FprEN 13039
(Main)Soil improvers and growing media - Determination of organic matter content and ash
General Information
- Abstract
This document specifies a routine method for determining the organic matter and the ash content of soil improvers and growing media.
NOTE 1 The loss on ignition (LOI) is often used as an estimate for the content of organic matter in the sample. Inorganic substances or decomposition products (e.g. H2O, CO2, SO2, O2) are released or absorbed and some inorganic substances are volatile under the reaction conditions. Thus, a conversion to the organic carbon content is not possible.
NOTE 2 This method has been validated in an interlaboratory study with specific products that were present on the market during the study (as included in Annex A, being bark (Pinus pinaster, 20 mm to 40 mm fraction), green compost (Rottegrad 5,0 mm to 15 mm), liquid digestate, mineral wool, soil improver (pellets, sieved 4 mm) and growing media blend (white peat, black peat, expanded perlite, lime, organic fertilizer)).
- Status
- Not Published
- Publication Date
- 06-Jan-2027
- Technical Committee
- CEN/TC 223 - Soil improvers and growing media
- Drafting Committee
- CEN/TC 223/WG 4 - Analytical methods
- Current Stage
- 4599 - Dispatch of FV draft to CMC - Finalization for Vote
- Start Date
- 27-Jul-2026
- Due Date
- 12-Oct-2024
- Completion Date
- 27-Jul-2026
- Mandate
- M/XXX - M/XXX
Overview
FprEN 13039: Soil improvers and growing media - Determination of organic matter content and ash is a European standard developed by CEN to establish a reliable method for measuring organic matter and ash content in soil improvers and growing media. This standard provides a routine analysis procedure based on loss on ignition, which is widely used to estimate organic content by assessing mass loss after ignition. Implementing this standard supports quality control, regulatory compliance, and product development for suppliers and manufacturers of soil improvement and horticultural products across Europe.
Key Topics
- Organic Matter Content: The standard prescribes a process for determining the organic fraction of soil improvers and growing media by measuring mass lost during ignition. This reflects the organic matter present in the sample.
- Ash Content Determination: The procedure also quantifies the inorganic residual material, or ash, remaining after combustion at high temperatures.
- Loss on Ignition (LOI) Principle: LOI is the central technique, where samples are incinerated at 550°C ± 25°C. The standard addresses the limitations of this method, noting that certain inorganic substances or chemically bound water may affect the results. As such, converting LOI to precise organic carbon content is not feasible.
- Sample Preparation: Emphasizes the importance of proper sampling and preparation for representative and reliable results. Sample handling should prevent contamination or alteration prior to testing.
- Measurement Accuracy: FprEN 13039 details the required apparatus (e.g., drying oven, muffle furnace, analytical balance, desiccator) and specifies calculation methods for result standardization.
- Validation and Performance: The method’s performance has been validated via an interlaboratory study with diverse market products, strengthening confidence in its repeatability and reproducibility.
Applications
FprEN 13039 is vital across multiple sectors where the quality and properties of soil improvers and growing media directly impact performance, including:
- Soil Amendments and Fertilizer Industries: Manufacturers and distributors use the standard to certify product composition, ensuring compliance with EU market regulations and customer specifications for organic and inorganic content.
- Quality Assurance Laboratories: Routine use of FprEN 13039 underpins laboratory protocols for monitoring the consistency of soil improvers, compost, peat mixes, mulches, and horticultural substrates.
- Regulatory Compliance: The standard is essential for demonstrating conformity to the EU Fertilising Product Regulation (EU 2019/1009), particularly for CE-marked products entering the European market.
- Research and Product Development: Scientists and product developers employ the procedure to compare different growing media, optimize blends (e.g., peat, perlite, compost, bark), and assess the impact of new inputs.
- Environmental Monitoring: Provides a common reference for tracking organic and mineral content in field samples, supporting sustainable agriculture and circular economy initiatives.
Related Standards
The effective implementation of FprEN 13039 often involves referencing complementary European standards, including:
- CEN/TS 17732:2022 - Terminology for soil improvers and growing media, ensuring consistency in definitions.
