Second JRC Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Inter-laboratory Comparison on Particulate Matter Quartz Filters

This report provides the results of the second inter-laboratory comparison for analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in particulate matter (PM) quartz filters carried out in Ispra from the 1st to the 15th of February 2018. Fifteen laboratories from different member states of the European Union participated in this exercise. The main comparison was based on the analysis of sections of four filters from a high-volume sampler and two blanks representing the daily concentration range of PAHs collected in an equivalent low volume sampling filter, which would be operating during the period of comparison. The exercise allowed the comparison between high and low volume sampling, which was carried out by three of the participating laboratories. The comparison was performed on the analysis of 15 PAHs from phenanthrene to benzo[g,h,i]perylene, including benzo[a]pyrene as regulatory compound. The median of the inter-compound robust repeatability uncertainty and reproducibility was 14%, while the robust overall expanded uncertainty was ± 30% for the exercise. This value, being representative of a robust best method performance, can fulfil the method expectation for the analysis of PAHs and in line with the data quality objectives (DQO) defined in the Directive 2004/107/EC.JRC.C.5-Air and Climat

First EC-JRC PAHs Inter-laboratory comparison on PM10 quartz filters

This report presents the results of the first intercomparison for PAHs analysed on quartz filters carried out by the JRC between April and December 2010. Seventeen national reference laboratories participated in this exercise. Four different filters representing winter and summer periods in two different locations (Madrid and Prague) and two blanks were tested during the exercise. 15 PAHs were considered for analysis from phenanthrene to Benzo[g,h,i]perylene, including benzo-a-pyrene. In general, the results of the exercise showed median overall uncertainties ranging from 10 to 90 %, depending on the compound and the analysed concentration. Median Benzo-(a)-Pyrene overall uncertainty ranged between 30 and 50 %, increasing with the decrease of the concentration. The exercise demonstrates the validity of the current methodology for organising PAHs intercomparison exercises in PM10 filters. Laboratories exhibited better performance in the analysis of those compounds where reference material was found in the market. The need for implementing a consistent traceability system for measurements is deduced from the systematic biases associated to laboratory behaviour.JRC.H.2-Air and Climat

Third EC-JRC aromatic compounds inter-laboratory comparison with automatic analysers

This report presents the results of the third inter-laboratory comparison for BTEX automatic analysers performed at the JRC on the 12-15 November 2013. Nine national reference laboratories with a total of eleven instruments, participated in this exercise. Six concentration levels were tested during the inter-laboratory comparison. Benzene concentrations ranged from 1 to 50 µg/m3. The exercise was evaluated according to ISO 13528 methodologies for the evaluation of inter-laboratory proficiency assessment and the recommendation of the protocol N37 of the AQUILA network. Participating laboratories are identified as requested by the AQUILA protocol. The report compares reference and robust average values for the three up and down concentration series tested during the exercise, gives information on the technique and instrumentation used by each participant and shows the linearity test, identification of outliers, repeatability, reproducibility and robustness of the methodology, as well as parameters to evaluate laboratory results: repeatability score, bias and En values. In spite of an unforeseen power failure occurred during the comparison, which lead to a shutdown of all instruments and gas generation for three hours, the comparison exercise could be resumed successfully. The results show a substantial improvement with respect to the previous two inter-laboratory exercise with robust values for the benzene measurements that were in line with average reproducibility values of 7.8 %.JRC.H.2-Air and Climat

Fourth EC-JRC aromatic compounds inter-laboratory comparison with automatic analysers

This report presents the results of the fourth inter-laboratory comparison for BTEX automatic analysers performed at the JRC Ispra from the 19th to the 22nd of September 2016. Twelve national reference laboratories with fourteen instruments participated in this exercise. Six concentration levels were tested during the inter-laboratory comparison. Benzene concentrations ranged from 1 to 50 µg/m3. The exercise was evaluated according to ISO 13528 methodologies for the evaluation of inter-laboratory proficiency assessment and the recommendation of the protocol N37 of the AQUILA network. Participating laboratories are identified as requested by the AQUILA protocol. The report, compares reference and robust average values for the concentrations tested during the exercise, gives information on the technique and instrumentation used by each participant and shows the results of linearity tests, identification of outliers, repeatability, reproducibility and robustness of the methodology, and also parameters to evaluate laboratory results: repeatability score, bias and En values. In general, the results showed a relative improvement with respect to the previous inter-laboratory exercises from 2013. This was mainly reflected in the inter-laboratory exercise reproducibility values of the C8 compounds (ethyl-benzene and xylenes). Repeatability and reproducibility values for benzene and toluene were approximately 4 % and 9 %, providing consistent robust values. Ethyl-benzene, m,p-xylene and o-xylene showed higher variability with repeatability values ranging from 6 to circa 7.5 % and reproducibility values between 12 and 14 %.JRC.C.5-Air and Climat

