Environment Standards: October 2025 Monthly Overview

Looking back at October 2025, the Environment sector saw the publication of five significant standards by ISO and CEN. These diverse documents touch on infection prevention, bioeconomy and sustainable analysis, environmental accounting, personal protective equipment, and soil microbial assessment. This comprehensive overview aims to help professionals catch up on pivotal guidance that may influence their strategies, purchasing, risk mitigation, and compliance activities. Whether you work in environmental management, occupational health, or safety compliance, understanding these standards is critical for staying ahead of regulatory shifts and industry best practices.

Monthly Overview: October 2025

October 2025 was marked by a cluster of publications addressing health, environmental protection, and analytical methods. A close examination reveals:

• A concerted response to ongoing and emergent biological risks, notably in public gatherings and personal safety equipment
• Institutionalization of natural capital in organizational reporting and decision-making
• A focus on precise analytics, especially in the rapidly growing bioeconomy and environmental monitoring sectors

Compared to prior months, this period leaned into both immediate health risk management (infection prevention, PPE) and long-term sustainability (natural capital, soil biodiversity, biobased product analysis). The synergy between safety, sustainability, and analytical accuracy reflects the increasing intersection of these domains within the normalized ICS category of Environment.

Standards Published This Month

ISO/PAS 24969:2025 - Guidance on IPC Contingency Plans in the Exhibition Industry

Tourism and related services – Guidance on a contingency plan for infection prevention and control (IPC) in the exhibition industry

This Publicly Available Specification (PAS) addresses the urgent need to manage infectious disease risks before, during, and after exhibitions—an industry critically impacted by global pandemics. ISO/PAS 24969:2025 offers exhibition organizers, venue operators, service providers, and participants a structured set of actions and protocols for infection prevention and control (IPC). Key elements include risk assessment methodologies, surveillance mechanisms, continuity planning for essential services, capacity building, rapid response structures, and clearly delineated responsibilities. The document also ties directly into the well-established emergency management structure outlined in ISO 22320, ensuring harmonization with broader incident management frameworks.

Major requirements cover:

• Creation and communication of IPC contingency plans across all exhibition stages
• Personal protective equipment (PPE) specifications, signage, queue management, and disinfectant use
• Evaluation procedures for outbreak response efficacy
• Roles for different stakeholders in risk assessment and response

Applicable to organizations and operators across the exhibition ecosystem, this standard is an essential compliance and preparedness tool in an era of increased disease emergence, international travel, and crowd gatherings.

Key highlights:

• Comprehensive plan structure: risk assessment, surveillance, and continuity
• Clearly defined stakeholder roles and communication protocols
• Practical guidance on PPE, disinfection, distancing, and post-event evaluation

Access the full standard:View ISO/PAS 24969:2025 on iTeh Standards

prEN 18206 - Analysis of Beta Carotene, Fucoxanthin, and Lutein in Microalgae

Algae and algae products – Methods of sampling and analysis – Determination of beta carotene, fucoxanthin and lutein content in microalgae

The emerging bioeconomy, particularly in algae-based sectors, relies on robust analytics to support both quality assurance and regulatory compliance. prEN 18206 is an advanced laboratory standard developed to deliver precise, repeatable measurement of major carotenoids (beta carotene, fucoxanthin, and lutein) in microalgae. The method leverages HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography) following validated protocols, with stepwise instructions for extraction, sample handling, and calibration routines. Although validated specifically for Nannochloropsis and Phaeodactylum species, minor adaptations enable broader application—including some macroalgae.

The standard supports:

• Food and feed safety assessments
• Quality control in biomaterial and bioproduct manufacturing
• Environmental and sustainability reporting involving algae

Key specifications include:

• Controlled extraction conditions and sample storage guidelines to maintain integrity
• HPLC calibration and quality assurance checks ensuring analytical repeatability
• Calculation and reporting formats for carotenoid content, supporting traceability in supply chains

Organizations involved in biobased product development, food safety, and environmental monitoring will find this standard essential for ensuring results reliability and regulatory alignment.

Key highlights:

• Standardized methods for critical algae-derived carotenoids
• Validation results supporting accuracy and interlaboratory comparability
• Extensible approach for other micro- and macroalgae species

Access the full standard:View prEN 18206 on iTeh Standards

ISO 14054:2025 - Natural Capital Accounting for Organizations

Natural capital accounting for organizations – Principles, requirements and guidance

A landmark in sustainability reporting, ISO 14054:2025 formalizes the process of organizational natural capital accounting, responding to growing demands for integrated financial-environmental decision-making. The standard sets out common terminology, foundational principles (rigour, completeness, credibility, transparency), and a clear process for developing income statements and balance sheets reflecting an organization’s impacts and dependencies on natural capital—ranging from water and soils to biodiversity. This standard applies universally: public and private entities of all sizes and across sectors (excluding national/subnational accounts).

Crucial content covers:

• Defining organizational boundaries, materiality, and stakeholder engagement
• Data quality, attribution, and monetary valuation of natural capital stocks and flows
• Integration of accounts with finance, reporting, and strategic decision-making
• Supporting annexes with case studies and methodological guidance

ISO 14054:2025 sets a new benchmark for environmental accounting, essential for compliance officers, ESG managers, accountants, and any organization wishing to credibly report on its value creation or impact mitigation.

