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This document provides guidance on the sampling of soils of

— natural and near-natural sites,

— natural arboreal areas including forests and woods,

— areas used for agriculture (arable and pasture sites),

— areas used for horticulture (including domestic gardens, allotments), and

— areas used for special crop-cultivation, orchards, vineyards, commercial plantations and forests, etc.

It is applicable to

— soil investigations and evaluations in the field, and

— collection of samples for chemical, geochemical, physical, and biological characterization of soil and soil materials in the laboratory.

This document sets out appropriate strategies for the design of sampling programmes, field procedures and subsequent treatment of samples for transport and storage prior to sample pretreatment (e.g. drying, milling). It is intended to be used in conjunction with the other parts of the ISO 18400 series. Attention is, in particular, drawn to the requirements concerning collection, handling and storage of soil for assessment of biological functions in ISO 18400-206.

NOTE 1 Groundwater and surface water can be adversely impacted by agricultural and related activities, such as nitrates and pesticides, and by translocation of soil particles. In turn, knowledge about water quality can provide information about possible sources of groundwater contamination or contaminating run-off. Investigation of groundwater and surface water quality is outside of the scope of this document; relevant guidance is given in the ISO 5667 series of standards. ISO 15175 provides guidance on the relationship between soil properties and groundwater quality.

NOTE 2 It could also be appropriate to investigate ambient air, vegetation, potable water supplies and a variety of other media depending on the findings of the preliminary investigation.