ISO 15009:2016

Overview

ISO 15009:2016 - Soil quality - describes a validated purge-and-trap with thermal desorption method for the quantitative gas‑chromatographic determination of volatile aromatic hydrocarbons, naphthalene and volatile halogenated hydrocarbons in soil. The method applies to all soil types (with a caution for unsaturated peaty soils that may absorb extraction solvent) and covers sampling, methanol extraction, purge-and-trap concentration, thermal desorption and GC analysis. Detection can be by GC‑FID, GC‑ECD, GC‑MS (and other detectors such as PID or ELCD), with limits of quantification depending on equipment and reagent quality.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Scope & applicability: Designed for field‑moist soil samples; aims to minimize volatile losses by coring or immediate methanol addition.
• Sample extraction: Methanol extraction of soil, centrifugation and transfer of extract to a purge vessel (method details given in the standard).
• Purge‑and‑trap principle: Volatiles purged with an inert gas (nitrogen or helium), trapped on an adsorbent, then thermally desorbed into the GC.
• Detection & quantification:
  • Typical LOQ (dry matter basis): volatile aromatic hydrocarbons ~0.1 mg/kg (GC‑FID); volatile halogenated hydrocarbons ~0.01 mg/kg (GC‑ECD).
  • Lower LOQs achievable with GC‑MS using selected ion monitoring.
  • Use of internal standards and external calibration for identification and quantification.
• Quality control: Blank determinations, calibration procedures, validation, precision and reporting requirements are specified.
• Instrument considerations: Offline purge‑and‑trap is described; commercially available online systems may be used after validation. The standard also provides guidance on reagents (e.g., degassed water), adsorbents, and suitable internal standards.

Practical applications and users

• Environmental laboratories performing soil quality and contamination testing.
• Site assessment and monitoring for contaminated land, industrial sites and remediation verification.
• Regulatory compliance testing where quantification of volatile aromatics, naphthalene and halogenated VOCs in soil is required.
• Environmental consultants, remediation contractors, government agencies and instrument manufacturers validating purge‑and‑trap GC systems.

Related standards

• ISO 10381 series (soil sampling guidance)
• ISO 11465 (dry matter and water content)
• ISO 15680 (water quality purge‑and‑trap GC methods)
• ISO 18512 (sample storage guidance)
• ISO 22892 (GC–MS identification guidelines)

ISO 15009:2016 is essential for labs and practitioners seeking a standardized, traceable approach to measuring soil VOCs using purge‑and‑trap and thermal desorption coupled to gas chromatography.