MCERTS 2005 - Marcus Pattison

The main objective for MCERTS 2005 was to ensure that everyone responsible for monitoring and managing air quality is familiar with the requirements of the European Standard EN14181 and with the guidance that is available in this respect from the Environment Agency for England and Wales. However, the MCERTS event is far more than just a training event; it has become the focal point for the air monitoring community, providing a forum in which news and views on legislation and technology can be exchanged.

EN14181 is a quality assurance standard, created to ensure that monitoring uncertainty lies within the requirements of EU Directives such as the Large Combustion Plant Directive (LCPD) and the Waste Incineration Directive (WID). There are three Quality Assurance Levels (QAL) that cover the suitability of an automatic monitoring system for its measuring task. QAL1 takes place before or during the purchase of monitoring equipment, QAL2 validates the monitoring system following installation, and QAL3 covers its ongoing operation in an industrial plant. An Annual Surveillance Test (AST) is also performed as part of the total quality assurance procedure.