ISO 5667-12:2017提供了松散沉积物取样指南，以确定其地质、物理和化学性质，以及水和沉积物界面的生物、微生物和化学性质。为测量沉积速率和详细地层划分，给出了获取沉积岩芯的指南。本文件的主要重点是提供获取沉积物样本的方法。 所考虑的环境是 -湖沼（河流、溪流和湖泊，天然和人造的），以及 -河口，包括港口。 本文件明确排除了污泥的工业和污水处理厂、古湖沼取样和公海沉积物取样（ISO 5667-15对此进行了论述），尽管有些技术可能适用于这些情况。悬浮固体的取样不在本文件的范围内，此类指南可参考ISO 5667-17。

ISO 5667-12:2017 provides guidance on the sampling of unconsolidated sediments for the determination of their geological, physical and chemical properties, as well as the determination of biological, microbiological and chemical properties at the water and sediment interface. Guidance on achieving sediment cores is given specifically for the measurement of rates of deposition and detailed strata delineation. The main emphasis of this document is to provide methods that achieve sediment samples. The environments considered are - limnic (rivers, streams and lakes, natural and man-made), and - estuarine, including harbours. Industrial and sewage works for sludges, paleolimnological sampling and sampling of open ocean sediments are specifically excluded from this document (and are addressed in ISO 5667-15), although some techniques may apply to these situations. Sampling of suspended solids is outside the scope of this document and reference can be made to ISO 5667-17 for such guidance.