Turvetesti

Turvetesti refers to the laboratory testing of peat samples (turve) to determine their physical and chemical properties. The term is used in Finnish and Nordic contexts to describe the set of analyses that quality‑control peat used for energy production, horticultural growing media, or soil amendments. Turvetest results guide product classification, handling, storage, pricing, and compliance with standards. Peat properties affected include moisture content, ash content, volatile matter, organic matter, pH, electrical conductivity, nutrient content, decomposition degree, and bulk density.

Common analyses in turvetesti include sampling from different layers of a peat deposit, drying samples in a convection oven at about 105 °C to constant mass to determine moisture, and ashing in a furnace around 550 °C to determine ash content and volatile matter by loss on ignition. Calorific value can be measured by bomb calorimetry for fuel peat. For chemical properties, pH and EC (electrical conductivity) of water or salt extracts are determined, and nutrient contents (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) are assessed where relevant. For horticultural peat, additional tests may cover cation exchange capacity, decomposition degree or humification, and bulk density. In growing media, properties such as salt content and stability can be important.

Applications of turvetesti span multiple sectors. Peat producers use test results to classify products and ensure uniform quality, energy companies assess fuel value, and horticultural suppliers verify suitability as growing media. Environmental regulators may require documentation on peat suitability and handling. Overall, turvetesti provides standardized data to support quality control, regulatory compliance, and informed decision‑making in peat utilization.