Abstract
For the assessment of contaminants with respect to soil organisms a novel test approach was applied taking into account that under realistic conditions contaminants in soils are subject to aging processes, and that characteristic accompanying contaminants may occur (e. g. a mixed PAH contamination instead of a pure impact by benzo(a)pyrene). Highly contaminated soils from industrial sites, mainly polluted with one contaminant, were mixed with two different uncontaminated soils to achieve the desired concentrations. The effect on micro-organisms, nematodes, earthworms and plants was tested.