prEN 16175-2

• Abstract:

  This European Standard specifies a method for the determination of mercury in aqua regia or nitric acid; digests of sludge, treated biowaste and soil, obtained according to EN ISO 54321 or EN 13173 using cold-; vapour atomic absorption spectrometry (CV-AAS). The lower working range limit is at least 0,003 mg/kg (dry; matter basis) depending on digestion parameters.

• Status: Not Published
• Publication Date: 20-Jun-2028
• ICS: 13.030.01 - Wastes in general
• ICS: 13.080.01 - Soil quality and pedology in general
• ICS: 13.080.10 - Chemical characteristics of soils
• Technical Committee: CEN/TC 444 - Environmental characterization
• Drafting Committee: CEN/TC 444/WG 3 - Inorganic analysis
• Current Stage: 4020 - Submission to enquiry - Enquiry
• Start Date: 03-Sep-2026
• Due Date: 03-Feb-2027
• Completion Date: 03-Sep-2026
• Ref Project: oSIST prEN 16175-2:2026 - Soil, treated biowaste and sludge - Determination of mercury - Part 2: Cold-vapour atomic fluorescence spectrometry (CV-AFS)

• Revises: EN 16175-2:2016 - Sludge, treated biowaste and soil - Determination of mercury - Part 2: Cold-vapour atomic fluorescence spectrometry (CV-AFS)
• Effective Date: 18-Mar-2026

Overview

prEN 16175-2: Soil, Treated Biowaste and Sludge - Determination of Mercury - Part 2: Cold-vapour Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometry (CV-AFS) is a European standard developed by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN/TC 444). This standard specifies a reliable method for the determination of mercury in aqua regia or nitric acid digests of environmental matrices including soil, treated biowaste, and sludge. The technique used is cold-vapour atomic fluorescence spectrometry (CV-AFS), ensuring accurate measurement of mercury concentrations as low as 0.003 mg/kg (dry matter basis), depending on digestion parameters.

prEN 16175-2 is applicable to sample matrices processed by digestion with aqua regia (EN ISO 54321) or nitric acid (EN 16173), offering laboratories a harmonized approach for monitoring mercury contamination in environmental and waste materials.

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Key Topics

• Scope and Applicability

  • Measurement of mercury in soil, treated biowaste, and sludge digests.
  • Suitable for matrices prepared by digestion with either aqua regia or nitric acid.

• Analytical Principle

  • Mercury in the sample is reduced to the elemental state using tin(II) chloride or sodium borohydride.
  • Elemental mercury is volatilized and detected by atomic fluorescence at a characteristic wavelength.
  • Calibration curves are used for quantification.

• Interferences and Limitations

  • The method addresses interferences from other elements and matrix effects.
  • Recommendations provided for avoiding water vapour suppression and managing matrix components.

• Instrumentation

  • Suitable for both manual and automated CV-AFS systems.
  • Detailed requirements for reagents, sample preparation, and calibration.

• Performance and Validation

  • The method includes proven repeatability and reproducibility standards validated across various matrices (sludge, compost, soil).

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Applications

• Environmental Monitoring

  • Essential for routine monitoring of mercury levels in soils and wastes to comply with regulatory requirements.
  • Supports assessment of environmental pollution and remediation efforts.

• Waste Management Facilities

  • Used to analyze mercury content in sludge and treated biowaste prior to disposal or reuse.
  • Assists in verifying compliance with sector-specific limits for hazardous substances.

• Soil Remediation Projects

  • Provides high-sensitivity detection needed for site assessment and long-term monitoring during remediation activities.

• Research and Laboratories

  • Offers a robust, validated protocol for research institutions investigating mercury cycling and contamination in natural or anthropogenic environments.

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Related Standards

• EN ISO 54321: Soil, treated biowaste, sludge and waste – Digestion of aqua regia soluble fractions of elements.
• EN 16173: Sludge, treated biowaste and soil – Digestion of nitric acid soluble fractions of elements.
• EN 16175-1: Soil, treated biowaste and sludge – Determination of mercury – Part 1: Cold-vapour atomic absorption spectrometry (CV-AAS).
• EN ISO 11465: Determination of dry residue or water content and calculation of the dry matter fraction on a mass basis.

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Adoption of prEN 16175-2 strengthens environmental mercury analysis by providing laboratories with a standardized, sensitive, and broadly validated approach. Through the use of cold-vapour atomic fluorescence spectrometry, this standard enables precise mercury quantification critical for environmental safety, regulatory compliance, and effective management of contaminated sites and waste streams. For laboratories and regulatory bodies, referencing this standard ensures data compatibility and high-quality results across Europe.

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-oktober-2026
Tla, obdelani biološki odpadki in blato - Določanje živega srebra - 2. del: Metoda
atomske fluorescenčne spektrometrije s tehniko hladnih par (CV-AFS)
Soil, treated biowaste and sludge - Determination of mercury - Part 2: Cold-vapour
atomic fluorescence spectrometry (CV-AFS)
Schlamm, behandelter Bioabfall und Boden - Bestimmung von Quecksilber - Teil 2:
Kaltdampf-Atomfluoreszenzspektrometrie (CV-AFS)
Boues, biodéchets traités et sols - Détermination du mercure - Partie 2: Spectrométrie de
fluorescence atomique de vapeur froide (SFA-VP)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: prEN 16175-2
ICS:
13.030.20 Tekoči odpadki. Blato Liquid wastes. Sludge
13.080.10 Kemijske značilnosti tal Chemical characteristics of
soils
71.040.50 Fizikalnokemijske analitske Physicochemical methods of
metode analysis
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

DRAFT
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
September 2026
ICS 13.030.01 Will supersede EN 16175-2:2016
English Version
Soil, treated biowaste and sludge - Determination of
mercury - Part 2: Cold-vapour atomic fluorescence
spectrometry (CV-AFS)
Sols, biodéchets traités et boues - Détermination du Schlamm, behandelter Bioabfall und Boden -
mercure - Partie 2 : Spectrométrie de fluorescence Bestimmung von Quecksilber - Teil 2: Kaltdampf-
atomique à vapeur froide (SFA-VF) Atomfluoreszenzspektrometrie (CV-AFS)
This draft European Standard is submitted to CEN members for enquiry. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee
CEN/TC 444.
If this draft becomes a European Standard, CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations
which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.