Unconventional Oil and Gas Development: Evaluation of selected hydrocarbons in the ambient air of three basins in the United States by means of diffusive sampling measurements

The impact of emissions associated with the extraction of crude oil and natural gas upon air quality in the United States (US) is widely recognised to have an impact on climate change, human health and ground-level ozone formation. A number of measurement approaches are being applied to evaluate the environmental impact of the oil and gas (O&G) sector, including satellite, airborne and ground-based platforms. Measurement based studies, in particular those that estimate flux rates, are critical for the validation of emission inventories that often under-report actual emissions of methane and volatile organic compounds (VOC) from the O&G sector. On-going research projects in the US are investigating the consistency of emission rates from O&G emission sources associated with extraction, transmission and distribution activities. The leakage rates of methane, as related to production levels, in the US for O&G developments varies from less than 1% (e.g. Upper Green River Basin, Wyoming) to over 6% (Uintah Basin, Utah). European research and policy approaches can learn from efforts in the US that are improving the accuracy of reporting emissions from O&G sources, enhancing our understanding of air quality impacts, and reducing emissions through regulatory controls. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission performed a diffusive sampling project, with the collaboration of the University of Wyoming, in conjunction with the SONGNEX (Studying the Atmospheric Effects of Changing Energy Use in the US at the Nexus of Air Quality and Climate Change) project led by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The SONGNEX project is an airborne measurement campaign supported by a number of associated ground based studies. The applicability of the Pocket Diffusive (PoD) sampler, for measurement of VOC (C4-C10), heavy hydrocarbons and volatile polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in areas heavily influenced by O&G development, is evaluated. Three sampling surveys were performed to assess three basins (Upper Green River, Uintah and North Platte) characterised by different management regimes, meteorology and hydrocarbon products. This first extensive field deployment of the PoD sampler demonstrates the effectiveness of the sampler for time-integrated measurements of targeted pollutants over wide spatial areas. The ambient air at these basins reveal different compositional profiles of hydrocarbons (C4-C10). Analysis of aromatics supports a finding of relatively elevated levels in the Pinedale Anticline (Upper Green River). From an evaluation of the behaviour of alkanes, it is evident that there is a relatively high leakage rate in the Uintah Basin. Heavy hydrocarbons (C11-C22) and PAHs are measured at relatively low levels. Despite low concentrations, analysis of these compounds improves the accuracy of source identification. A comparison of ground based PoD data and airborne SONGNEX data showed good agreement for commonly reported VOCs. The utility of the PoD sampler for analysis of emission sources was enhanced with reporting of a wide range of compounds. Spatial Positive Matrix Factorization analysis showed the possibility of using PoD samplers for differentiating emission sources, characterizing different areas and estimating the relative contribution of different emission sources.JRC.C.5-Air and Climat

Fifth EC-JRC aromatic compounds inter-laboratory comparison with automatic analysers

