Overview - ISO 13859:2014 (Soil quality - Determination of PAH)
ISO 13859:2014 defines laboratory procedures for the quantitative determination of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in sludge, soil, and treated biowaste. The standard covers sample pretreatment, extraction, clean‑up, instrumental analysis by GC‑MS and HPLC‑UV‑DAD/FLD, and quality controls (internal and injection standards). It is designed to cover a wide contamination range (typically down to about 0.01 mg/kg dry matter for each PAH) and provides decision tables to select appropriate extraction and clean‑up routes for different matrices.
Key target PAHs included:
- Naphthalene, Acenaphthene, Acenaphthylene, Fluorene, Anthracene, Phenanthrene
- Fluoranthene, Pyrene, Benz(a)anthracene, Chrysene
- Benzo(b)fluoranthene, Benzo(k)fluoranthene, Benzo(a)pyrene
- Indeno(1,2,3‑cd)pyrene, Dibenz(a,h)anthracene, Benzo(ghi)perylene
Note: when using fluorescence detection (FLD), acenaphthylene cannot be measured.
Key technical topics and requirements
- Matrices validated: sludge (e.g., municipal sludge), soil and treated biowaste (e.g., fresh compost); other matrices may be possible if validated.
- Extraction approaches: two general lines - agitation (shaking) or Soxhlet / pressurized liquid extraction (PLE); decision tables guide method choice depending on matrix properties and expected interferences.
- Clean‑up: matrix‑dependent clean‑up to remove co‑extractives prior to instrumental analysis; thorough clean‑up is critical to reach low detection limits and avoid co‑elution.
- Instrumental analysis: GC‑MS (capillary, low‑polarity phase) and HPLC with UV‑DAD or fluorescence detectors (reversed phase columns) are specified. Chromatographic separation of certain critical pairs can be challenging and must meet quality criteria.
- Quality control: use of internal and injection standards; blank tests and performance characteristics (repeatability/reproducibility) are part of the procedure.
- Detection limits: depend on instrument, reagents, extraction and clean‑up; typical lower application limit ~0.01 mg/kg (dry matter).
Practical applications and users
ISO 13859:2014 is intended for:
- Environmental and analytical laboratories performing routine PAH monitoring
- Regulatory and compliance testing for contaminated land, sludge management, and biowaste treatment
- Remediation contractors, soil scientists, and wastewater treatment facilities assessing PAH contamination
- Public health and environmental agencies requiring standardized, comparable PAH data
Use cases: site contamination assessment, land‑use decision support, monitoring of sludge/compost for land application, and forensic environmental investigations.
Related standards
Standards referenced by ISO 13859:2014 include:
- ISO 5667‑15 (sampling/preservation of sludge and sediment)
- ISO 11465 (dry matter/water content)
- ISO 14507 (sample pretreatment for organic contaminants)
- ISO 18512 (sample storage guidance)
- ISO 22892 (GC‑MS identification guidance)
- EN 16167 (related method for PCBs)
Keywords: ISO 13859:2014, soil quality, PAH determination, GC‑MS, HPLC‑UV‑DAD, fluorescence detection, sludge testing, biowaste analysis, Soxhlet, pressurized liquid extraction.