In this section, you will find links to documents and videos of our training sessions on topics
such as monitoring of VOCs (techniques, calibration, quality assessment...), uncertainty calculation,
metrological vocabulary and many more.
March 2023
Workshop on metrology for atmospheric VOC monitoring
07/03/2023
In the framework of the project MetClimVOC, we organized a workshop on VOCs, which was a satellite event of the International Congress of Metrology (CIM2023). The workshop that covered topics related to the challenges of monitoring VOCs was divided into two sessions:
Session 1: Needs of atmospheric VOC monitoring
An introduction to MetClimVOC (Céline Pascale, METAS): the "Metrology for Climate relevant Volatile Organic Compounds" (MetClimVOC) project , granted by the European Metrology Programme for Innovation and Research of the European Association of National Metrology Institutes (EURAMET-EMPIR), was described during this talk. Information about the consortium, project structure and objectives was provided.
Under the topic Towards an unbroken SI-traceable calibration chain for VOCs at monitoring stations, two talks were given showing the efforts of the project to achieve the transfer of SI-traceability to monitoring stations:
1. Preparation of reference gas mixtures of climate relevant VOCs (Annarita Baldan, VSL; Tatiana Macé, LNE): this talk described the oxy-VOC RGMs at low amount fractions developed during the project.
2. Transferring SI-traceability to the field — assessment of new working standards (Maitane Iturrate-Garcia, METAS; Stefan Reimann, EMPA): during this presentation, new SI-traceable working standards were described. Preliminary results of the working standard assessment were also presented.
New and classical techniques to measure formaldehyde — a laboratory intercomparison (Thérèse Salameh, IMT Nord Europe; Audrey Grandjean, Chromatotec): this talk focused mainly on the intercomparison, which took place during the MetClimVOC project, to assess the different analytical tecniques used to measure formaldehyde at very low amount fractions.
Can SI-traceability be achieved at atmospheric monitoring stations? — Needs and challenges.
This round table, led by Céline Pacale (METAS) and Stefan Reimann (EMPA) and with the participation of Ralf Tillmann (FZ-Jülich), Rupert Holzinger (UU), Martine Carré (Air Liquide), Etienne Smith (AP2E DURAG) and Stefan Persijn (VSL), addressed this question on SI-traceability.
Session 2: Project outcomes on VOC sampling and analysis
Within the topic Improvements on VOC sampling and analytical systems, the progress done on the metrological characterization and optimisation of sampling and analytical methods for monitoring VOCs were presented:
1. Sampling methods — effects of sorbent materials and scrubbers on VOC measurements(Anja Claude, DWD): during this presentation, results of tests run to evaluate sampling methods and elements (e.g. particle filters, ozone scrubbers) used to sample atmospheric VOCs.
2. New calibration protocols for Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometry (PTR-MS) (Yoana Hristova, NPL; Rupert Holzinger, University of Utrecht): this talk focused on the PTR-MS analytical method used for monitoring VOCs, as well as on a novel transmission curve certified reference material, which is SI-traceable, produced by NPL.
3. A fit-for-purpose methanol analyser (Maricarmen Lecuna, POLITO): in this talk, a new methanol analyser based on laser spectrometry, developed by GASERA and characterised by POLITO, was described.
Remote sensing input data — analysis and improvement strategies(Iouli Gordon, HITRAN database; Alexandra Lüttschwager, PTB): first the HITRAN database and how this database may benefit from the project outputs were briefly described. Then, the work done within the project in order to validate and metrologically assess spectral parameters of selected fluorinated compounds was presented.
Project outcomes and uptakes: uncertainty tools, directives and calibration facilities(Stefan Reimann, EMPA; Thérèse Salameh, IMT Nord Europe; Tobias Bühlmann, METAS)
Metrology for atmospheric monitoring — uptake and further steps.
