ISO 26367-3:2022

Overview

ISO 26367-3:2022 - Guidelines for assessing the adverse environmental impact of fire effluents (Part 3: Sampling and analysis) provides best-practice guidance for sampling and laboratory analysis of effluents produced during fires that can cause environmental contamination. It supplements ISO TC 92/SC 3 standards for experimental and test fires and is intended to be used with ISO 26367-1 and ISO 26367-2. The standard focuses on characterizing airborne effluents (plume), solid residues (soil, debris) and liquid phases including firefighting run‑off.

Key topics and technical requirements

ISO 26367-3:2022 covers practical and technical elements needed to generate defensible environmental data:

• Indicators and pollutants: selection of target analytes relevant to environmental harm and baseline/background concentration considerations.
• Sampling requirements: general guidance, personnel competence, and sampling techniques for:
  • Fire plume sampling (in situ, extractive, open‑path optical methods),
  • Liquid phase sampling (surface water, run‑off),
  • Solid phase sampling (soil, deposited particulates).
• Sample storage and handling: procedures for gases and vapours, particulates and aerosols, liquids and solids to preserve integrity prior to analysis.
• Sample analysis: recommended analytical categories and approaches for gases/vapours, general atmospheric pollutants, organic pollutants, metals/elements, particulates/aerosols, liquid and solid phase organics/metals, and specific hazards such as asbestos fibres.
• Data quality: guidance on calculation of effluent concentrations, method validation, error quantification, and standard reporting requirements to ensure transparency and comparability.

Practical applications and users

ISO 26367-3:2022 is designed for professionals who need reliable environmental data after fire incidents:

• Environmental regulatory authorities monitoring contamination and enforcing standards.
• Public health authorities assessing ecosystem and indirect human exposure risks.
• Fire investigators reconstructing events and assessing pollutant release pathways.
• Property owners and environmental consultants planning remediation, containment and long‑term monitoring. Typical uses include post‑fire environmental impact assessments, sampling programs for firefighting run‑off, plume dispersion studies, baseline and background determination, and evidence for regulatory or litigation processes.

Related standards

• ISO 26367-1 (General) and ISO 26367-2 (Methodology for compiling data)
• ISO 3941 (Classification of fires)
• ISO 13943 (Fire safety - Vocabulary)
• ISO 14050 (Environmental management - Vocabulary)
• ISO 19258 (Soil quality - Background values)

Keywords: ISO 26367-3:2022, fire effluents, sampling and analysis, environmental impact, fire plume sampling, firefighting run‑off, soil contamination, air quality, pollutants, method validation.