EURAMET Task Group Environment
Report on the
European Metrology Programme for Innovation and Research
WORKSHOP
Presentation of ideas in preparation for the:
Targeted Programme Environment in 2016
1st December 2015
Organised by EURAMET Task Group “ENVIRONMET” and INRiM
A workshop in preparation of the EMMPIR Call on environment was held in Torino, INRiM on 1st
December 2015. About 100 participants attended the event in an almost equal proportion
between staff from European NMIs and the stakeholder community, here represented by
Universities, Environmental agencies, International Institution (such as the world meteorological
organization – WMO), research centers, private companies.
The workshop agenda was prepared with the intent to allow participants to interact at various
levels, from listening plenary talks, to private, even face to face discussions. Scope of this event
was in fact to facilitate the contact, the discussion and coordination of topic proposals for the
coming 2016 call on Environment.
The event was organized in three distinct sessions: plenary and keynote lectures, breakout
sessions, and coffee sessions.
A keynote speech on the “Role of metrology in support of the long-term atmospheric composition
observations” was brought by Oksana Tarasova, chair of the Global Atmospheric Watch (GAW) of
WMO. Based on the abstract received, five main topics were identified and presented in the
morning plenary session:







Emerging challenges in gas and particle measurements for atmospheric and emissions
science
Ideas in gas chemistry and flow for the EMPIR Environment call
Metrology in support of long-term assessment of oceanic observables: challenges in the
carbonate system measurements
Metrology for environmental extremes
Gravity measurements for monitoring environmental impacts of climate changes.
LIDAR technology
Ionizing radiations.
The activities of the EURAMET Task Group “Environment” were also presented by the TG
Convenor.
A common outcome of the plenary sessions was to outline a primary need: how only robust data is
the basis for correct planning and decision making in Environmental studies and actions.
The topics of the morning plenary, became the subject of the afternoon parallel breakout sessions.
The remaining numerous abstract received had then the opportunity to be grouped and presented
at more appropriate sessions, allowing a detailed discussion and the identification of the main
proposal to for Potential Research Topics for the coming 2016 EMPIR call. Finally, a “face to face
discussion coffee”, lasting till the workshop closing, allowed participants to conclude the
discussion opened at the breakout session, to listen to colleagues having participated in other
sessions, or to exchange contact and information, also privately.
The outcomes of the main session are summarized below.
Gas pollutants and Aerosol
At the end of the session the following potential topics for research have been identified:
1- Aerosol metrology: chemical composition and size. The topic would also include sampling issues
and spectral imaging and could relate also to emerging techniques available to quantify the
composition of particulate matter in real time. Standard chambers to provide different traceability
routes for particle mass concentration are also a priority. (This topic has links to 2 and 4).
2- Black Carbon and particulate composition: The GAWG workshop in April 2015 and the current
WMO requirements have highlighted the need to provide traceability for measurement of particle
composition, especially black carbon and related quantities. The GAWG roadmaps clearly lays out
the work required in this area to achieve these goals and this would form the basis for a project in
this area. (There are links to topics 1 and 4).
3- Gas standards and measurement: development of gas standards and reference materials for the
climate and Air Quality community. Need to ensure a long term maintenance programme of the
standards developed. Consensus on the focus: reactive gases. The following gases have been
reported by different speakers:
- Stable isotope standards (especially for CO2 and N2O)
- Continuing work to underpin long terms monitoring studies of key environmental and climate
change related gases
- N-compounds and particularly NO2
- SO2 : need expressed by O. Tarasova for WMO GAW network.
- HCl: need for good reference standards and comparison
- VOC: F-gases, Halogenated, TO14 and TO15
- HgCl2
- Also mentioned: HF and NH3
4- (low cost) Gas sensors for atmospheric composition: need for validation of (low cost) gas sensing
devices and evaluation of the performances. This topic could include laboratory and field testing,
and it would be useful to also study the quality control of data from these sensors and additional
mathematical analysis techniques to add value to the data produced. This sensors agenda could
also cover a number of particulate measurements that can be made with low cost sensors (for
example particle number, particle mass, particle size, black carbon, organic content).
5- Regulated Industrial Emissions: The need to reduce industrial emissions to air is continuous. Best
Available Technique Reference documents (BREFs) will be adopted under the Industrial Emissions
Directive (2010/75/EU) and will bring in emission limits even more stringent than those currently
coming into force under the IED. Measurement techniques and associated methods standardised
at CEN will become no longer fit for purpose. Work is therefore needed to assess future
measurement needs due to increasingly stringent regulation, critique existing techniques and
associated standardised methods against current and near future requirement, develop far-future
techniques and associated methods and carry out uncertainty work and provide guidance
documents to help the industry in complying with regulation and applying new techniques. An
example is the Optical Gas Imaging technique, which has good potential to become a fast and
sample-free quantitative technique in fugitive emissions. (Follow-up of JRP IMPRESS)
6- GHG Emissions: Many EU states have put exploitation of new gas sources (e.g. shale gas) on hold
pending further understanding of the environmental impact. However, the European Commissions
Energy Roadmap 2050 identifies gas as a critical fuel for the transformation of the energy system.
