1. Scope

1.1 This guide defines the requirements and procedures for using soil-core microcosms to test the environmental fate, ecological effects, and environmental transport of chemicals that may enter terrestrial ecosystems. The approach and the materials suggested for use in the microcosm test are also described.

1.2 This guide details a procedure designed to supply site-specific or possibly regional information on the probable chemical fate and ecological effects in a soil system resulting from the release or spillage of chemicals into the environment in either liquid or solid form.

1.3 Experience has shown that microcosms are most helpful in the assessment process after preliminary knowledge about the chemical properties and biological activity have been obtained. Data generated from the test can then be used to compare the potential terrestrial environmental hazards of a chemical.

1.4 This standard may involve hazardous materials, chemicals, radiolabeled compounds, hazardous operations, wastes operations, and equipment. This standard does not purport to address all of the safety problems associated with testing the environmental toxicity and environmental fate of a pure chemical or complex mixture of chemicals. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations for wastes before the tests are performed.

2. Referenced Documents (purchase separately) The documents listed below are referenced within the subject standard but are not provided as part of the standard.

ASTM Standards

D422 Test Method for Particle-Size Analysis of Soils

D511 Test Methods for Calcium and Magnesium In Water

D515 Test Method for Phosphorus In Water

D1426 Test Methods for Ammonia Nitrogen In Water

D2167 Test Method for Density and Unit Weight of Soil in Place by the Rubber Balloon Method

D2216 Test Methods for Laboratory Determination of Water (Moisture) Content of Soil and Rock by Mass

D2488 Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual-Manual Procedure)

D3867 Test Methods for Nitrite-Nitrate in Water

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Keywords

Agricultural ecosystem; Autotrophs; Bacteriostasis; Biological data analysis; Buchner funnel; Carnivores; Chemicals; Ecological considerations; Field testing-environmental; Greenhouse/growth chambers; Herbivores; Microcosm test; Natural grassland ecosystem; Nutrients (soil/plant systems); Omnivores; Physicochemical processes; Phytotoxicity; Sampling-soil/rock/related materials; Soil; Terrestrial microcosms; Toxicity/toxicology; Vapor pressure; Vegetation-natural/planted; Waste materials/processing; conducting a terrestrial soil-core microcosm test, guide;

ICS Code

ICS Number Code 13.080.10 (Chemical characteristics of soil)

DOI: 10.1520/E1197-87R98

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