ISO 11269-1:2012 PDF

Overview

ISO 11269-1:2012 - Soil quality - Determination of the effects of pollutants on soil flora - Part 1: Method for the measurement of inhibition of root growth - is an international standard that defines a laboratory phytotoxicity test to assess how contaminated soils, soil materials or added substances affect root elongation of terrestrial plants. The method compares root growth in test soils or test mixtures against a control (reference or standard soil) under controlled conditions, using pregerminated seedlings and standardized substrates.

Key technical topics and requirements

• Test objective: Measurement of inhibition of root growth (primary root elongation) as an indicator of phytotoxic effects; not intended to measure long‑term soil productivity.
• Test plants: Recommended monocot species include winter barley (Hordeum vulgare), oat (Avena sativa) and wheat (Triticum aestivum); other species with straight, measurable roots may be used if appropriate.
• Substrates and controls: Use of reference soil or a standard/artificial soil; artificial soil contains peat, kaolinite clay, quartz sand and calcium carbonate to adjust pH (an alternative mix for non‑polar substances is peat 5 %, clay 20 %, sand 75 %).
• Sample preparation: Test soils should be sieved (2 mm mesh) and fine particles (