least two of the following component EU fertilising products categories: Fertilizers and Plant Biostimulants, and where the following category Plant Biostimulants is the highest % in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of liquid form by dry mass. If Plant Biostimulants is not the highest % in the blend, the European Standard for the highest % of the blend applies. In case a blend of fertilizing products is composed of components in equal quantity or in case the component EU fertilising products used for the blend have identical formulations , the user decides which standard to apply.

This document specifies the method for the digestion of different plant biostimulants with aqua regia to enable a subsequent determination of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), mercury (Hg), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn). The method can be also applied for determination of other elements. The method is applicable for all solid and/or liquid plant biostimulants.
This document is applicable to the blends of fertilizing products where a blend is a mix of at least two of the following component EU fertilising products categories: Fertilizers, Liming Materials, Soil Improvers, Growing Media, Inhibitors, Plant Biostimulants, and where the following category Plant Biostimulants is the highest % in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of liquid form by dry mass. If Plant Biostimulants is not the highest % in the blend, the European Standard for the highest % of the blend applies. In case a blend of fertilizing products is composed of components in equal quantity or in case the component EU fertilising products used for the blend have identical formulations , the user decides which standard to apply.
The digests are suitable for analysis using EN 17701-2:2024 (ICP-AES) and EN 17701-3:2024 (Hg analysis).
NOTE   Alternatively, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) can be used for the determination of the elements in the aqua regia digests if the user proves that the method gives the same results.

This document specifies a horizontal method for the enumeration and genus/species determination [2], [3], [4] of mycorrhizal fungi in microbial plant biostimulants.
This document is applicable to the blends of fertilizing products where a blend is a mix of at least two of the following component EU fertilising products categories: Fertilizers, Liming Materials, Soil Improvers, Growing Media, Plant Biostimulants and where the following category Plant Biostimulants is the highest percentage in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of liquid form by dry mass. If Plant Biostimulants is not the highest percentage in the blend, the European Standard for the highest percentage of the blend applies. In case a blend of fertilizing products is composed of components in equal quantity or in case the component EU fertilising products used for the blend have identical formulations , the user decides which standard to apply.

This document specifies a method for sampling, extracting and preserving collembolans and mites from field soils as a prerequisite for using these animals as bio-indicators (e.g. to assess the quality of a soil as a habitat for organisms).
The sampling and extraction methods of this document are applicable to almost all types of soils. Exceptions can be soils from extreme climatic conditions (hard, frozen or flooded soils) and other matrices than soil, e.g. tree trunks, plants or lichens.

This document specifies the crucial steps of a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) method to quantify the abundance of specific mRNA molecules extracted from Daphnia magna.
The method allows the identification of molecular responses to exposures for potentially toxic substances through the analysis of the abundance of specific mRNA molecules. In this document, the central genes involved in reproductive and toxic responses are included.
NOTE   The selection of genes can be adapted to specific exposure conditions, for example, exposure to known toxic substances, by adding genes known to respond to a specific insult.
The present method allows for rapid, robust and sensitive detection of molecular responses and can be used to analyse the toxic effects of water leachates from soil and waste. The method gives information of the concentration of a substance or test-liquid at which toxic effects begin to occur prior to observations of reproductive or toxic effects at higher levels of organization, which reduces the need for the use of safety factors in toxicity assessment.
The method is useful in several types of risk assessment. In this document, the genes studied are appropriate for the assessment of the risks when recycling materials and for the classification of waste, but the method can be adapted to other types of risk assessment by including other genes.

This document specifies a rapid method for assessing solid samples in an aerobic suspension, by determining the inhibition of dehydrogenase activity of Arthrobacter globiformis using the redox dye resazurin.
It is applicable for assessing the effect of water-soluble and solid matter bounded non-volatile contaminants in natural samples, such as soils and waste materials. Although not the main purpose, the contact test can additionally be used for testing the effect of chemicals, as described in the Annex C. The test yields a result within 6 h and can therefore be used for screening potentially contaminated test material.

This document specifies the description of the physical unit in organic, organo-mineral and inorganic fertilizers.

This document specifies one of the methods for evaluating the habitat function of soils and determining effects of soil contaminants and substances on the reproduction of Folsomia candida Willem by dermal and alimentary uptake. This document also provides information on how to use this method for testing substances under temperate conditions.
The chronic test described is applicable to soils and soil materials of unknown quality, e.g. from contaminated sites, amended soils, soils after remediation, industrial, agricultural or other sites of concern and waste materials.
The method is not applicable to volatile substances, i.e. substances for which H (Henry's constant) or the air/water partition coefficient is greater than 1, or for which the vapour pressure exceeds 300 Pa at 25 °C.

