First meeting of the Global Soil Laboratory Network (GLOSOLAN), 1 - 2 Nov 2017 at FAO HQ in Rome. This network will be composed of national soil reference laboratories as a means to exchange resources, knowledge and experience. The goal of GLOSOLAN is to strengthen the performance of laboratories in support of the harmonization of soil data sets and information towards the development of standards. Indeed, the harmonization of soil analysis is a critical component of making soil information comparable and interpretable across laboratories, countries and regions. Presentation by Frank Lamé, Chairman ISO/TC 190.

1. ISO/TC 190 – Soil Quality
Challenges in Standards development and
harmonization
Frank Lamé – Chairman ISO/TC 190

2. ISO/TC 190 – Quick overview
• Established 1985 – 32 (!) years of Standards development
• 173 published Standards / 44 Standards under development
• 28 P-members / 29 O-members
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3. Published Standards
• WG 1: Soil and Climate Change
Scientific paper (2017): Accounting for Carbon Stocks in Soils and Measuring GHGs
Emission Fluxes from Soils: Do we Have the Necessary Standards?
• SC 1: Evaluation of criteria, terminology and codification: 5
E.g. Vocabulary, field soil description, digital exchange of soil-related data
• SC 2: Sampling: 14
E.g. 18400-series (e.g. sampling plan, strategies, techniques, safety, QA/QC,
investigation of natural, near-natural and cultivated sites)
• SC 3: Chemical methods and soil characteristics: 79
E.g. trace elements, OCBs/PCBs, PAHs, pH, CEC, nitrogen, nitrate, phosphor, dry
matter and water content, screening methods, acid sulfate soils
• SC 4: Biological methods: 40
E.g. DNA extraction, effects of pollutants (fungi, earthworms, soil flora, land snails,
insect larvae), chronic toxicity in higher plants
• SC 7: Soil and site assessment: 24
E.g. Geochemical modelling of leaching, characterization (groundwater protection,
ecotoxicological, re-use, human exposure), bioavailability, sustainable remediation
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4. Published Standards
• WG 1: Soil and Climate Change
Scientific paper (2017): Accounting for Carbon Stocks in Soils and Measuring GHGs
Emission Fluxes from Soils: Do we Have the Necessary Standards?
• SC 1: Evaluation of criteria, terminology and codification: 5
E.g. Vocabulary, field soil description, digital exchange of soil-related data
• SC 2: Sampling: 14
18400-series (e.g. sampling plan, strategies, techniques, safety, QA/QC, investigation
of natural, near-natural and cultivated sites)
• SC 3: Chemical methods and soil characteristics: 79
E.g. trace elements, OCBs/PCBs, PAHs, pH, CEC, nitrogen, nitrate, phosphor, dry
matter and water content, screening methods, acid sulfate soils
• SC 4: Biological methods: 40
E.g. DNA extraction, effects of pollutants (fungi, earthworms, soil flora, land snails,
insect larvae), chronic toxicity in higher plants
• SC 7: Soil and site assessment: 24
Geochemical modelling of leaching, characterization (groundwater protection,
ecotoxicological, re-use, human exposure), bioavailability, sustainable remediation
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5. Published Standards
• WG 1: Soil and Climate Change
Scientific paper (2017): Accounting for Carbon Stocks in Soils and Measuring GHGs
Emission Fluxes from Soils: Do we Have the Necessary Standards?
• SC 1: Evaluation of criteria, terminology and codification: 5
E.g. Vocabulary, field soil description, digital exchange of soil-related data
• SC 2: Sampling: 14
18400-series (e.g. sampling plan, strategies, techniques, safety, QA/QC, investigation
of natural, near-natural and cultivated sites)
• SC 3: Chemical methods and soil characteristics: 79
E.g. trace elements, OCBs/PCBs, PAHs, pH, CEC, nitrogen, nitrate, phosphor, dry
matter and water content, screening methods, acid sulfate soils
• SC 4: Biological methods: 40
E.g. DNA extraction, effects of pollutants (fungi, earthworms, soil flora, land snails,
insect larvae), chronic toxicity in higher plants
• SC 7: Soil and site assessment: 24
Geochemical modelling of leaching, characterization (groundwater protection,
ecotoxicological, re-use, human exposure), bioavailability, sustainable remediation
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6. Reliability is essential
• Reliability of results is essential
• Because decisions will be based on these result
• In laymen's terms
• The (laboratory) result should be correct
• It represents the reality and it should be reliable
• If I repeat the measurement, I should get the same result
• I should even get the same result when someone else
reproduces my measurement
So the stakes are high!
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7. Standardized methods
• ISO/TC 190: A method will only be published as a Standard
when validation data is available
• Intra and Inter laboratory trial(s)
• Validity should be proven
• Based on a set of representative samples
• Consequently applying ISO Standards provides a basis for
reliable and comparable results
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8. Harmonization – the next level
• Application of Standards allows for comparable results
• Harmonization implies that indeed ‘everybody’ applies
that same Standard
• Therefore standardization is (only) a step towards
harmonization
• Harmonization can be reached:
• When there is a clear (economic) driver
• When international legislation prescribes
• When prescribed by major international institutions
• Harmonization on a purely voluntary basis might be an
illusion
• Harmonization should not hamper future developments
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9. GLOSOLAN and ISO/TC 190
• ISO/TC 190 welcomes participation from the community
Technically:
• When there is a need for specific Standards, these can be
developed in ISO/TC 190
• It would significantly help Standard development if the
request comes together with experts
Formally:
• Formal participation needs to be arranged through NSBs
• A formal liaison can be established to ensure exchange of
information
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10. • For more details, please see
• https://www.iso.org/technical-committees.html
• And scroll down to ISO/TC 190
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