ACTRIS Marketplace

Calibration of the instruments according to ACTRIS and TC recommendations

Site performance tests with reference device serve for regular on-site instrument performance check. The TC reference instruments is shipped to NF and measures according to corresponding SOP parallel to the instrument(s) being checked.

Operators and scientists are trained through courses, workshops and hands-on training sessions. The training enables the operators and scientists to be introduced into the
measurement guidelines/SOPs, QA/QC criteria and control, as well as all basics in technical issues, such as installation and maintenance of the instruments.

ACTRIS variable specific analysis tools will be developed and updated to monitor the instrumentation performance at NFs and will facilitate the development of near-real time data products.

This activity disseminates the knowledge of the CAIS/ECAC to the stakeholders. The knowledge transfer includes education and training activities organized by the CAIS/ECAC and different units.

Following the development of the field (research organizations, private companies) and evaluates the new techniques, whether they could i) replace some of the existing technologies that are used to measure ACTRIS in-situ aerosol variables, ii) improve the capacity of aerosol in-situ observations, iii) be technologically developed enough for network scale operation.

Development and evaluation of new methodologies in the field of organic tracers and carbonaceous species in the aerosol. Service open to external users (including private enterprises).

Consultancy and knowledge transfer via higher education institutions, website and discussion forum.

Calibration of INP instruments

The training enables the operators and scientists to be introduced into the measurement guidelines/SOPs, QA/QC criteria and control, and troubleshooting. Participants are trained in sample preparation, sample analysis and quantification with different instruments. Participants can bring either their own samples.

Transfer of the necessary expertise to operators of an ACTRIS labeled NF and external users (businesses, researchers, monitoring agencies, etc.) to improve their competencies for conducting measurements, data acquisition, data evaluation, and QA/QC measures while covering up to date guidelines and SOPs for anthropogenic NMHCS, biogenic NMHCs, OVOCs, condensables, and NOx. The consultancy shall be provided to stakeholders, users and private companies upon request.

The performance of methods and instruments for measuring organic tracers and carbonaceous constituents in aerosols is evaluated against European standards.

CiGas develops measurement Guidelines (MGs) and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for biogenic NMHCs, OVOCs and condensable vapours and updates the existing ones for anthropogenic NMHCs and NOx), based on proven procedures and methodologies in close cooperation with international bodies (e.g. Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW), National Metrological Institutes (NMIs), AQUILA, EMEP, CEN, ISO), NFs, and users.

Quality Assurance/Quality Control. Check of compliance with ACTRIS recommendations (instrument type, participation in calibration workshops, operation according to SOPs, operator qualification,  scope of applicability). Check of instrument diagnostic variables. Check of measurement data plausibility.

CiGas provides support to the NFs and users for achieving traceability of measurements, quality assurance and quality control of the measurements and the data before submission to public databases. Therefore, data quality and compatibility of ACTRIS trace gas measurements as defined in the MG are ensured by station performance tests as parallel offline measurements, side-by-side intercomparisons, on-site reference measurements, round robins, and by reviewing the data. CiGas provides working standards and target gas to NFs and users, links the measurement of ACTRIS reactive trace gases to primary standards and ensures the state-of-the-art traceability international scales.