What is ISO/TS 29843‑2 about?
ISO/TS 29843-2 covers soil quality and the determination of soil microbial diversity.
ISO/TS 29843‑2 is the second part of the multi-series on soil quality. ISO/TS 29843-2 specifies a simple method for the extraction of only phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) from soils.
Different methodologies are available for the determination of soil fatty acids. These methodologies present different levels of complexity when applied and provide different levels of resolution in the description of soil microbial communities.
ISO/TS 29843‑1 covers the generally called “extended PLFA extraction method” while ISO/TS 29843‑2 covers the generally called “simple PLFA extraction method.”
Who is ISO/TS 29843‑2 for?
ISO/TS 29843‑2 on the determination of soil microbial diversity of soil quality is useful for:
- Researchers involved in soil sciences
- Analytical laboratories involved in soil sciences
- Ecologists and conservationists
Why should you use ISO/TS 29843‑2?
Phospholipids are essential components of the membranes of all living cells. Extracted from soil samples in fatty acid form (phospholipid fatty acids, PLFA) or ether-linked isoprenoid side chains (phospholipid ether lipid, PLEL), they provide quantitative and qualitative insights into the soil's viable/active microbial biomass.
ISO/TS 29843‑2 provides a broad diversity measurement of a soil microbial community at the phenotypic level. ISO/TS 29843‑2 applies to biomass estimation and is used to differentiate microbial communities among different soil samples (with the aid of an adapted statistical method).
This method is especially adapted for detecting rapid changes in the soil microbial community structure and is used to give a rough description of microbial groups present in soil samples presents a comparison of the sensitivity of the “extended PLFA” versus “simple PLFA” techniques. For example, Gram-positive bacteria, actinomycetes, and fungi.
What’s changed since the last update?
PD CEN ISO/TS 29843‑2:2021 supersedes PD CEN ISO/TS 29843‑2:2014, which is withdrawn.
The main changes compared to the previous edition are as follows:
- Addition of specification for qualitative and quantitative analysis of PLFAs
- Use of BAME (qualitative) or FAME (quantitative) standards
- Use of GC-MS apparatus
- Precisions in the separation of lipids by SI column and derivatization — transmethylation — clean-up
- Possibility to use commercial cartridges in addition to, or replacement of, home-made cartridges
- Update of bibliographic references
