ISO 15800:2019

Overview - ISO 15800:2019 (Soil quality - Characterization of soil with respect to human exposure)

ISO 15800:2019 provides guidance on the type and extent of soil characterization needed to evaluate human exposure to potentially harmful substances (PHSs) in soil. The standard explains how to identify relevant exposure pathways (direct and indirect), how soil properties influence exposure, and what sampling and analytical considerations are needed to support exposure and health-risk evaluations. It does not cover numerical model selection or exposure to radioactivity, pathogens or asbestos.

Key technical topics and requirements

• Scope and exclusions
  • Guidance focused on soil-related human exposure (direct: ingestion, inhalation, dermal; indirect: via plants/animals).
  • Excludes radioactivity, pathogens and asbestos guidance and the design/selection of exposure models.
• Exposure pathways and receptors
  • Detailed discussion of ingestion, inhalation (dust and vapours), cutaneous contact, plant uptake and animal product intake.
  • Importance of defining potential human receptors and site-specific scenarios.
• Sampling strategies for site characterization
  • Site-specific sampling design tied to the conceptual site model (CSM), including soil, dust and vapour sampling considerations.
  • Practical sampling considerations for deep soil, surface layers and media linked to human exposure.
• Soil as a reactive matrix
  • Identification of physical, chemical and biological soil parameters that influence contaminant mobility, bioaccessibility and bioavailability.
• Analytical strategy and data quality
  • Emphasis on analytical data quality objectives (detection limits, accuracy, reproducibility) and appropriate methods for metals/metalloids and organic contaminants.
  • Consideration of bioaccessibility/bioavailability testing where relevant to better estimate actual human exposure.
• Management and evaluation of results
  • Data handling, interpretation and quality assurance to support exposure assessment and decision-making.

Practical applications and users

ISO 15800:2019 is intended for professionals involved in:

• Environmental consultants and remediation engineers conducting site investigations for contaminated sites.
• Public health officials and regulators assessing human exposure and land-use suitability.
• Risk assessors preparing health risk assessments and constructing conceptual site models.
• Property developers and waste managers making decisions on remediation, reuse or disposal of soil and soil materials.

Typical uses include classifying contaminated sites, prioritizing remediation, informing land‑use decisions, and supporting disposal/re-use choices based on human exposure potential.

Related standards

• ISO 11074 - Soil quality: Vocabulary
• ISO 25177 - Soil quality: Field soil description
• ISO 17924 - Methods related to bioaccessibility/bioavailability
• Other ISO standards and guidance for surface water and groundwater characterization (complementary to soil exposure assessments)

Keywords: ISO 15800:2019, soil quality, soil characterization, human exposure, contaminated sites, exposure pathways, bioaccessibility, sampling strategy, conceptual site model, health risk assessment.