CEN/TC 260/WG 8 - Organic and organo-mineral fertilizers

This document specifies a method for the detection and enumeration of Enterococcaceae in fertilizers of the following Product Function Categories (PFCs) of EU fertilizing products, as described in Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 [1]:
•   PFC 1(A): Organic fertilizer;
•   PFC 1(B): Organo-mineral fertilizer;
•   PFC 1(C): Inorganic fertilizer, which contains more than 1 % by mass of organic carbon, other than organic carbon from chelating or complexing agents, nitrification inhibitors, denitrification inhibitors or urease inhibitors, coating agents, urea or calcium cyanamide. The present method was validated on products known as present on the market in April 2021 and conform to Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 [1] that are inorganic fertilizers with more than 1 % of organic carbon such as poultry manure and struvite with low level of organic matter. In case that other products would be developed having other physical and chemical characteristics, it might become necessary to develop different methods to correctly account for pathogens they might contain.
This document specifies a colony-count technique on selective media, Slanetz Bartley agar or Bile Esculin Azide agar, respectively. The method is based on EN ISO 7899 2:2000.

This document is applicable to organic and organo-mineral fertilizers. It is relevant for fertilizing products which are classified as PFC 1(A) and PFC 1(B) as long as the main function of the EU fertilizing product is classified as PFC 1(A) and PFC1(B) of Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 [2].
This document specifies references to the methods for the:
—   detection of Enterococcaceae;
—   detection of Salmonella spp.;
—   detection of Escherichia coli.

This document specifies references to the methods for the determination of the following specific elements in organic and organo-mineral fertilizers:
—   Determination of the total phosphorus content;
—   Determination of the total potassium content;
—   Determination of the total calcium content;
—   Determination of the total magnesium content;
—   Determination of the total sodium content;
—   Determination of the total sulphur content;
—   Determination of the inorganic arsenic content;
—   Determination of the cadmium content;
—   Determination of the total chromium content;
—   Determination of the total mercury content;
—   Determination of the total nickel content;
—   Determination of the total lead content;
—   Determination of the total copper content;
—   Determination of the total zinc content;
—   Determination of the water-soluble calcium content;
—   Determination of the water-soluble magnesium content;
—   Determination of the water-soluble sodium content;
—   Determination of the water-soluble sulphur content.
This document specifies references to the methods for the determination of the following specific elements in organo-mineral fertilizers:
—   Determination of the water-soluble phosphorus content;
—   Determination of the water-soluble potassium content;
—   Determination of the neutral ammonium citrate soluble phosphorus content
—   Determination of the formic acid soluble phosphorus content;
—   Determination of the total boron content;
—   Determination of the total cobalt content;
—   Determination of the total iron content
—   Determination of the total manganese content
—   Determination of the total molybdenum content;
—   Determination of the water-soluble boron content;
—   Determination of the water-soluble cobalt content;
—   Determination of the water-soluble copper content;
—   Determination of the water-soluble iron content;
—   Determination of the water-soluble manganese content;
—   Determination of the water-soluble molybdenum content;
—   Determination of the water-soluble zinc content.
This document is applicable to fertilizing products, which are classified as PFC 1(A) and PFC 1(B) or the PFC 1(A) and PFC 1(B) component in PFC 7 of Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 [1]. However, the present method was not validated for blends.

This document specifies a method for determination of the content of mercury (Hg) in organic fertilizers and organo-mineral fertilizers using (cold) vapour generation apparatus coupled to an atomic absorption spectrophotometer and a method using a direct amalgamation technique. It is applicable to aqua regia digests prepared according to CEN/TS 17768.
NOTE   It is also possible to use other suitable methods for the determination of mercury described in Annex A if users prove that the method gives the same results as the methods described in this standard.

This document is applicable to fertilizing products, which are classified as PFC 1(A) and PFC 1(B) or the PFC 1(A) and PFC 1(B) component in PFC 7 of Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 [5]. However, the present method was not validated for blends.
This document specifies a method for the determination of total organic carbon (TOC) by elemental analysis using dry combustion. The method is applicable to organic and organo-mineral fertilizers containing more than 1 g carbon per kg of dry matter (0,1 %), with the exclusion of organo-mineral fertilizers containing urea-formaldehyde polymers as long as there is no method available to assess carbon in urea-formaldehyde polymers.

This document specifies a method for the extraction of phosphorus soluble in neutral ammonium citrate.
The method is applicable to organo-mineral fertilizers.

This document is applicable to fertilizing products, which are classified as PFC 1(A) and PFC 1(B) or the PFC 1(A) and PFC 1(B) component in PFC 7 of Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 [1]. However, the present method was not validated for blends.
This document specifies the procedure for the determination and calculation of the dry matter fraction of organic and organo-mineral fertilizers for which the results of the performed analysis are calculated to the dry matter basis.

