Gaseous air pollution - Technical recommendations

Identifying the methodological principles of sampling and analysis for gaseous air pollution is of course a necessary preamble to applying them in the field and laboratory. It is also necessary to check that the planned method is conducive to obtaining results that are fully representative of the situation under study. For example, as part of a health risk assessment approach, adapting the means to measure as close as possible to the individual is sometimes more beneficial than characterizing the space in which the person moves. Once the decision has been taken as to where, when and what to measure, we need to ensure that the equipment is properly controlled and that the data produced is comparable. This is a major concern for air quality monitoring and research organizations, which produce data that are widely distributed and need to be sustainable over long periods. In addition, a whole series of technical provisions concern the logistics of on-site sampling and, where applicable, the management of samples sent to the laboratory.

This article is the final instalment of a study on gaseous air pollution. For information on the principles of measurement and determination of the various gaseous pollutants in the atmosphere, the reader is referred to the following articles and .