Measuring instruments and methods

The State Automatic Monitoring System for Ambient Air Quality (SAMSAAQ), managed by the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning (MoEPP), consists of measuring instruments that operate in accordance with the Reference Methods for measuring various pollutant substances. Type Approval tests and reports, as well as equivalence tests, have been conducted for the measuring instruments by appropriate reference laboratories accredited according to the EN ISO/IEC 17025 standard for the specific testing procedures. Based on the performed testing, the measuring instruments hold certificates proving their conformity in accordance with the relevant reference measurement methods described in the applicable EN standards for the various pollutant substances. The measuring instruments meet the criteria for the maximum allowed relative expanded measurement uncertainty for hourly and annual measured concentrations, both under laboratory conditions and real measurement conditions, fulfilling the standards for automatic ambient air quality monitoring systems.

1. Measuring SO₂

- Measuring methods
- For SO₂ measurement, MKC EN 14212:2013 Air quality - Standard method for measuring sulfur dioxide concentration by ultraviolet fluorescence is used, where the measurement uncertainty of hourly data under laboratory and real-world measurement conditions is lower than 15%, which is in accordance with the standard.

- Measuring instruments
- TEI 43C SO₂ analyzer, manufactured by Thermo Environmental Instruments;
- T100 SO₂ analyzer, manufactured by Teledyne API;
- ML2050 SO₂ analyzer, manufactured by Casella monitor (Not used since January 2021);
- Serinus 50 SO₂ analyzer, manufactured by Ecotech

2. Measuring NO, NO₂, Nox

- Measuring methods
- For the measurement of NO, NO₂, NOx, MKC EN 14211:2013 Air quality - Standard method for measuring nitrogen dioxide and nitrogen monoxide concentrations by chemiluminescence is used, where the measurement uncertainty of hourly data in laboratory and real-world measurement conditions is lower than 15%, which is in accordance with the standard.

- Measuring instruments
- TEI 42C NO-NO₂-NOx analyzer, manufactured by Thermo Environmental Instruments;
- T200 NO-NO₂-NOx analyzer, manufactured by Teledyne API;
- ML2041 NO-NO₂-NOx analyzer, manufactured by Casella monitor (Not used since January 2021);
-  TEI 42i NO-NO₂-NOx analyzer, manufactured by Thermo Environmental Instruments
- Serinus 40 NO-NO₂-NOx analyzer, manufactured by Ecotech.

3. Measuring CO

- Measuring methods
- For CO measurement, MKS EN 14626:2013 Air quality - Standard method for measuring carbon monoxide concentration by non-dispersive infrared spectroscopy is used, where the measurement uncertainty of hourly data under laboratory and real-world measurement conditions is lower than 15%, which is in accordance with the standard.

- Measuring instruments
- TEI 48C CO analyzer, manufactured by Thermo Environmental Instruments;
- T300 CO analyzer, manufactured by Teledyne API;
- ML2030 CO analyzer, manufactured by Casella monitor (Not used since January 2021);
- Serinus 30 CO analyzer, manufactured by Ecotech.

4. Measuring O₃

- Measuring methods
- For O₃ measurement, MKS EN 14625:2013 Air quality - Standard method for measuring ozone concentration by ultraviolet photometry is used, where the measurement uncertainty of hourly data under laboratory and real-world measurement conditions is lower than 15%, which is in accordance with the standard.

- Measuring instruments
- TEI 49C O₃ analyzer, manufactured by Thermo Environmental Instruments;
- T400 O₃ analyzer, manufactured by Teledyne API;
- ML2010 O₃ analyzer, manufactured by Casella monitor (Not used since January 2021);
- TEI 49i O₃ analyzer, manufactured by Thermo Environmental Instruments.
- Serinus 10 O₃ analyzer, manufactured by Ecotech.

5. Measuring PM10/PM2.5

- Measuring methods
- For the measurement of PM10/PM2.5 the following methods are used: Beta Attenuation: X-ray absorption method in a substance, in accordance with EN 16450 Ambient air - Automatic measuring systems for the measurement of concentrations of suspended solid particles, then Hybrid method: Beta Attenuation/Nephelometric method, in accordance with EN 16450 Ambient air - Automatic measuring systems for the measurement of concentrations of suspended solid particles and Optical method: light scattering by single particles, in accordance with EN 16450 Ambient air - Automatic measuring systems for the measurement of concentrations of suspended solid particles, with demonstration of equivalence in accordance with MKS EN 12341:2014 Ambient air - Standard gravimetric measurement method for the determination of PM10 or PM2.5 mass fraction of suspended solid particles compared to MKS EN 12341:2014, where the measurement uncertainty of hourly data in laboratory and real-world measurement conditions is lower than 25%, which is in accordance with the standard.

- Measuring instruments
- FH 62 I-R, PM2.5 and PM10 Automated Particulate Monitor analyzer, manufactured by Thermo ESM Andersen (not used since April 2024);
- Sharp 5030, PM2.5 and PM10 Automated Particulate Monitor analyzer, manufactured by Thermo Fisher Scientific (not used since April 2024);
- BAM-1020 PM2.5 and PM10 Continuous Particulate Monitor analyzer, manufactured by Met One Instruments, Inc.
- Grimm 180, PM10/PM2.5 Environmental Dust Monitor analyzer, manufactured by Grimm Aerosol Technik;
- MicroPNS LVS 16 Sequential Low Volume Sampler, manufactured by Umwelttechnik MCZ GmbH;
- Low Volume Sampler LVS 3.1 low volume sampler, from manufacturer Comde Derenda;
- LVS3 / MVS6 low volume sampler, from manufacturer Sven Leckel Ingenieurbüro GmbH;
- SEQ 47/50-RV sequential low volume sampler, from manufacturer Sven Leckel Ingenieurbüro GmbH;
- PNS 18T DM sequential low volume sampler, from manufacturer Comde Derenda.