This document specifies the general requirements on procedures for the preservation, handling and storage of samples of sewage and waterworks sludge, suspended matter, marine sediments and freshwater sediments for either chemical, physical, radiochemical, hydrobiological or microbiological examination, or all, in the laboratory.

The procedures in this document are not applicable to dried samples of sludge, sediment and suspended matter.

NOTE            The storage conditions given do not necessarily apply for derived samples, e.g. sediment eluates or extracts.

This document is not applicable to samples intended for biotesting with ecotoxicological or biological assays (which is specified in ISO 5667-16[5]) nor intended for microplastics (which is specified in ISO 5667-27[7]).