Earthworms as an indicator of soil quality — new edition of the sampling standard
EN ISO 23611-1:2026 modernises hand-sorting and extraction of earthworms, the method used to assess soil quality through the organisms living in it.
- Biological soil testing complements chemical determinations: it shows the effect of contamination on organisms rather than the concentration of a substance alone.
- The standard covers sampling of soil invertebrates by hand-sorting and extraction — the stage that decides whether results from different sites are comparable.
- For an environmental laboratory this sits on the border of field work: the activity is performed on site and the result depends on sampling conditions as much as on the determination.
- The 2026 edition supersedes the previous one — laboratories holding this standard in their scope of accreditation have to report the change of reference document.
Source: CEN — EN ISO 23611-1:2026 (Soil quality — Sampling of soil invertebrates — Part 1)