Abstract
In the German Focus on Tropospheric Research (TFS) independent quality assurance procedures were implemented in order to obtain information on data quality and comparability of the different measurements made in the different field campaigns. This paper describes the results for measurements of hydrocarbons using in-situ gas chromatographictechniques and off line analysis of samples collected in canisters (analysed by two central laboratories CL-1 and CL-2) and samples collected on adsorption tubes. The QA-procedures included comparisons with synthetic standards (prepared by EN 45001 certified laboratories), absolute calibration with a diffusion source, and an instrument/methodology comparison in ambient air. Harmonisation of the ambient measurements was achieved with a complex mixture (NCAR/BERLIOZ) containing 70 commonly observed hydrocarbons at mixing ratios of 0.2 to 10 ppb (mole fraction) in nitrogen, which was calibrated by referencing to hydrocarbon standards of the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST).For the certified synthetic standards, the experienced groups agreed to within ± 20% for most compounds. Much larger discrepancies were observed for the new Airmotec HC2010 instruments due to problems with identification, co-elution and blanks/memory effects. The results in ambient air were similar: Reasonable agreement was found for the results from the experienced groups with well characterised in situ instruments andfor the charcoal tubes, whereas larger discrepancies were observed for the results from new groups and instruments. For the latter, only selected compounds met the data quality objectives (DQO). The canister samples analysed by CL-2 were in good agreement with the reference instrument, whereas large deviations were found for a number of compounds in the analysis of the same canisters by CL-1. The results of the comparison provided the final basis for flagging and harmonising the data from all participants prior to their submission to the TFS central data bank.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Apel, E. C., Calvert, J. G., and Fehsenfeld, F. C., 1994: The Nomethane Hydrocarbon Intercomparison Experiment (NOMHICE): Task 1 and 2, J. Geophys. Res. 99, 16651–16664.
Apel, E. C., Calvert, J. G., Gilpin, T. M., Fehsenfeld, F. C., Lonneman, P. D. D., and Lonneman, W. A., 1999: The Nonmethane Hydrocarbon Intercomparison Experiment (NOMHICE): Task 3, J. Geophys. Res. 104, 26069–26086.
Becker, K. H., Donner, B., and Gäb, S., 1999: BERLIOZ: A field experiment within the German Tropospheric Research Program (TFS), in Proceedings of EUROTRAC Symposium 98 Band 2, WIT Press, Southhampton, pp. 669–672.
Blades, A. T., 1976: Ion formation in hydrocarbon flames, Can. J. Chem. 54, 2919–2924.
DIN EN ISO 13649 (draft), 1999: Emissionen aus stationären Quellen. Bestimmung der Massenkonzentration von einzelnen gasförmigen organischen Verbindungen,Deutsches Institut für Normung, Berlin, Beuth Verlag.
Glaser, K., 2000: Methoden der Qualitätssicherung bei der Messung von Luftverunreinigungen bei Feldexperimenten, Disseration, Universität Stuttgart.
Glaser, K., Vogt, U., and Baumbach, G., 2000: Vertical profiles of O3, NO2, VOC and meteorological parameters during BERLIOZ, J. Geophys. Res., submitted.
Habram, M., Slemr, J., and Welsch, Th., 1998: Development of a dual capillary column GC method for the trace determination of C2—C9 hydrocarbons in ambient air, J. High Resol. Chromatog. 21, 209–214.
Hahn, J., 1994: Results of the hydrocarbon interlaboratory comparison experiment in TOR, in P. M. Borrel et al. (eds), Proc. EUROTRAC Symp. 1994, SPB Academic Publishing bv, Den Haag, pp. 399–403.
Holm, T., 1999: Aspects of the mechanism of the flame ionization detector, J. Chromatogr. (A) 842, 221–227.
Klemm, R. F. and Blades, A. T., 1966: Ionization in hydrocarbon flames, Nature 212, 920–921.
Konrad, S. and Volz-Thomas, A., 2000: Characterization of a commercial gas chromatography-flame ionization detection system for the in-situ determination of C5—C10 hydrocarbons in ambient air, J. Chromatogr. (A) 878, 215–234.
Konrad, S., Schmitz, T., Buers, H. J., Houben, N., Mannschreck, K., Mihelcic, D., Müsgen, P., Pätz, H. W., Holland, F., Hofzumahaus, A., Schäfer, J., Jansen, S., Volz-Thomas, A., Bächmann, K., Schlomski, S., Moortgat, G. and Großmann, D., 2001: Measurements of non methane hydrocarbons at Pabstthum during BERLIOZ and an evaluation of RACM, J. Geophys. Res., submitted.
Konrad, S., 2000: Untersuchungen zur Radikalchemie in der Abluftfahne von Berlin — ein Beitrag zum Feldexperiment BERLIOZ, Dissertation, Bergische Universität-Gesamthochschule Wuppertal, Wuppertal (available at http://www.bib.uni-wuppertal.de/elpub/fb09/diss2000/ konrad/thesis).
Mannschreck, K., Bächmann, K., Becker, K. H., Heil, T., Kurtenbach, R., Memmesheimer, M., Mohnen, V., Obermeier, A., Poppe, D., Steinbrecher, R., Schmitz, T., Volz-Thomas, A., and Zabel, F., 2002: A database for volatile organic compounds, J. Atmos. Chem. 42, 281–286.
Rappenglück, B., Fabian, P., Kalabokas, P., Viras, L. G., Ziomas, I. C., 1998: Quasi-continuous measurements of Non-Methane Hydrocarbons (NMHC) in the greater Athens area during MEDCAPHOT-TRACE, Atmos. Environ. 32, 2103–2121.
Schmitz, T., Hassel, D., and Weber, F.-J., 2000: Determination of VOC compounds in the exhaust of gasoline and diesel passenger cars, Atmos. Environ. 34, 4639–4647.
Slemr, F., Baumbach, G., Blank, P., Corsmeier, U., Fiedler, F., Friedrich, R., Habram, M., Kalthoff, N., Klemp, D., Kühlwein, J., Mannschreck, K., Möllmann-Coers, M., Nester, K., Panitz, H.-J., Rabl, P., Slemr, J., Vogt, U, and Wickert, B., 2002: Evaluation of modeled spatially and temporally highly resolved emission inventories of photosmog precursors for the city of Augsburg: The experiment EVA and its major results, J. Atmos. Chem. 42, 207–233.
Sternberg, J. C., Gallaway, W. S., and Jones, D. T. L., 1962: In N. Brenner, J. E. Callen, and M. D. Weiss (eds), Gas Chromatography, Academic Press, New York, p. 231.
VDI 2457, Part 1, 1996: Gaseous emission measurement — Chromatographic determination of organic compounds — Fundamentals, VDI/DIN-Handbuch Reinhaltung der Luft 5, Beuth Verlag, Berlin.
Winkler, J., Blank, P., Glaser, K., Gomes, J. A. G., Habram, M., Jambert, C., Jaeschke, W., Konrad, S., Kurtenbach, R., Lenschow, P., Lörzer, J. C., Perros, P. E., Pesch, M., Prümke, H. J., Rappenglück, B., Schmitz, T., Slemr, F., Volz-Thomas, F., and Wickert, B., 2002: Ground-based and airborne measurements of nonmethane hydrocarbons in BERLIOZ: Analysis and selected results, J. Atmos. Chem. 42, 465–492.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Volz-Thomas, A., Slemr, J., Konrad, S. et al. Quality Assurance of Hydrocarbon Measurements for the German Tropospheric Research Focus (TFS). Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry 42, 255–279 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015793319095
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015793319095