Catarina Marques, a researcher at CESAM/DBIO, is currently the Coordinator of the International Working Group “Effects on Soil Microorganisms” (WG4) of ISO/TC190 — the Technical Committee on Soil Quality of the International Organization for Standardization. Since January 2025, she has officially assumed this international coordination role. She is also the National Expert for the Portuguese Institute for Quality (IPQ) and the Coordinator of the National Experts within this Technical Committee. In this capacity, she chaired the organizing committee of the ISO/TC190 Plenary Meeting, which took place at the University of Aveiro from 13 to 17 October.
This event, previously held at the University of Aveiro in 2019, took on a particularly significant character this year, marking the 40th anniversary of TC190. During the meeting, the International Experts also celebrated World Standards Day, on 14 October. The gathering brought together experts from more than 20 countries, representing various standardization bodies (e.g., AFNOR, DIN, IPQ), academic institutions, research centres and associated laboratories, as well as governmental entities (e.g., University of Aveiro, University of Porto, University of Coimbra, INRAE, CESAM, GreenUPorto, INOV4Agro, Environment Canada).
The experts have been actively contributing to the development of international standards that are fundamental for assessing soil quality and solid residues commonly produced across different industrial sectors. Standardization thus promotes the protection, conservation and monitoring of soil health, one of the most strategic and, at the same time, most threatened environmental compartments on a global scale. Consequently, the work carried out within TC190 has also been a valuable contribution to the implementation of the new Soil Monitoring Directive.
The formal opening session featured speeches by Klaus Liphard, Chair of TC190, João Pimentel, President of the Portuguese Institute for Quality (IPQ), and Artur Silva, Vice-Rector of the University of Aveiro, who emphasized the importance of strengthening the link between standardization, excellence in education and technical advancement. According to researcher Catarina Marques, the meeting was highly productive in setting guidelines and priorities for soil monitoring standardization, while also reinforcing Portugal’s position as an active participant in shaping international standards, essential for the future implementation of the Soil Monitoring Directive.
Soil quality and health are intrinsically linked to the sustainability of terrestrial ecosystems, whose functions support a wide range of ecosystem services, from biomass production to biodiversity conservation and hydrological regulation. In light of the growing degradation of soils, driven by anthropogenic pressures and climate change, the International Experts reaffirmed their shared commitment to fostering a coordinated scientific response based on robust data and sound technical standards, a mission that TC190 has pursued with competence and vision since 1985.
