MCERTS and EU Equivalence Approvals Awarded for Newest TEOM FDMS Ambient Particulate Monitors

Following the successful completion of a series of rigorous field trials in both the UK and Germany, Air Monitors (UK) is delighted to announce that the latest TEOM FDMS instruments have met the MCERTS performance standards and the EU Equivalence designation criteria (Defra approval) for continuous ambient air quality monitoring for both PM2.5 and PM10.

Commenting on the announcement, Air Monitors MD Jim Mills said: “This is great news for ambient air quality monitoring in the UK because the 1405-F provides the benefits of TEOM technology with the advantage of the added measurement of volatile and semi-volatile species by FDMS – data which is essential for an understanding of the nature and source of PM pollution, which in turn is important to inform control and improvement measures.”

DEFRA are the only authority able to designate a monitor for regulatory monitoring in the UK and recently the requirements for this approval became more stringent with the introduction of a ‘UK specific pollution climate’ that has to be applied to the test data. The TEOM FDMS is the only type of PM monitor to have passed these new criteria and without the need for any correction factors.

The existing TEOM FDMS models (1400 series) used in the AURN and in many local authority sites also continue to enjoy full equivalence designation and if maintained correctly will continue to offer good service for years to come. However those considering replacement or buying new monitoring equipment now have the ability to choose these new models (1405 series) with the highest level of MCERTS certification and EU Equivalence designation of any PM monitor on the market.

For those that need to measure both fine and coarse particulates simultaneously, a dichotomous format version of the 1405 is available (1405-DF) for continuous monitoring of both PM2.5 and PM10. This provides a substantial cost reduction, power usage and space requirement in comparison with two individual instruments.

A key feature of the new design for the 1405-F and 1405-DF is that the control unit, the sensor and the FDMS are all built into the same box, which means that the unit is smaller and more cost-effective.