This European standard specifies a method for the differentiated determination of the organic carbon content (TOC400) which is released at temperatures up to 400 °C, the residual oxidizable carbon (ROC) (including e.g. lignite (brown coal), hard coal, charcoal, black carbon, soot) and the inorganic carbon (TIC900) which is released at temperatures up to 900 °C.
The basis is the dry combustion to CO2 in a in the presence of oxygen using using temperatures ranging from 150°C to 900 °C in dry solid samples of soil, soil with anthropogenic admixtures and solid waste (see Table 1) with carbon contents of more than 1 g per kg (0,1 % C) (per carbon type in the test portion).