A French certification scheme for the evaluation of sensor systems dedicated to the ambient air quality monitoring

Abstract

International audienceThe continuous interest for sensor systems dedicated to the air quality monitoring led the French national agencies (Ministry in charge of the environment, the French National Reference Laboratory for monitoring air quality (LCSQA) members and the regional monitoring networks (AASQA)) to study the reliability of these new devices. However, there is currently no national or European normative framework regulating their uses or giving the guidelines to evaluate their performances against reference measurement systems. Two members of the LCSQA (Ineris & LNE) joined forces to establish a voluntary certification scheme called Air Quality Sensor that focused on the evaluation of the metrological performances of sensor systems for both gaseous and particulate matter. This evaluation, based on the European standard drafts of the working group on sensor systems for air quality monitoring (CEN TC264/WG42), is divided in two steps: This evaluation focuses on fixed measurement performed with a stationary sensor system. In a first stage, this voluntary evaluation is aimed at measuring PM2.5 and NO2 and will be further extended to other pollutants such as O3 and PM10. At the end of the two parts of the metrological assessment and after an audit of the devices production, a performance division is assigned to each pollutant measured by the sensor system, based on specific metrological criteria described in the protocol for evaluating sensor systems for ambient air quality monitoring at fixed point (MO-1347, Evaluation Protocol for Sensor Systems for Ambient Air Quality Monitoring at Fixed Site, https://prestations.ineris.fr/en/certification/certification-sensors-system-air-quality-monitoring)