This round table, led by Thérèse Salameh (IMT Nord Europe) and Maitane Iturrate-Garcia (METAS) with the participation of Anja Claude (ACTRIS/DWD), Jean-Philippe Amiet (Chromatotec), Alexandra Lüttschwager (PTB), Paolo Laj (ACTRIS) and Céline Pascale (METAS/EMN COO), covered this topic, highlighting the need of keeping collaborating among NMIs, atmospheric monitoring networks and manufacturers of instruments and gas standards.
November 2021
Virtual workshop on VOCs: bringing in situ and remote communities together for a better data uncertainty estimation
14/10/2021
In the framework of the project MetClimVOC, we organized a virtual workshop divided into four sessions addressing the following topics:
Session 1: Toward accurate and comparable VOC measurements — Challenges, needs and efforts
Introduction to the EMPIR MetClimVOC project and objectives (Céline Pascale, METAS): the project "Metrology for Climate relevant Volatile Organic Compounds" (MetClimVOC), granted by the European Metrology Programme for Innovation and Research of the European Association of National Metrology Institutes (EURAMET-EMPIR), was described during this talk. Information about the consortium, project structure, objectives and first results was provided.
MetClimVOC M18 workshop - introduction to the project MetClimVOC VOC monitoring in the ACTRIS network: in situ and remote (Paolo Laj, ACTRIS): the Aerosol, Clouds and Trace Gases Research Infrastructure (ACTRIS) was introduced in this talk, highlighting aspects as the traceability of data sets and procedures, collaborations with National Metrology Institutes (NMIs) to define primary standards and the harmonization of procedures at a wider scale (e.g. GAW/WMO, EMEP).
MetClimVOC M18 workshop - VOC monitoring in the ACTRIS network Importance of data quality for modellers and end users (Stefan Reimann, Empa): concerning quality assurance, researchers' soft skills are as important as hardware components (e.g. adequate measuring instrument, traceability of calibration gases). In this presentation, indications about periodic maitenance, documentation and data control were introduced. Moreover, examples on VOC data checks and tools (i.e. ATmospheric VOC Assessment Tool) were described.
MetClimVOC M18 workshop - Importance of data quality Introduction on uncertainty basic concepts (Gang Li, PTB): During this presentation, different metrological concepts were introduced. Brief descriptions about the International System of Units, key comparisons, types of uncertainties and relevant documents, where more information on the topic can be found, were given.
MetClimVOC M18 workshop - Uncertainty basic concepts Session 2: In situ VOC measurements — Metrological aspects and uncertainty
Static reference gas mixture preparation and uncertainty(Stefan Persijn, VSL): in this presentation, the preparation of static reference gas mixtures (RGMs) was described, showing the traceability of the process and the main contributors to the uncertainty of the preparation.
MetClimVOC M18 workshop - Preparation and uncertainty of static gas mixtures Dynamic reference gas mixture preparation and uncertainty: permeation and diffusion methods (Maitane Iturrate-Garcia, METAS and Maricarmen Lecuna, POLITO): Two dynamic methods — permeation and diffusion — to prepare reference gas mixtures were described during this presentation. Detailed information on uncertainty sources of the methods were given.
MetClimVOC M18 workshop - Preparation and uncertainty of dynamic gas mixtures Implementation of automatic validation parameters for continuous quantification of VOCs in ambient air using dual TD-GC FID-MS (Fanny Bachelier, Cromatotec/ICARE-CNRS (UPR3021): The experimental setup, initial characterisation of the instruments used and the procedure followed to implement automatic validation parameters for continuous quantification of VOCs in ambient air were described during the presentation.
MetClimVOC M18 workshop - Validation parameters for continuous VOC quantification Improvement of VOC measurement methods: challenges and best practices (Thérèse Salameh, IMT Nord Europe): Preliminary results on the tests performed by the consortium of the MetClimVOC project to improve the existing sampling methods were described. The overview focused on the results of sampling line materials, water removal systems and ozone scrubbers for oxygenated VOCs, terpenes and halogenated VOCs.