This document specifies a method for the determination of the following elements in aqua regia, nitric acid or mixture of hydrochloric (HCl), nitric (HNO3) and tetrafluoroboric (HBF4)/hydrofluoric (HF) acid digests of soil, treated biowaste, waste, sludge and sediment:
Aluminium (Al), antimony (Sb), arsenic (As), barium (Ba), beryllium (Be), bismuth (Bi), boron (B), cadmium (Cd), calcium (Ca), cerium (Ce), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), dysprosium (Dy), erbium (Er), europium (Eu), gallium (Ga), gadolinium (Gd), germanium (Ge), gold (Au), hafnium (Hf), holmium (Ho), indium (In), iridium (Ir), iron (Fe), lanthanum (La), lead (Pb), lithium (Li), lutetium (Lu) magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), mercury (Hg), molybdenum (Mo), neodymium (Nd), nickel (Ni), palladium (Pd), phosphorus (P), platinum (Pt), potassium (K), praseodymium (Pr), rhodium (Rh), ruthenium (Ru), samarium (Sm), scandium (Sc), selenium (Se), silicon (Si), silver (Ag), sodium (Na), strontium (Sr), sulfur (S), tantalum (Ta), tellurium (Te), terbium (Tb), thallium (Tl), thulium (Tm), thorium (Th), tin (Sn), titanium (Ti), tungsten (W), vanadium (V), yttrium (Y), ytterbium (Yb), zinc (Zn) and zirconium (Zr).
The method is also applicable to other extracts or digests originating from, for example, DTPA extraction, fusion methods or total digestion methods, provided the user has verified the applicability.
The method has been validated for the elements given in Table A.1 (sludge), Table A.2 (compost) and Table A.3 (soil). The method is applicable for other solid matrices and other elements as listed above, provided the user has verified the applicability.
This method is also applicable for the determination of major, minor and trace elements in aqua regia and nitric acid digests and in eluates of construction products (EN 17200[22]).
NOTE            Construction products include e.g. mineral-based products; bituminous products; metals; wood-based products; plastics and rubbers; sealants and adhesives; paints and coatings.

This document specifies one of the methods for evaluating the habitat function of soils and determining effects of soil contaminants and substances on the reproduction of Enchytraeus sp. by dermal and alimentary uptake in a chronic test. It is applicable to soils and soil materials of unknown quality, for example, from contaminated sites, amended soils, soils after remediation, agricultural or other sites under concern and waste materials.
This document provides information on how to use this method for testing substances under temperate conditions.
The method is not applicable to substances, for which the air/soil partition coefficient is greater than 1, or to substances for which the vapour pressure exceeds 300 Pa at 25 °C.
NOTE      No provision is made in the test method for monitoring the persistence of the substance under test.

This document specifies a method for the determination of phosphorus in fertilizer extracts.
The method is applicable to all extracts of fertilizers for the determination of the different forms of phosphorus as phosphorus soluble in mineral acids, water-soluble phosphorus, phosphorus soluble in solutions of neutral ammonium citrate, phosphorus soluble in 2 % citric acid and phosphorus soluble in a mass fraction of 2 % formic acid.
The method has only been validated on inorganic fertilizers but can be applicable to all extracted phosphorous if proper extraction methods are used.

This Technical Report describes good practice for the incineration and other organic matter treatment by thermal processes of sludges.
Thermal conditioning is excluded.
This Technical Report is applicable for sludges described in the scope of ISO/TC 275 specifically derived from:
—   storm water handling;
—   night soil;
—   urban wastewater collecting systems;
—   urban wastewater treatment plants;
—   treating industrial wastewater similar to urban wastewater;
It includes all sludge that may have similar environmental and/or health impacts but excludes hazardous sludge from industry and dredged sludge.

Ecotoxicity tests can be applied to wastes to identify their potential hazardous properties with respect to the environment or to assess the risk related to a site-specific exposure scenario. This document provides guidance for the selection and use of ecotoxicity tests for both applications.
This document focuses on the following selected field of applications:
a)   Basic ecotoxicological characterization;
b)   Site-specific exposure scenario;
c)   Landfill management:
1)   monitoring of leachates;
2)   mineral waste going to non-controlled landfill sites.
d)   Re-use of waste:
1)   use of sludge in agriculture;
2)   use of mineral waste in road construction.
The user should be aware that other fields of application can also be covered by ecotoxicological testing not being in the scope of the document. The ecotoxicological assessment of waste within other scenarios might need the development of other test strategies.
Depending on the waste type and the assessment goal, relevant criteria are described for the selection of a test strategy and the suitable ecotoxicity test(s).
This document also provides guidance for individual ecotoxicity test protocols to meet the specific demands of waste testing (e.g. limitations, test design, confounding factors).The tests recommended represent a minimum test battery that may be accomplished by additional tests or even be replaced by others according to the waste, the intended use or protection goal envisaged.