Air Pollution Measurement
Air quality is an important issue in European urban areas. Air quality measurement methods have crucial impacts on the way policies are drafted, implemented and monitored. CEN/TC 264 on Air Quality is dealing with such matters.
ECOS has decided to follow the Working Groups WG1, WG15 and WG 24 of this technical committee.
WG 15 on Ambient Air aims at standardising the methods for measuring the concentration of particulate matter of less than 10 and less than 2.5 micrometers (which are suspected to have severe impacts on health). Cars, industries and power plants are sources of such particles. A Mandate was allocated by the European Commission in 1999 in the framework of the Directive on Ambient Air Assessment and Management (Directive 96/62/EC of 27 September 1996) and its daughter directives. The WG has produced the respective standards in 2005 and 1999. The 2005 CEN/TC 264 plenary meeting has asked WG15 to prepare a proposal for the revision of EN12341 (PM10 reference method) and to consider refinement of the PM2.5 method (EN14907) should experience and evidence require it. A reference method for PM10 monitoring is required to support the First Air Quality Daughter Directive (proposed within the Thematic Strategy to be combined into a single Directive).
ECOS has been sending experts in this working group since 2003 in order to follow-up and ensure high quality outcomes for environmental protection (such as stringent equivalency procedures, harmonisation of tests and availability of data, conditioning of particulate filters, etc.) NGO participation helped ensure that the standards remain stringent and fully linked to the requirements on air quality developed by the European Institutions.
ECOS also gave substantial input in 2006 to the EC Mandate for the Working Group 1 on "Dioxins measurement" (measurement of dioxin-like PCBs from stationary sources).Currently validated measurements are being carried out.
Links and attachements
Mandate of the European Commission on air quality measurement