Standardized Product Definition and Product Testing Guidelines for ...

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Soil Functions: Soil functions include: “(i) biomass production, including in agriculture and
forestry; (ii) storing, filtering and transforming nutrients, substances and water; (iii) hosting the
biodiversity pool, such as habitats, species and genes; (iv) acting as a platform for human
activities; (v) source of raw materials; (vi) acting as carbon pool; and (vii) storing geological
and archeological heritage.” (European Soil Framework Directive COM, 2006, p. 232)
Toxicants: Chemical or physical agents that, depending on dose, can produce adverse effects in
biological organisms (adapted from Trush 2008). These chemicals may be essential for some
plants and animals at low levels, or in a specific oxidation state, but can be toxic at higher
concentrations or in a different oxidation state. Toxicants may be naturally present in soils or
artificially produced by human activity. (Adapted from US EPA, 1999)
Unprocessed Feedstock: Biomass from the plant kingdom (or other non-animal taxa such as
fungi and algae), grown in a clean, uncontaminated environment, that may have gone through
mechanical processing to change its physical properties (e.g., particle size), but has not gone
through chemical processing or treatment, or biological processing (e.g., digestion). (IBI, 2012)
Volatile Matter: Those products, exclusive of moisture, given off by a material as a gas or vapor,
determined by definite prescribed methods that may vary according to the nature of the
material. (Milne et al, 1990)
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Standardized Product Definition and Product Testing Guidelines for Biochar That Is Used in Soil 41