- EN 12579:2024 - Sampling procedures for soil improvers and growing media, critical for representative results.
- prEN 13040-1:2025 - Sample preparation guidelines, crucial for accurate testing and comparability.
- ISO 5725-2 - Procedures for determining method accuracy and reproducibility, underpinning the validation of test methods.
- Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 - The regulatory framework for fertilising products in the European Union, mandating standards such as FprEN 13039 for market access.
By adhering to FprEN 13039 and its related standards, organizations in the soil improver and growing media sector can ensure product quality, support innovation, and maintain compliance with European regulations.
Relations
- Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
- Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
- Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
- Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
- Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
- Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
- Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
- Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
- Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
- Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
- Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
- Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
- Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
- Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
- Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
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Frequently Asked Questions
FprEN 13039 is a draft published by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN). Its full title is "Soil improvers and growing media - Determination of organic matter content and ash". This standard covers: This document specifies a routine method for determining the organic matter and the ash content of soil improvers and growing media. NOTE 1 The loss on ignition (LOI) is often used as an estimate for the content of organic matter in the sample. Inorganic substances or decomposition products (e.g. H2O, CO2, SO2, O2) are released or absorbed and some inorganic substances are volatile under the reaction conditions. Thus, a conversion to the organic carbon content is not possible. NOTE 2 This method has been validated in an interlaboratory study with specific products that were present on the market during the study (as included in Annex A, being bark (Pinus pinaster, 20 mm to 40 mm fraction), green compost (Rottegrad 5,0 mm to 15 mm), liquid digestate, mineral wool, soil improver (pellets, sieved 4 mm) and growing media blend (white peat, black peat, expanded perlite, lime, organic fertilizer)).
This document specifies a routine method for determining the organic matter and the ash content of soil improvers and growing media. NOTE 1 The loss on ignition (LOI) is often used as an estimate for the content of organic matter in the sample. Inorganic substances or decomposition products (e.g. H2O, CO2, SO2, O2) are released or absorbed and some inorganic substances are volatile under the reaction conditions. Thus, a conversion to the organic carbon content is not possible. NOTE 2 This method has been validated in an interlaboratory study with specific products that were present on the market during the study (as included in Annex A, being bark (Pinus pinaster, 20 mm to 40 mm fraction), green compost (Rottegrad 5,0 mm to 15 mm), liquid digestate, mineral wool, soil improver (pellets, sieved 4 mm) and growing media blend (white peat, black peat, expanded perlite, lime, organic fertilizer)).
FprEN 13039 is classified under the following ICS (International Classification for Standards) categories: 65.080 - Fertilizers. The ICS classification helps identify the subject area and facilitates finding related standards.
FprEN 13039 has the following relationships with other standards: It is inter standard links to EN ISO 18589-5:2021, EN ISO 13160:2021, EN ISO 13163:2022, EN ISO 13165-2:2022, EN ISO 19581:2025, EN ISO 11665-6:2020, EN ISO 13162:2021, EN ISO 20044:2024, EN ISO 13161:2020, EN ISO 22125-2:2019, EN ISO 13165-3:2024, EN ISO 22515:2021, EN ISO 11929-4:2023, EN ISO 23548:2025, EN ISO 18589-1:2021. Understanding these relationships helps ensure you are using the most current and applicable version of the standard.
FprEN 13039 is associated with the following European legislation: EU Directives/Regulations: 2019/1009; Standardization Mandates: M/564, M/564 AMD 1, M/564 AMD 2, M/XXX. When a standard is cited in the Official Journal of the European Union, products manufactured in conformity with it benefit from a presumption of conformity with the essential requirements of the corresponding EU directive or regulation.
FprEN 13039 is available in PDF format for immediate download after purchase. The document can be added to your cart and obtained through the secure checkout process. Digital delivery ensures instant access to the complete standard document.
