Evaluation of the Laboratory Comparison Exercise for SO2, CO, O3, NO and NO2, 12th - 15th of October 2015, Ispra (I)

Within the harmonization program of Air Quality monitoring in Europe, the European Reference Laboratory of Air Pollution (ERLAP) is organizing Inter-Laboratory Comparison Exercises (IE). From the 12th to the 15th of October 2015, nine Laboratories of AQUILA (Network of European Air Quality Reference Laboratories) met for a laboratory comparison exercise in Ispra (IT) to evaluate their proficiency in the analysis of inorganic gaseous pollutants (NO, NO2, SO2, CO and O3) covered by the European Air Quality Directive 2008/50 EC [1] and recent revision 2015/1480/EC [42]. The proficiency evaluation, where each participant's bias was compared to two criteria, provides information on the current situation and capabilities to the European Commission and can be used by participants in their quality control system. On the basis of criteria imposed by the European Commission, 90.2% of the results reported by AQUILA laboratories were good both in terms of measured values and reported uncertainties. Part of the results (9.2%) had good measured values, but the reported uncertainties were either too high (7.6%) or too small (1.6%). Two measurements showed a questionable result (0.6%), no unsatisfactory results were submitted. Comparability of results among AQUILA participants at the highest generated concentration levels is satisfactory for measurements of all pollutants.