This report presents the results of the fifth inter-laboratory comparison for BTEX automatic analysers performed at the JRC Ispra from the 23rd to the 26th of September 2019. Thirteen national reference laboratories with fifteen instruments participated in this exercise. Six concentration levels were tested during the inter-laboratory comparison. Benzene concentrations ranged from 1 to 20 μg/m3. The exercise was evaluated according to ISO 13528 methodologies for the evaluation of inter-laboratory proficiency assessment and the recommendation of the protocol N37 of the AQUILA network. Participating laboratories are identified as requested by the afore-mentioned protocol. The robust average value calculated according to ISO13528 was adopted as reference value for the exercise. The report provides information on the technique and instrumentation used by each participant and shows the results of linearity tests, identification of outliers, repeatability, reproducibility and robustness of the method. Furthermore, parameters to evaluate individual laboratory results: repeatability score, Z-score, bias and En scores are also provided. In general, the results showed in terms of accuracy and precision a behaviour similar to the previous inter-laboratory exercise (EUR-28692-EN). The decrease in concentration avoided problems of sample’s overload at the highest concentrations, i.e. toluene. For benzene and toluene, average repeatability and reproducibility values were about 6 % and 13 %, respectively. Ethyl-benzene, m,p-xylene and o-xylene showed higher repeatability values of around 9 %, while their values of reproducibility were about 20 %.JRC.C.5-Air and Climat

Second EC-JRC Aromatic Compounds Intercomparison with Automatic Analyzer

This report presents the results of the second intercomparison for BTEX automatic analysers carried out by the JRC on the 17-19 June 2008. Seven national reference laboratories participated in this exercise. Six concentrations levels were tested during the intercomparison, ranging from circa 3 to 50 µg/m3, for benzene. With respect to the first intercomparison carried out in 2005, the reference value was assigned by ERLAP and the exercise was evaluated according to ISO 13528 methodologies for the evaluation of interlaboratory proficiency assessment and the recommendation of the protocol N37 of the AQUILA network. Participating laboratories are identified as requested by the AQUILA for further actions. In general, the results of the exercise show no changes in the performance of the method with respect to the previous exercise. The robustness of the method is still an issue in particular for benzene. This is reflected in a relatively high interlaboratory reproducibility standard deviation. As a consequence, the criterion for the standard deviation for proficiency assessment proposed in the AQUILA protocol seems to be very restrictive for the current performance of the methodology, this may require future harmonisation actions in the implemented methodology.JRC.H.4-Transport and air qualit

Spatially-resolved Assessment of Land and Water Use Scenarios for Shale Gas Development: Poland and Germany

The analysis presented in this report focuses specifically on two issues of potential concern with respect to shale gas development in EU member states using hydraulic fracturing technologies: pressure on freshwater resources, and land use competition. Potential alternative technologies, such as “dry fracking”, are not considered, because they are still at the research and development stage. We reviewed available literature in order to identify important variables that may influence the land and water requirements associated with shale gas development. We further derived a range of representative values spanning worst-, average- and best-case scenarios for each variable. We then coupled specific technology scenarios (incorporating these variables) regarding water and land use requirements for shale gas development from 2013-2028 with spatially-resolved water and land availability/demand modeling tools (i.e. using the European Land Use Modelling Platform (LUMP)). Scenario analyses (intended to represent worst-, average- and best-case assumptions) were subsequently implemented that incorporate a subset of the identified variables for shale gas development in the Lower Paleozoic Baltic-Podlasie-Lublin basin in Poland and for Germany as a whole from 2013-2028. In addition, we undertook a screening-level risk assessment of potential human and ecosystem health impacts attributable to accidental or operational release of chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing of shale formations, as well as the average gaseous emissions (per active well) associated with shale gas development activities that might be anticipated within a shale play. Finally, we developed a qualitative discussion of necessary considerations to support future air quality impact assessments for shale gas development activities.JRC.H.8-Sustainability Assessmen

The Uncertainty of Averaging a Time Series of Measurements and Its Use in Environmental Legislation.

Abstract not availableJRC.H-Institute for environment and sustainability (Ispra

The Uncertainty of Averaging a Time Series of Measurements and its Use in Environmental Legislation

This paper assesses the problem of the calculation of an averaging uncertainty for measurements in the framework of the European Air Quality Directives. Current environmental legislation establishes maximum uncertainties associated with a defined period of measurements. The difficulties of an ‘a priori’ determination of uncertainty contributions associated with both the averaging of measurements and an incomplete time series are discussed. The definition of an overall uncertainty, which includes budget contributions from the afore-mentioned factors, is not helpful as a regulatory parameter for quality. Alternatively, it should be used as additional information to associate with the average measurement value. This should be taken into consideration in future revisions of the European ambient air quality legislation.JRC.H.4-Transport and air qualit