Emission measurements – stack sampling &
Accreditation
Dr. Cor de Ruiter
CDR QA SUPPORT / INAB
June 2011
Emission measurements – stack sampling
- Quality assurance: Accreditation versus Certification
- Requirements for organizations involved in emission
measurements – stack sampling
- The Irish National Accreditation Board & the accreditation
process (explained by Pat O’Brien)
- Accreditation assessments in practice
- Most important issues addressed during accreditation
assessments
1
QA – Accreditation versus Certification
EA
EA Multilateral Agreement
Mutual Recognition Agreements
With other regions
National Accreditation
Body (INAB)
ISO/IEC 17011
ACCREDITATION
Certification Bodies
Laboratories
ISO/IEC 17021,
EN 45011
Emission measurem.
/ stack sampling
CERTIFICATION
ISO/IEC 17025
Companies
(may be involved in
Emission measurem.
ISO 9001, 14001, 18001
Inspection Bodies
ISO/IEC 17020
NOTE: ISO/IEC 17025
is NOT
a certification standard !
2
Accreditation versus Certification
CERTIFICATIE (for profit)
ACCREDITATIE (non-profit)
ISO 9001:2008
• Deming cycle (PDCA)
• Personnel & Organization
EN-ISO/IEC 17025:2005
• Deming cycle (PDCA)
• Personnel & Organization
• Independence, impartiality
• Meeting customer requirements
• Document control
• Primary Processes
- technical performance in detail
- by technical experts
- aiming at justified confidence that
valid test results are reported
• Meeting customer requirements
• Document control
• Primary Processes:
- more in general
- no technical experts
COMPETENCE !
3
Accreditation versus Certification
ACCREDITATION
Assessment of Competence
CERTIFICATIE
Assessment of Conformity
4
Assessment of competence
Assessment by PEERS
This is the key aspect of accreditation.
Certification does not include this.
5
Requirements for organizations involved in
emission measurements – stack sampling
In most European countries, organizations
involved in emission measurements – stack
sampling, issuing test reports with regard to
environmental licenses (including maximum
allowable emissions), shall be accreditated
against EN-ISO/IEC 17025 by its national
Accreditation Body (AB). This AB shall be a
signatory of the EA-MLA (ref. EA website
www.european-accreditation.org)
EU Directives / Regulations more and more
refer to EN-ISO/IEC 17025
6
Requirements for organizations involved in
emission measurements – stack sampling
The General Assembly of EA has decided that, effective 1 November
2009, the national Accreditation Bodies that are signatory of the EA-MLA
shall use CEN/TS 15675:2007“Air Quality – Measurement of
stationary source emissions”, in the assessment of organizations
involved in emsion meaurements – stack sampling
CEN/TS 15675:2007 involves
application of EN ISO/IEC
17025:2005 to periodic
measurements
NOTE: It refers to EN
15259:2007 as mandatory
standard !
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Requirements for organizations involved in
emission measurements – stack sampling
Application of standard reference methods (SRM’s)
Organic carbon
EN 13526
Total dust
EN 13284-1
Odour
EN 13725
QA of AMS
EN 14181
Total metals
EN 14385
Oxygen
EN 14789
Water vapour
EN 14790
Sulphur dioxide EN 14791
Nitrogen oxides EN 14792
Carbon monoxide EN 15056
Dioxins
EN 1948-1/3
Gas velocity and volume flow rate ISO 10780
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8
Accreditation assessments in practice focus of
the lead assessor
Quality Policy and Objectives
Internal Audits
Complaint handling
Corrective Action
Preventive Action
Management Review
9
Accreditation assessments in practice - focus of
the lead assessor
Independence, impartiality
- No conflict of interests
- Avoiding undue pressures
- Confidentiality
- Quality Manager with direct access to top management
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Accreditation assessments in practice - focus of
the lead assessor
Organization & Personnel
- Commitment of top management
- Technical manager / supervision
- Education, knowledge and work experience
- Job descriptions
- Qualification records
- Monitoring and Training
11
Accreditation assessments in practice - focus of
the lead assessor
Management system, document control and
traceability of the primary process (reported results
towards original raw data)
17
Accreditation assessments in practice - focus of
the technical expert
Performance of emission measurements – stack sampling
conforming to measurement standards (EN, ISO), see
Annex A of CEN/TS 15675:2007
This means witnessing of the performance of
emission measurements !
