ÖNORM EN 12686

This European Standard provides guidance concerning the procedures for setting up a valid sampling strategy to rneet the objectives of a monitoring strategy for GMMs released into the environment. Since monitoring methods of microorganisms in environmental samples usually require pretreatment of the samples, for example the extraction and isolation of GMMs andlor their nucleic acid, this is included in scope of this European Standard. The sampling is to provide material to which subsequent analytical or biological methods for monitoring of GMMs can be applied (see EN 12685). This European Standard is intended to address sampling of microorganisms, including viruses (and their relevant hosts), or their nucleic acid. This European Standard does not Cover : the sarnpling of virus-like entities or similar agents ; the sarnpling of GMMs in food, human health and veterinary applications. NOTE : Attention is drawn to national, European and international regulations, and relevant standards covering the sampling of GMMs in food, human health and veterinary applications. This European Standard can be applied to sampling of GMMs in all habitats and microenvironments as required to meet the defined experimental objectives. The mode of sampling and the nature of the samples are dependent on the particular purpose. Therefore this European Standard provides the experimenter with a list of guiding parameters that should be considered in determining the validity of the proposed strategy for sampling .