MetClimVOC M18 workshop - Improvement of VOC measurement methods Session 3: Comparisons and verification of different measurement methods — Remote, ground based and in situ
Dynamic generation of formaldehyde standards and their analysis by FTIR — methods and uncertainties (Joële Viallon, BIPM): During this presentation, the dynamic methods (permeation and diffusion) used at BIPM to generate formaldehyde in nitrogen standards were described. Purity assessment using FTIR spectroscopy and the uncertainty budget of the generated reference gas mixtures were also shown. The presentation finished with the description of the intercomparison exercise CCQM-K90 on formaldehyde.
MetClimVOC M18 workshop - Generation and FTIR analysis of formaldehyde standards Comparing ground-based remote sensing measurements to in situ measurements at Jungfraujoch (Bart Dils, BIRA): After presenting the monitoring station of Jungfraujoch (Switzerland), an example of uncertainty budget of the formaldehyde total colum retrievals was given in detail. The presentation finished with results from comparison campaigns between ground-based remote sensing measurements and in situ measurements at Jungfraujoch.
MetClimVOC M18 workshop - Comparing remote sensing and in situ measurements Session 4: Remote sensing VOC measurements — Metrological aspects and uncertainty
Comparison of spectroscopic data of SF6: their impact on retrieved atmospheric abundances of SF6 and derived mean age of stratospheric air (Gabriele Stiller, KIT-MIK): After a brief description of MIPAS, results on the comparison of fits with different absorption cross sections of SF6 and the impact of the new cross-section on SF6 distributions were presented.
MetClimVOC M18 workshop - Improvement of VOC measurement methods HITRAN2020 and remote sensing of the terrestrial atmosphere (Iouli Gordon, Harvard CfA): In this presentation, a detailed description of the updated HITRAN database — H2020 — was given, highlighting improvements and new tools, such as the free open source Python module HAPI.
MetClimVOC M18 workshop - Improvement of VOC measurement methods High-resolution FTIR absorption cross-section measurements at PTB (Gang Li, PTB): Within MetClimVOC project framework, first steps and current experiments towards SI-traceable absorption cross-sections of halogenated VOCs were presented. Improvements on the pressure, length, temperature and baseline were described, as well as the software developed for batch evaluation of absorption cross sections (including uncertainty calculation).
MetClimVOC M18 workshop - Improvement of VOC measurement methods March 2021
Virtual training on metrology of VOC atmospheric measurements
17/03/2021
Training introduction
In the framework of the project MetClimVOC, we organized a virtual training addressing the topics described below.
Atmospheric measurements of volatile organic compounds at monitoring stations (Rainer Steinbrecher, KIT): the VOC monitoring networks of Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) and of the upcoming European Research Infrastructure on Aerosol, Clouds and Trace Gases (ACTRIS) were shortly introduced with its key objective of providing high quality data of known uncertainty. Necessary data quality assurance and control processes, as well as the success of the measures in the GAW-VOC network were shown. MetClimVOC M10 training - atmospheric measurements of VOCs
Metrological vocabulary and traceability (Bernhard Niederhauser, METAS): during this presentation, metrological terms and concepts, such as measurand, uncertainty, calibration hierarchy and traceability to the international system of units were clarified.
MetClimVOC M10 training - metrological vocabulary
Preparation, traceability and uncertainty of static reference gas mixtures (Annarita Baldan, VSL):in this presentation, the preparation of static reference gas mixtures (RGMs) was described, showing the traceability of the process and the main contributors to the uncertainty of the preparation.
MetClimVOC M10 training - static RGMs
Generation, traceability and uncertainty of dynamic reference gas mixtures (Maitane Iturrate-Garcia, METAS): the system used to generate dynamic primary RGMs using the permeation method was described, showing the traceability of the generation process and the main contributors to the uncertainty of the generated RGMs. An example of secondary RGMs was briefly shown.
MetClimVOC M10 training - dynamic RGMs