Overview

In addition to nutrients and organic matter, heavy metals and organic pollutants may also enter the soil. In order to keep the risks as low as possible, the requirements for product quality and product safety of fertilizers have considerably increased. In the future, the requirements and official controls of fertilizers will focus on controlling heavy metal contents (risk aspect) not only on the national level but also within the European market and, as a result, make an important contribution to the environmental and consumer protection. Validated analytical techniques are the basis of comparable controls. With the entry into force of Regulation (EC) No. 463/2013, these requirements also apply to lime fertilizers marketed as EC fertilizers and thus the scope of European Standard EN 16319:2013 for the determination of cadmium, chromium, lead and nickel in mineral fertilizers had to be extended to lime fertilizers. The method specified in the European Standard has been successfully validated on three different lime fertilizer matrices. The present consolidated version incorporates the amendments adopted in a draft amendment concerning title, scope, Clause Precision and Annex A (interlaboratory test results for lime fertilizers).The European Standard has been prepared in CEN/TC 260 "Fertilizers and liming materials" (secretariat: DIN, Germany) under German project and interlaboratory test management. National mirroring took place at Working Committee NA 057-03-02 AA "Düngemittel" ("Fertilizers") at DIN Standards Committee Food and Agricultural Products (NAL).

Document: references other documents

Responsible national committee

NA 057-03-02 AA - Fertilizers  

Responsible european committee

CEN/TC 260/WG 7 - Inorganic fertilizers and inhibitors