This document specifies a method for the determination of elements in organic fertilizers and organo-mineral fertilizers digests using inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES).
NOTE   Alternatively, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) can be used for the measurement if the user proves that the method gives the same results.
This method is applicable to aqua regia digests prepared according to CEN/TS 17768 for the determination of P, K, Ca, Mg, Na, S, B, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Zn, As, Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb by ICP-AES. The method can be used for the determination of other elements, provided the user has verified the applicability.

This document is applicable to fertilizing products, which are classified as PFC 1(A) and PFC 1(B) or the PFC 1(A) and PFC 1(B) component in PFC 7 of Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 [1]. However, the present method was not validated for blends.
This document specifies a method for the detection of Salmonella spp. in organic, organo-mineral and inorganic fertilizers. The method is based on EN ISO 6579-1 and its validated alternative methods for the detection of Salmonella spp. in food and feeding stuff.
It requires three successive steps: A selective enrichment, an isolation on a chromogenic agar, and if positive a confirmation with a serological test (and if required, a selective media).

This document is applicable to fertilizing products, which are classified as PFC 1(A) and PFC 1(B) or the PFC 1(A) and PFC 1(B) component in PFC 7 of Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 [1]. However, the present method was not validated for blends.
This document specifies a colony-count technique at 44 °C on a solid medium containing a chromogenic ingredient for the detection of the enzyme β-glucuronidase. The method is based on ISO 16649-2 [4].
Strains of Escherichia coli which do not grow at 44 °C and, in particular, those that are β-glucuronidase negative, such as Escherichia coli O157, will not be detected. Detected microorganisms are presumptively determined β-glucuronidase-positive Escherichia coli, since some Enterobacteriaceae, in particular Shigella and Salmonella, can also show β-glucuronidase activity at 44 °C.

This document specifies a method for extraction, separation, and determination of inorganic arsenic (iAs) in organic or organo-mineral fertilizers using anion-exchange HPLC or IC coupled to ICP-MS.

This document specifies the procedure for the digestion of different organic fertilizers and organo-mineral fertilizers with aqua regia to enable a subsequent determination of elements.
The extracts are suitable for analysis using CEN/TS 17770 and CEN/TS 17769.
NOTE   Alternatively, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) can be used for the measurement if the user proves that the method gives the same results.

This document specifies a method for the determination of boron (B), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo) and zinc (Zn) in organic fertilizers and organo-mineral fertilizers extracts using inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES).
NOTE   Alternatively, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) can be used for the measurement if the user proves that the method gives the same results.
This method is applicable to water extracts prepared according to CEN/TS 17766. The method can be used for the determination of other elements, provided the user has verified the applicability.

This document is applicable to fertilizing products, which are classified as PFC 1(A) or PFC 1(B) of Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 [5]. However, the present method was not validated for blends.
This document specifies a method for the determination of the total nitrogen content and the content of ammoniacal, nitric, ureic and organic nitrogen in organic and organo-mineral fertilizers. This method is based on EN 15604:2009 and adapted to be applicable to organic and organo-mineral fertilizers.

This document is applicable to fertilizing products, which are classified as PFC 1(A) and PFC 1(B) or the PFC 1(A) and PFC 1(B) component in PFC 7 of Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 [3]. However, the present method was not validated on blends.
This document specifies a method for the determination of hexavalent chromium (chromium (VI)) in organic and organo-mineral fertilizers.
The method described is suitable to quantify the chromium (VI) content in organic and organo-mineral fertilizers down to 2 mg/kg dry matter.
The results obtained from this method are strictly dependent on the extraction conditions. Results obtained by using other extraction procedures (extraction solution, pH of the extraction solution, extraction time, extraction temperature, etc.) are not comparable with the results produced by the procedure described in this document.

This document specifies references to the methods for the:
—   Determination of the total organic carbon content;
—   Determination of the dry matter content.
This document is applicable to fertilizing products, which are classified as PFC 1(A) and PFC 1(B) or the PFC 1(A) and PFC 1(B) component in PFC 7 of Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 [2].

This document specifies the procedure for the extraction of phosphorus in 2 % formic acid (20 g/l), representing the amount of soft natural phosphates.
The method is applicable to organo-mineral fertilizers.

This document is applicable to fertilizing products, which are classified as PFC 1(A) and PFC 1(B) or the PFC 1(A) and PFC 1(B) component in PFC 7 of Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 [4]. However, the present method was not validated for blends.
This document specifies a method for the determination of the biuret content by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV detector. The method is applicable to organic and organo-mineral fertilizers containing urea.
Nowadays, there is a method standardized as EN 15479 that allows the determination of biuret in urea by spectrophotometric detection. Organic and organo-mineral fertilizers contain organic matter and other compounds apart from urea that would interfere in a spectrophotometric method. HPLC allows an accurate determination of biuret by separating it from possible interfering compounds [2] [3].

This document specifies a method for the extraction by water for the subsequent determination of elements.
The extracts are suitable for analysis using CEN/TS 17774.
NOTE Alternatively, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) can be used for the measurement if the user proves that the method gives the same results.
The method is applicable to organic and organo-mineral fertilizers.