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 ยฑ 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
