🌿 Guidance on techniques for taking and storing soil samples for physical, chemical, biological and radiological examination (agricultural purposes and contamination investigations, excluding geotechnical investigations and hard strata) — choice of equipment and technique based on preliminary site information, disturbed samples (most tests) and undisturbed samples (e.g. microbiology, volatile compounds — Kubiena box, coring cylinder), spot, slot, stratified, cluster and spatial (composite) samples, gaining access to the sampling point and taking the sample as two steps, prevention of cross-contamination (cleaning equipment between locations, borehole lining, tools of controlled composition), safety and environmental protection; PN-ISO 10381-2:2007 (withdrawn 12.03.2025, no successor indicated)

Environment PN-ISO 10381-2

Overview

WHAT THE STANDARD COVERS. We read the text of the standard in the iTeh sample of ISO 10381-2:2002 (first edition of 01.11.2002, English text) — PN-ISO 10381-2:2007 adopts ISO 10381-2:2002 as identical (PKN record): foreword, introduction, clauses 1–5 and the beginning of clause 6 (safety and environmental protection) — the sample ends on page 6. We do not read protection of persons, buildings and the environment (6.1–6.3), backfilling (6.4), detailed techniques (7), storage of samples, containers and labelling (8), the sampling report (9) or Annex A (manually and power-operated sampling tools); we know their titles from the table of contents.

ACCORDING TO THE TEXT OF ISO 10381-2:2002. The standard was prepared by ISO/TC 190 "Soil quality", Subcommittee SC 2 "Sampling". The ISO 10381 series: Part 1 — design of sampling programmes, Part 2 — techniques, Part 3 — safety, Part 4 — natural, near-natural and cultivated sites, Part 5 — soil contamination of urban and industrial sites, Part 6 — samples for assessing aerobic microbial processes; Parts 7 (soil gas) and 8 (stockpiles) in preparation. Introduction: Part 2 is used together with the other parts; it covers soil investigation, including agricultural and contamination investigations, not geotechnical ones; equipment, locations, tests, type of sample, depth, soil type and representativeness are decided according to Parts 1, 4 and 5. Scope (1): guidance on techniques for taking and storing soil samples for investigating soil quality; typical equipment for particular situations, choice of equipment and technique for collecting disturbed and undisturbed samples at different depths; for agricultural purposes and contamination investigations, which require different techniques and skills; references to sampling groundwater and soil gas within a soil sampling programme; not applicable to geotechnical investigations (although they may be combined where a site is redeveloped), hard strata or techniques without taking samples, e.g. geophysical methods. References (2): ISO 11074-1, -2, -4 (vocabulary). Definitions (3): spot (single) sample — from a single point, disturbed or undisturbed; slot sample — a vertical slot from a stratum considered homogeneous (disturbed); stratified sample — combination of spot samples from strata (disturbed); cluster sample — composite of small increments taken close together (disturbed); spatial sample — composite of small increments taken over an area, e.g. a field (disturbed). Principle (4.1): samples are examined mainly to determine physical, chemical, biological and radiological parameters; samples should be as representative as possible and not change between sampling and analysis; disturbed samples are normally taken, and undisturbed ones — e.g. for microbiological or geotechnical purposes — in such a way that particles and pores remain unaltered; multiphase systems (e.g. waste) can be particularly difficult; the choice of technique also depends on the required precision; equipment is selected for the materials and analyses; cross-contamination, loss of volatile compounds and changes due to exposure to air are to be avoided; every technique consists of two interdependent steps — gaining access to the sampling point (removing cover, digging or drilling) and taking the sample. Water and soil gas (4.2, 4.3): water is sampled according to standards for groundwater or surface water; soil gas — typical landfill gas components (methane, carbon dioxide), and at contaminated sites also solvents or fuels. Choice of technique (5.1): depends on the objective, strata, nature of possible contamination and tests; the information needed includes size and topography of the area, ground, variability, geology, depth and flow direction of groundwater, sampling depths (taking future use into account), previous use, buildings, foundations, tanks and underground services, hardstandings, safety of personnel and environmental protection, roots, standing water, fences, tipped material and demolition rubble, water bodies at risk; extreme conditions (permafrost, laterization, calcrete) require special techniques and must be known before the programme is designed; a desk study or preliminary survey is strongly recommended — where contamination is suspected it is essential for cost-effectiveness and for the safety of personnel and the environment. Type of sample (5.2): disturbed samples (structure not preserved) suit most purposes except some physical measurements, profiles and microbiological examinations; undisturbed samples are taken, among others, when volatile organic compounds are to be determined, because disturbance causes their loss — e.g. with a Kubiena box, coring tool or cylinder pushed into the soil; apart from a small slot sample, other methods give composite samples (average, aggregate samples) — not useful for characteristics that change when combined (e.g. volatile compounds), peak concentrations or variability; spot samples are easily taken with a hand auger; cluster samples — when using excavators, from portions at several locations within the bucket (e.g. a nine-point sample); spatial samples — with hand or powered augers, collecting the same amount each time. Selection of technique (5.3): characteristics bound to soil horizons require stratified sampling; spatial variation — spot samples; distribution and concentration of elements or compounds — usually spot (possibly slot or cluster) samples; overall quality of an area (e.g. agricultural purposes) — spatial samples; sample size large enough for all tests and to represent the characteristics, but not so large as to obscure variation; sampling, transport and storage must not change the characteristics of interest; increments with different properties are combined in a composite sample according to their volume fraction. Cross-contamination (5.4): transfer of substances from equipment or containers, material dropping from higher up the borehole during drilling or withdrawal, release of substances from the sampler or container, loss of volatile compounds, leakage, mechanical separation, contamination by auxiliary substances (fuels, exhaust fumes, greases, oils, glues), wind-blown particles, spilled liquids or precipitation; equipment is cleaned between locations — also when forming an agricultural composite sample across a field; a lubricant easing drilling (e.g. water) must not interfere with the analyses; tools of controlled composition — e.g. a stainless-steel trowel for organic compounds, plastics normally do not interfere with heavy metals; devices in contact with samples must never be painted, greased or chemically treated; borehole lining protects against material dropping from above. Safety and environment (6): on highly contaminated sites probeholes and boreholes are considered instead of excavations to reduce exposure and dispersal; where the site surface is obviously contaminated and dust dispersal or water pollution is possible, the landowner and local authorities are informed and national regulations are obeyed; see ISO 10381-3.