Standards Content (Sample)
SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-november-2025
Izboljševalci tal in rastni substrati - Določanje organske snovi in pepela
Soil improvers and growing media - Determination of organic matter content and ash
Bodenverbesserungsmittel und Kultursubstrate - Bestimmung des Gehaltes an
organischer Substanz und Asche
Amendements du sol et supports de culture - Détermination de la teneur en matière
organique et des cendres
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: prEN 13039
ICS:
65.080 Gnojila Fertilizers
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.
DRAFT
EUROPEAN STANDARD
prEN 13039
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
October 2025
ICS 65.080 Will supersede EN 13039:2011
English Version
Soil improvers and growing media - Determination of
organic matter content and ash
Amendements du sol et supports de culture - Bodenverbesserungsmittel und Kultursubstrate -
Détermination de la teneur en matière organique et Bestimmung des Gehaltes an organischer Substanz und
des cendres Asche
This draft European Standard is submitted to CEN members for enquiry. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee
CEN/TC 223.
If this draft becomes a European Standard, CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations
which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.
This draft European Standard was established by CEN in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other
language made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC
Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
Recipients of this draft are invited to submit, with their comments, notification of any relevant patent rights of which they are
aware and to provide supporting documentation.
Warning : This document is not a European Standard. It is distributed for review and comments. It is subject to change without
notice and shall not be referred to as a European Standard.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION
EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG
CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2025 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. prEN 13039:2025 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.
prEN 13039:2025 (E)
Contents Page
European foreword . 3
1 Scope . 4
2 Normative references . 4
3 Terms and definitions . 4
4 Principle . 4
5 Apparatus . 5
6 Sampling . 5
7 Procedure . 5
7.1 Safety . 5
7.2 Test sample . 5
7.3 Determination . 5
8 Calculation and expression of results . 6
9 Test report . 6
10 Validation of the method . 6
10.1 Validation in accordance with ISO 5725-2. 6
10.2 Performance characteristics. 6
Annex A (informative) Performance characteristics of the method . 7
Bibliography . 10
prEN 13039:2025 (E)
European foreword
This document (prEN 13039:2025) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 223 “Soil
improvers and growing media”, the secretariat of which is held by NEN.
This document is currently submitted to the CEN Enquiry.
This document will supersede EN 13039:2011.
prEN 13039:2025 includes the following significant technical changes with respect to EN 13039:2011:
— the scope has been adapted.
— the temperature range for the drying has been expanded.
This document has been prepared under a standardization request addressed to CEN by the European
Commission. The Standing Committee of the EFTA States subsequently approves these requests for its
Member States.
prEN 13039:2025 (E)
1 Scope
This document specifies a routine method for determining the organic matter and the ash content of soil
improvers and growing media.
NOTE The loss on ignition (LOI) is often used as an estimate for the content of organic matter in the sample.
Inorganic substances or decomposition products (e.g. H O, CO , SO , O ) are released or absorbed and some
2 2 2 2
inorganic substances are volatile under the reaction conditions. Thus, a conversion to the organic carbon content is
not possible.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
CEN/TS 17732:2022, Soil improvers and growing media – Terminology
EN 12579:2024, Soil improvers and growing media - Sampling
prEN 13040-1:2025, Soil improvers and growing media — Sample preparation — Part 1: Sample
preparation for chemical and physical tests, determination of dry matter content, moisture content and
laboratory bulk density
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in CEN/TS 17732:2022 and the
following apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp/
— IEC Electropedia: available at https://www.electropedia.org/
3.1
organic matter
carbon fraction of a sample which is free from water and inorganic substances
3.2
ash
residual mineral matter remaining after the destruction of organic matter/material by controlled burning
4 Principle
The test portion is dried at 105 °C ± 2 °C, then ashed at 550 °C ± 25 °C. The ash is determined as the
residue on ignition. The organic matter is taken to be the loss of mass on ignition. Both are expressed as
a percentage by mass of the dried sample.
NOTE 1 Loss on ignition (LOI) is an empirical parameter, thus in principle there is no interference connected to
the determination. However, for some purposes the determination of LO
...