This European Standard describes a standard method for determining the PM10 or PM2,5 mass concentrations of suspended particulate matter in ambient air by sampling the particulate matter on filters and weighing them by means of a balance.
Measurements are performed with samplers with inlet designs as specified in Annex A, operating at a nominal flow rate of 2,3 m3/h, over a nominal sampling period of 24 h. Measurement results are expressed in µg/m3, where the volume of air is the volume at ambient conditions near the inlet at the time of sampling.
The range of application of this European Standard is from approximately 1 µg/m3 (i.e. the limit of detection of the standard measurement method expressed as its uncertainty) up to 150 µg/m3 for PM10 and 120 µg/m3 for PM2,5.
NOTE 1 Although the European Standard is not validated for higher concentrations, its range of application could well be extended to ambient air concentrations up to circa 200 µg/m3 when using suitable filter materials (see 5.1.4).
This European Standard describes procedures and gives requirements for the use of so-called sequential samplers, equipped with a filter changer, suitable for extended stand-alone operation. Sequential samplers are commonly used throughout the European Union for the measurement of concentrations in ambient air of PM10 or PM2,5. However, this European Standard does not exclude the use of single-filter samplers.
This European Standard does not give procedures for the demonstration of equivalence of other sampler types, e.g. equipped with a different aerosol classifier and/or operating at different flow rates. Such procedures and requirements are given in detail in the Guide to the Demonstration of Equivalence of Ambient Air Monitoring Methods [11] and for automated continuous PM monitors (see CEN/TS 16450:2013).
The present European Standard represents an evolution of earlier European Standards (EN 12341:1998 and EN 14907:2005) through the development of the 2,3 m3/h sampler...