STATUS (as of 03.10.2026). The PKN search engine (query "PN-ISO 10381-2", 03.10.2026) returns one result: PN-ISO 10381-2:2007 — Polish version, "Withdrawn", "Introduces: ISO 10381-2:2002 [IDT]". The record of the standard (read 03.10.2026): publication date 15-02-2007, withdrawal date 12-03-2025, 30 pages, KT 192 "General and Soil Physics"; the record does not indicate a replacing standard. We did not read the status of ISO 10381-2:2002 in the iTeh catalogue (since 03.10.2026 the catalogue pages require a browser with scripts). What the withdrawal changes for the result: the record indicates no successor, so there is no newer PN text to compare the rules with — both laboratories still cite the withdrawn edition.

HOW MANY LABORATORIES AND IN WHAT FORM (copy of the accreditation scope database, load up to 17.09.2026, read 03.10.2026). The number 10381-2 appears in 2 records at 2 laboratories: AB 835 and AB 1186. In the current PCA documents (read 03.10.2026; AB 1186 issue no. 18 of 29.01.2026, AB 835 issue no. 24 of 18.08.2026) the number appears at the same 2 laboratories; in each document the number of page markers equals the number of PDF pages, without duplicates; searching all PCA documents downloaded from the BIP on 03.10.2026 found no laboratories outside the database copy. Form at both: "PN-ISO 10381-2:2007" — at AB 1186 together with PN-ISO 10381-4:2007 and PN-R-04031:1997, at AB 835 together with PN-ISO 10381-5:2009. None of these items is suspended. The "Laboratories" tab (query "PN-ISO 10381-2") shows both laboratories — checked by a tab query on the labcoda.pl production server on 03.10.2026.