By technical experts contracted by the
Accreditation Body.
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Accreditation assessments in practice - focus of
the technical expert
Assessment of the entire measurement process
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Accreditation assessments in practice - focus of
the technical expert
Assessment of the entire measurement process
Mobile laboratory
Equipment
Identification; logbooks;
maintenance; calibration;
quality control, etd.
Competence of personnel
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Accreditation assessments in practice - focus of
the technical expert
Calibration of critical equipment, e.g. for measurement of O2,
NOx, SO2, CO, CO2 - Traceability to international standards
Calibration gases with traceability to international standards (National
Metrological Institute or ISO/IEC 17025 accredited calibration laboratory)
16
Focus of the technical expert – traceability of
cirtical equipment to international standards
Pitot-tubes: Determination of
the k-factor (0.60 – 1.00)
17
Focus of the technical expert – traceability of
cirtical equipment to international standards
Gas meters
Pressure gauges, barometer
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Focus of the technical expert – traceability of
cirtical equipment to international standards
Thermocouple
!
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Focus of the technical expert – traceability of
cirtical equipment to international standards
20
Accreditation assessments in practice - focus of
the technical expert
Quality control of O2, NOx, SO2, CO, CO2 measuring
equipment by means of quality control charts
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Accreditation assessments in practice - focus of
the technical expert
Assessment if the measurement location and sections (EN
15259:2007) and stack sampling
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Accreditation assessments in practice - focus of
the technical expert
Stack sampling
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Accreditation assessments in practice - focus of
the technical expert
Stack sampling with regard to odour
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Accreditation assessments in practice - focus of
the technical expert
Data acquisition / technical records
Data integrity, traceability, retreivability, control of data
transfers and calculations
ALSO WHEN IT IS RAINING !
26
Accreditation assessments in practice - focus of
the technical expert
Quality assurance of tests conducted in the
laboratory (e.g. GC/MS, ICP, LC)
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Accreditation assessments in practice - focus of
the technical expert & lead assessor
Participation in proficiency Testing –
A mandatory requirement for accreditation !
The posibilities are limited. In particular, there are only a few
locations in Europe (UK, Germany, France, Belgium) suitable for
performing an on-site proficiency test for stack sampling.
A ‘next best’ could be the off-site PT tests organized by e.g.
NPL (UK) of NMi-VSL (Netherlands). NMi-VSL is
accredited against ILAC-G13 (ISO/IEC 17043:2010) for
such PT’s.
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Accreditation assessments in practice - focus of
the technical expert & lead assessor
For Irish laboratories the NPL (UK) may be suitable.
NPL (UK) organizes three proficiency testing (PT) schemes in the stack
emissions measurement area: Particulate, Gas Measurement and
Calibration Gas. The Particulate scheme is run annually with test items
sent to participants. The Gas Measurement and Calibration Gas schemes
are run bi-annually with measurements conducted at NPL.
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Accreditation assessments in practice - focus of
the technical expert & lead assessor
Reports
-Clear and unambiguous
- Contents in line with CEN/TS 15675 and EN 15259
- Including measurement locations and their fitness for
purpose, representativity of the industrial process,
test results, measurement uncertainty, reference to
accreditation
- Traceability to original raw data (digital and/or hardcopy)
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Accreditation assessments in practice - focus of
the technical expert
Measurement uncertainty
1 & 3: below the allowed emission
5: Above the allowed emission
2 & 4: no conclusion canbe drawn
Emissie
20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Waarneming
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
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Thank you very much for your attention !
Any questions ?
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