This draft European Standard was established by CEN in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other
language made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC
Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
Recipients of this draft are invited to submit, with their comments, notification of any relevant patent rights of which they are
aware and to provide supporting documentation.

Warning : This document is not a European Standard. It is distributed for review and comments. It is subject to change without
notice and shall not be referred to as a European Standard.

EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2026 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. prEN 16175-2:2026 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
European foreword . 3
Introduction . 4
1 Scope . 5
2 Normative references . 5
3 Terms and definitions . 5
4 Principle . 5
5 Interferences . 5
6 Reagents . 6
7 Apparatus . 7
7.1 Usual laboratory apparatus . 7
7.2 Automated system with sample introduction, cold-vapour generator, flow injection
analysis and atom fluorescence spectrometer . 7
8 Procedure . 8
8.1 Test solution . 8
8.2 Test blank solution . 8
8.3 Preparation of the calibration solutions . 8
8.4 Instrumental set-up . 8
8.5 Calibration . 8
8.6 Measurement of test sample . 8
9 Calculation and expression of results . 9
9.1 Calculation . 9
9.2 Expression of results . 9
10 Performance data . 9
11 Test report . 9
Annex A (informative) Repeatability and reproducibility data . 11
Bibliography . 12

European foreword
This document (prEN 16175-2:2026) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 444 “Test
methods for environmental characterization of solid matrices”, the secretariat of which is held by NEN.
This document is currently submitted to the-CEN Enquiry.
This document will supersede EN 16175-2:2016.
2:2016:
— EN 16174 (digestion with aqua regia) is replaced by EN ISO 54321.
— Calibration range and stabilization reagents are opened to customer belongings.
— Clause 6 Apparatus has been revised.
EN 16175, Sludge, treated biowaste and soil — Determination of mercury comprises the following parts:
— Part 1: Cold-vapour atomic absorption spectrometry (CV-AAS);
— Part 2: Cold-vapour atomic fluorescence spectrometry (CV-AFS).
Introduction
This document is applicable and validated for several types of matrices as indicated in Table 1 (see
Annex A for the results of validation).
Table 1 — Matrices for which this document is applicable and validated
Matrix Materials used for validation
Sludge Municipal sludge
Biowaste Compost
Soil Soil
WARNING — Persons using this document should be familiar with usual laboratory practice. This
document does not purport to address all of the safety problems, if any, associated with its use. It
is the responsibility of the user to establish appropriate safety and health practices and to ensure
compliance with any national regulatory conditions.
IMPORTANT — It is absolutely essential that tests conducted according to this document be
carried out by suitably trained staff.
1 Scope
This document specifies a method for the determination of mercury in digests of soil, treated biowaste,
sudge and waste, obtained according to EN 16173 (nitric acid digestion) or EN ISO 54321 (aqua regia
digestion) with using cold-vapour atomic fluorescence spectrometry (CV-AFS). The lower working range
limit is at least 0,003 mg/kg (dry matter basis) depending on digestion parameters.
2 Normative references
There are no normative references in this document.
3 Terms and definitions
No terms and definitions are listed in this document.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp/
— IEC Electropedia: available at https://www.electropedia.org/
4 Principle
Mono- and divalent mercury is reduced to the elemental form by tin(II) chloride solution or sodium
borohydride in acid medium. Elemental mercury is stripped off from the solution in a closed system. The
mercury vapour, in the form of an atomic gas, passes through a cell positioned in the light path of an
atomic fluorescence spectrometer where the mercury atoms are excited by radiation of a specific
wavelength, usually about 254 nm. The intensity of the fluorescence radiation is a function of mercury
concentration. The concentrations are calculated using a calibration curve.
The matrix of the solution analysed is dominated by the acids used in the digestion step. Tin(II) chloride
as a reduction substance is recommended in this document, because sodium borohydride reduces many
elements commonly found in soil, sludge and waste extract solutions, to the elemental state, which might
cause matrix problems under particular circumstances. However, it is still possible to use sodium
borohydride as reduction agent.
5 Interferences
The presence of water vapour or aerosol in the fluorescence cell may cause suppression due to quenching.
Water vapour should be removed from the carrier gas stream using a hygroscopic membrane before
entering the detector. The noble metals, such as gold and silver, amalgamate with mercury and, therefore,
may cause suppression. Also anions, for instance sulfide, iodide and bromide, which complex strongly
with mercury, can cause suppression.
Fewer interferences arise from heavy metals when tin(II) chloride is used rather than sodium
borohydride. When flow systems are used, interference effects due to heavy metals may be less than
indicated in Table 2.
Table 2 — Tolerable concentrations of some matrix elements
Element Acceptable
concentration in the test
solution
mg/l
Cu(II) 500
Ni(II) 500
Ag(I) 1
6 Reagents
−1
6.1 Water, with an electrical conductivity less than 0,1 mS m (equivalent to resistivity greate
...