WHAT THE LABORATORIES TEST (PCA items). AB 1186: soils — sampling for chemical tests and physical properties. AB 835: soil — sampling for physical and chemical tests. PN-ISO 10381-4, PN-ISO 10381-5 and PN-R-04031 have separate entries in the Knowledge Base.

WHERE A SEEMINGLY CORRECT RESULT IS EASY TO GET. Type of sample: composite samples are unsuitable for volatile compounds, peak concentrations or assessing variability (5.2); volatile compounds require undisturbed samples (5.2). Equipment: an insufficiently cleaned auger carries material over from the previous point — also for agricultural field samples (5.4). Borehole: material dropping from higher up enters the sample from the deeper layer — lining helps (5.4). Materials: painted, greased or coated tools are excluded; stainless steel for organic compounds, plastics for heavy metals (5.4). Combining increments: according to their volume fraction in the population sampled (5.3). Sample size: sufficient for all tests but not so large as to obscure variation (5.3). Reconnaissance: without a preliminary survey it is easy to miss underground services, tipped material or water bodies at risk (5.1). Scope: the standard does not cover geotechnical investigations or hard strata (1). Status: both laboratories cite a standard withdrawn on 12.03.2025.

WHAT WE DO NOT GIVE. We do not reproduce the detailed techniques (7), requirements for containers, labels and storage (8), the content of the report (9) or the description of tools in Annex A — they are outside the sample. We do not summarize ISO 10381-1, -3, -4 or -5 in this entry.

Method principle

Taking a soil sample consists of two interdependent steps: gaining access to the point (removing the cover, digging or drilling a hole to the required depth) and taking the sample. Technique and equipment are chosen for the objective, strata, possible contamination and the planned analyses: disturbed samples (loose particles) suffice for most determinations, while undisturbed samples, with structure and pores preserved, are taken among others for microbiological examinations and volatile compounds. Increments are combined into a composite sample only when the objective allows it, and equipment is cleaned between locations so as not to carry contamination over.

Applications

• Soil quality investigations for agricultural purposes — among others spatial samples from a field (1, 5.3)
• Soil contamination investigations — spot, slot or cluster samples; undisturbed samples for volatile compounds (1, 5.2, 5.3)
• Elements of groundwater and soil gas sampling within a soil investigation programme (1, 4.2, 4.3)
• Soils — sampling for chemical and physical tests — 2 accreditation scope records of 2 laboratories in PCA

Key parameters

Standard

Standard number

PN-ISO 10381-2:2007

Title (PL)

Jakość gleby — Pobieranie próbek — Część 2: Zasady dotyczące technik pobierania

Title (EN)

Soil quality — Sampling — Part 2: Guidance on sampling techniques

Step-by-step procedure

1. Preliminary survey

   Information on the site, ground, water, underground services and previous use (5.1). PN-ISO 10381-2:2007 — withdrawn 12.03.2025, no successor indicated (PKN record).

2. Choice of sample type and technique

   Disturbed or undisturbed; spot, stratified, spatial etc. according to the objective (5.2, 5.3).

3. Access to the point and sampling

   Excavation or borehole, possibly with lining; taking the sample (4.1, 5.4).

4. Preventing contamination

   Cleaning equipment between locations, tools of controlled composition, protection from dust and precipitation (5.4).

5. Safety and environment

   On contaminated sites probeholes instead of excavations; informing the landowner and authorities (6).

Required equipment and apparatus

Reagents, media and consumables

Health and safety (OHS)

• On highly contaminated sites probeholes and boreholes are considered instead of excavations to reduce exposure and dispersal of contamination (6)
• The preliminary survey also serves personnel safety and environmental protection; see ISO 10381-3 (5.1, 6)

Frequently asked questions