ISO 5667-12:2017

Overview - ISO 5667-12:2017 (Water quality sampling - bottom sediments)

ISO 5667-12:2017 provides guidance for sampling unconsolidated bottom sediments from rivers, streams, lakes (limnic environments) and estuarine areas (including harbours). The standard focuses on methods to obtain representative sediment samples and sediment cores for determining geological, physical, chemical, biological and microbiological properties at the water–sediment interface. It excludes industrial and sewage sludges, paleolimnological sampling and open-ocean sediments (covered in ISO 5667-15) and does not address suspended solids (see ISO 5667-17).

Key technical topics and requirements

• Sampling strategy: Design samples according to the investigation type - chemical, physical, or biological - and define spatial/temporal monitoring needs, site selection and sampling points.
• Choice of method: Select appropriate devices and techniques (grab samplers vs corers) depending on sediment consolidation, target depth, and whether intact strata or deposition rates are required.
• Sampling equipment: Guidance covers grab systems and a range of corer systems. Informative annexes describe common samplers (e.g., van Veen scissor-grab, piston corers, gravity corers, freeze coring and others).
• Sampling procedure: Recommendations on containers, composite sampling, subsampling and minimising contamination (note metal/plastic sampler interactions with analytes).
• Core sampling: Procedures for obtaining sediment cores for strata delineation and measuring rates of deposition.
• Sample handling and preservation: Requirements for storage, transport, stabilization and measures to maintain anaerobic conditions where necessary (e.g., inert atmospheres, rapid analysis).
• Site conditions and timing: Consider meteorological, climatic and hydrological conditions that affect representativeness.
• Quality control & records: Emphasis on sample identification, documentation and accounting for uncertainty arising from sampling.
• Safety: Operational safety measures for field teams and equipment deployment.

Practical applications and who uses it

ISO 5667-12 is used by:

• Environmental consultants and field sampling teams conducting sediment quality surveys
• Regulatory agencies assessing dredging, disposal and habitat impacts
• Harbour and port authorities planning dredging or infrastructure works
• Academic and applied researchers studying sediment transport, deposition rates and benthic ecology
• Laboratories receiving sediment samples for chemical, physical and biological analysis

Benefits include improved representativeness of samples, reduced contamination risk, and clearer traceability for compliance, impact assessment and scientific studies.

Related standards

• ISO 5667-1: Design of sampling programmes and techniques
• ISO 5667-15: Preservation and handling of sludge and sediment samples
• ISO 5667-17: Sampling of suspended solids
• ISO 6107: Terminology related to water sampling

Keywords: ISO 5667-12:2017, water quality sampling, bottom sediments, sediment cores, estuarine sampling, limnic sampling, sediment sampling guidance.