Key highlights:

• Comprehensive process for preparing organizational natural capital accounts
• Dual focus on both income (impacts) and balance sheet (dependencies/risk)
• Broad applicability to any internal or external sustainability reporting

Access the full standard:View ISO 14054:2025 on iTeh Standards

ISO 16321-4:2025 - Eye and Face Protection Against Biological Hazards

Eye and face protection – Part 4: Protection against biological hazards

Developed in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, ISO 16321-4:2025 establishes rigorous requirements for lightweight eye and face protectors designed to shield users from biological hazards—primarily pathogenic microorganisms carried by human or animal fluids. The standard specifically addresses both single-use (disposable) and reusable (disinfectable) devices, detailing performance requirements, physical and mechanical properties, cleaning, and disinfecting processes. Importantly, it distinguishes itself from standards targeting mechanical, thermal, or chemical risks, focusing exclusively on biological protection.

Industrial, healthcare, retail, and transportation settings will benefit from aligned PPE criteria supporting workplace health protection initiatives.

Key technical aspects include:

• Spray and spurt resistance testing with biofluid simulants
• Area of protection definitions (types I, II, III) for eyes and face
• Marking, labeling, and information requirements ensuring proper selection and maintenance
• Guidance for integration with other PPE (e.g., respiratory devices)

This standard fits within the larger PPE regulatory landscape (including other parts of ISO 16321), providing crucial specifications amid heightened global awareness of infection-transmission risk in public and occupational environments.

Key highlights:

• Minimum performance requirements for biological hazard protection
• Robust cleaning/disinfection protocols for reusability
• Marking and end-user guidance for optimal product selection

Access the full standard:View ISO 16321-4:2025 on iTeh Standards

ISO 17601:2025 - Soil Microbial Abundance by qPCR

Soil quality – Estimation of abundance of selected microbial gene sequences by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) from DNA directly extracted from soil

ISO 17601:2025 delivers a state-of-the-art protocol for assessing soil biodiversity and health using quantitative PCR (qPCR) from soil-extracted DNA. Recognizing the limitations of traditional culturing approaches, this standard enables accurate quantification of microbial gene abundance, thus improving the reliability of soil quality indicators. The document addresses every stage: amplicon design, DNA extraction, calibration, inhibition control, and result normalization. It is especially relevant for agronomy, ecological restoration, site monitoring, and research into soil–microbe interactions.

Key requirements discussed:

• Soil sample collection, DNA extraction (with reference to ISO 11063)
• qPCR assay setup, primer selection, and calibration
• Guidance for quality assurance, validation (including international ring tests)
• Calculation and expression of microbial gene copy number for target groups

This method enables a more holistic, scalable, and reproducible understanding of soil ecosystem function and health.

Key highlights:

• Comprehensive multi-step protocol for soil qPCR analysis
• Repeatability and comparability across laboratories
• Backbone for environmental risk assessments and longitudinal monitoring

Access the full standard:View ISO 17601:2025 on iTeh Standards

Common Themes and Industry Trends

The standards introduced in October 2025 reflect multiple converging trends across the Environment domain:

• Enhanced Resilience to Biological Threats: Both ISO/PAS 24969 and ISO 16321-4 demonstrate significant industry effort toward strengthening infection control—spurred by contemporary global health crises.
• Precision Analytical Methodologies: prEN 18206 and ISO 17601:2025 build capacity for more accurate, reliable biosample analysis and environmental monitoring, facilitating bioeconomy innovation and improved risk assessment practices.
• Integrated Sustainability Management: ISO 14054:2025's natural capital accounting standard marks a step change in embedding environmental externalities into the core management practices of organizations, aligning with global policy shifts on climate and biodiversity.

Healthcare, event management, bioproducts, public administration, agriculture, and environmental consulting all see direct or indirect impacts. This cluster of standards demonstrates a heightened responsiveness to both societal health imperatives and longer-term sustainability goals.

Compliance and Implementation Considerations

For organizations prioritizing compliance in the upcoming cycle, these key steps and recommendations emerge:

1. Review and Gap Assessment:
   • Conduct a thorough review of current IPC protocols, PPE usage, and analytical procedures against the new standards’ specifications and recommendations.
2. Stakeholder Training:
   • Ensure training materials, staff guidelines, and standard operating procedures (SOPs) are updated to reflect new requirements—particularly regarding exhibitions and biological hazard protection.
3. Data Management and Reporting:
   • For those integrating natural capital into financial or sustainability reporting, establish cross-functional teams (environmental, finance, ESG), and enhance data quality protocols.
4. Technical Equipment Calibration:
   • Laboratory and field operations should ensure calibration and quality assurance procedures meet or exceed the detailed specifications in prEN 18206 and ISO 17601.
5. Compliance Timelines and Resources:
   • Monitor regulatory transition timelines and allocate resources appropriately; standards should be accessible to staff via iTeh Standards and internal libraries.

For tailored implementation strategies, organizations are encouraged to consult relevant industry associations and regulatory guidance linked within the respective standards.

Conclusion: Key Takeaways from October 2025

October 2025 served as a catalyst for both immediate and systemic change in the Environment sector. The published standards reveal a dual focus: rapid adaptation to health events (especially infectious disease and its control) and a progressive movement toward sustainability-driven analytics and reporting. Professionals operating in safety management, laboratory testing, ESG compliance, or operational strategy should:

• Prioritize the integration of these standards, aligning risk management and sustainability goals
• Leverage new methodologies to ensure organizational resilience and regulatory confidence
• Recognize the value of cross-discipline collaboration in operationalizing complex standards like natural capital accounting or qPCR-based soil analysis

Staying current with these evolving standards is essential for effective risk management, environmental stewardship, and competitive positioning. We encourage readers to follow the backlinks, download the full standards, and maintain proactive engagement with ongoing updates from iTeh Standards as the sector continues to evolve.