Ecotoxicological characterization of soil quality - standardization of test methods and practical experiences

Legislation has taken into account the significance of the soil as life basis and biotope for men, animals, plants and soil organisms. Ecotoxicological test methods are used as tools for the hazard assessment of chemical properties or the characterization of the contaminated soil with respect to its functions. The importance of soil organisms for the functions of the soil has been identified and described sufficiently in literature and is only summarized shortly. The structure and the work programme of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) with respect to soil quality testing is described. The state of standardization focussing on tests using soil organisms and the recent ISO activities concerning the development of new approaches in soil quality testing are reviewed. As many of the existing test methods have been developed for chemical testing the existing methods need to be adapted and optimised. As an example, experiences gained with the ISO "Higher plant growth test" in validation experiments are presented.