prEN 17753

Scope

This document specifies references to methods for the determination of the following contaminants: mercury, cadmium, nickel, copper, zinc, arsenic, lead, chromium(VI), biuret, perchlorate, total chromium and phosphonates content in inorganic fertilizers. For the mercury, cadmium, nickel, copper, zinc, arsenic, lead, perchlorate and total chromium content: This document is applicable to the fertilizing products blends where a blend is a mix of at least two of the following components: fertilizers, liming materials, soil improvers, growing media, inhibitors, plant biostimulants, and where the following category: inorganic fertilizers is the highest % in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of liquid form by dry mass. If inorganic fertilizer is not the highest % in the blend, the European Standard for the highest % of the blend applies. In case a fertilizing product blend is composed of components in equal quantity, the user decides which standard to apply. For the chromium(VI) and biuret content: This document is applicable to the fertilizing products blends where a blend is a mix of at least two of the following components: fertilizers, liming materials, soil improvers, growing media, inhibitors, plant biostimulants, and where organic matter is present in at least one of the products in the blend. In case a fertilizing product blend is composed only of inorganic products, the European Standard for inorganic fertilizers applies. Variations in analytical methods for fertilizing product blends can lead to differing results as some components or matrix interactions can affect the outcome. Validation procedures have shown that developed standard methods are robust and reliable across diverse product compositions, but possible interferences and unexpected results when analysing fertilizing product blends are possible. An overview of the references to methods for the determination of the specific contaminants is given in Table 1. NOTE 1 The determination of copper and zinc in inorganic fertilizers as micronutrients is covered by prEN 17754. NOTE 2 The determination of copper in ammonium nitrate fertilizers of high nitrogen content is covered by CEN/TS 17751.