Torf

• Forschungsstelle: METAS
• Projektnummer: F-5237.30155

Schlüsselwörter (Englisch)

peat, peat detection, soil substrates, circular economy, peat biomarkers, shell amoebae

Kurzbeschreibung (Englisch)

Peat should no longer be imported into Switzerland. This ban is easy to implement for imports of peat bales, as these bales obviously contain peat. It is more difficult with potting soils, potted plants and the like, which very often also contain peat, but much less obviously. Simple analytical methods for detecting peat are required here, which can ideally be carried out by importers or retailers. In addition, quantitative methods for determining the mass fraction of peat in the corresponding soils, which require more complex analysis. The Federal Office for the Environment has made it clear that there is still a need for action on this topic. 

Projektziele (Englisch)

This small-scale project serves as an in-depth analysis of the potential new topic of peat within the broader framework of a circular economy. 
This preliminary project investigates how METAS can contribute a solution to this issue, and involves many aspects (e.g., which analysis methods exist, test these analysis methods, prepare and measure standard mixtures of peat with different soils, carry out comparative tests with other institutes). 

Abstract (Englisch)

The aim of this project was to develop a reliable method for determining peat and quantifying the peat content of a substrate. 
substrate. Firstly, this method should make it possible to reliably determine whether a substrate contains peat. Secondly we aim to use this method to estimate the peat content of a substrate. An extensive literature literature research was carried out and several analytical methods for determining the peat content in various soils were tested.
The following two procedures were identified as the best possible methods:
- Biomarker method (alkane chain lengths and hopanoids) using extraction and GC-MS analysis;
- Peat detection by recognition and identification of shell amoebae (together with the University of Neuchâtel).

Umsetzung und Anwendungen (Englisch)

This small-scale project serves as an in-depth analysis of the potential new topic of peat within the broader framework of a circular economy. This preliminary project investigates how METAS can contribute a solution to this issue, and involves many aspects (e.g., which analysis methods exist, test these analysis methods, prepare and measure standard mixtures of peat with different soils, carry out comparative tests with other institutes).

Publikationen / Ergebnisse (Englisch)

First results were published in the OIML Bulletin (G. Umbricht, M. Utters, L. Märki, H. Andres, "Circular Economy and Metrology", OIML Bulletin , vol. LXIII, no. 3, pp. 5-10, 2022).This work might be further developed in a follow-up project with the Federal Office for the Environment.