The substitution of coal and oil with gas in the short term could help reduce emissions with existing
technologies until at least 2030‐2035. In addition, Europe is committed to CCS to transition to a
low carbon economy via the EC’s strategic initiative ‘Preventing dangerous climate change’. To gain
this understanding application of existing and development of new techniques is required to allow:
a capability for periodic monitoring at key industrial sites, improved emissions factors for
calculation of estimated emissions, and robust data to regulate new activities.
Water properties and pollution
About 30 people from NMIs representatives and potential stakeholders participated in the session. The
discussion was focused on the identification of the priorities in the field of water pollution and for
oceanographic observables.
One of the main issues identified was the need to support the reliability of sensors, both in order to address
measurements of quality sufficient to identify relative spatial patterns and short-term variations as well as
measurements of quality sufficient to assess long-term trends with a defined level of confidence.
Three possible proposals for the next call have been identified. The first one would deal with the challenges
in the carbonate system measurements in ocean, addressing some remaining issues on metrological
traceability and calibration of sensors for some parameters related to ocean acidification. The second one
would deal with the need for reliability and improvement of the performances of specific sensors for water
pollution determination. The third one would address the need for metrological tools to support a
validated effect based monitoring strategy within the Water Framework Directive proposing a proof of
concept for high concern pollutants.
Metrology for extreme environmental conditions.
Staff from about ten NMIs joined this session, together with researchers from hydrometeorological agencies, universities, WMO Instrument centers, research Institutes and operators
of Arctic stations. The discussion was based on establishing a multidisciplinary approach to the
many challenges in measuring environmental parameters in extreme environmental regions and
conditions. Upper air measurements, Arctic Observations and extreme events were topics of
discussion and planning.
The participants identified two possible proposal to be prepared.
a) Metrology for extreme environmental regions
A Proposed Research Topic was widely discussed on the basis of the outcome of previous events,
such as the first “Arctic Metrology workshop” of April 2015 and the breakout session on
“Metrology for Environment in the Arctic”. The main need expressed during the previous
mentioned meetings address the establishment of robust traceability, an improved capability in
comparing observation results, evaluating on site measurement uncertainty, defining specific
calibration procedures. The extreme regions of key importance to climate thus requiring specific
studies, were identified to be: upper troposphere - lower stratosphere (UTLS), the Arctic and high
mountains. The objectives included new metrological tools for comparing and combining upper
atmospheric measurements supported by technology development to address gaps in current
measurement capabilities; high mountains stations; novel instruments and new technologies; a
multitude of different Arctic climate and environmental observations, including temperature of
air, water, soil and ice, precipitation and other quantities, with the possibility to establish a
permanent European calibration laboratory in the Arctic. The Svalbard research stations located in
Ny Ålesund, together with the support and involvement of Institutes working there, have been the
basis to define the main objectives of the proposal.
b) Environmental measurements for extreme events.
Quick instrument response, known measurements dynamics, and networking is a fundamental
aspect in detecting and forecasting extreme meteorological and environmental events and
warnings. Metrology can support developing instruments and characterization devices for the
scope.
Lidar technology
The discussion was based on establishing a multi-disciplinary approach to improve the special and
temporal resolution of global monitoring of radiation and atmospheric optical properties. Ideas for
improved calibration methods (for ceilometers and for Raman Lidar) were discussed as well as a
method for a continuously-updated-in-situ calibration methods for individual and net-integrated
PV-Systems.
The participants identified one possible proposal to be prepared. The objectives included the
development of an interactive calibration methods for detection of solar radiation via feed-ininformation of net-integrated Photovoltaic (PV) Panels (direct and diffuse component) allowing for
a high resolution solar radiation monitoring network. It also included two calibration projects
supporting this development, namely the development of an absolute calibration method for
ceilometers and the development of a new calibration function Raman Lidar, which allow for a
consistent interpretation of data from ceilometer and Lidar networks and thus for consistent
reference data (e.g. aerosol optical depth, cloud height and water vapor). These data could be
used as a reference to validate the newly developed PV-calibration method.
Finally, a sessions on Isotope Metrology was attended by about six people, leading to fruitful
discussion and the preparation of possible proposals.
The event closed at 6 pm.