This part of ISO 10381 gives guidance on techniques for taking and storing soil samples so that these can subsequently be examined for the purpose of providing information on soil quality.

This part of ISO 10381 gives information on typical equipment that is applicable in particular sampling situations to enable correct sampling procedures to be carried out and representative samples to be collected. Guidance is given on the selection of the equipment and the techniques to use to enable both disturbed and undisturbed samples to be correctly taken at different depths.

The guidance provided is intended to assist in the collection of samples for soil quality for agricultural purposes and also provide guidance for the collection of samples for contamination investigations which will require different techniques and skills.

This part of ISO 10381 makes reference to some aspects of the collection of samples of groundwater and soil gas as part of a soil sampling programme.

This part of ISO 10381 specifically does not cover investigations for geotechnical purposes, though where redevelopment of a site is envisaged the soil quality investigation and the geotechnical investigation may be beneficially combined.

This part of ISO 10381 is not applicable to the sampling of hard strata such as bedrock.

Techniques to collect information on soil quality without taking samples, such as geophysical methods, are not covered by this part of ISO 10381.