20 Feb 2018
The British Standards Institution (BSI) has requested comment from relevant parties on two draft standards relating to soil quality.
The first and most immediate is for Draft International Standard BS EN ISO DIS 16133 - Soil quality - Guidance on the establishment and maintenance of monitoring programmes, with comments due by 14 March.
The standard is intended to define procedures for the establishment and maintenance of programmes for long-term monitoring of soil quality.
Soil monitoring is a long-term undertaking that relies on the careful choice of monitoring sites, their maintenance over a number of years, and appropriate quality control at all stages of the process.
The document, which can be reviewed here, is intended to help provide a basis for dialogue between parties that might be involved in a monitoring scheme.
The second is Draft International Standard 15800 - Soil characterisation with respect to human exposure – comments are due by 8 April.
Data from characterisations of soils and sites relative to human exposure are used worldwide by companies, individuals and local and national authorities to inform decision making - for example, when planning for reuse of contaminated land, recommending remediation of sites, or advising on disposal of contaminated material.
The standard provides guidance on the kind and extent of soil characterisation necessary for the evaluation of human exposure to substances present in the soil that could cause adverse effects.
Both draft standards can be requested for review by contacting Jessy Mathew (jessy.mathew@bsigroup.com), who will also be receiving the comments.