M/360 - Measuring standard
Standardisation mandate to CEN for standard measuring methods for the determination of total gaseous mercury in ambient air and the total deposition of mercury
Mandate M/360 requests CEN to develop standard measuring methods for determining total gaseous mercury in ambient air and assessing the total deposition of mercury. This standardisation mandate aims to establish consistent and reliable procedures for mercury measurement in environmental monitoring, supporting regulatory compliance and environmental protection across the European Union. The decision relates to the approval or disapproval of this mandate as recorded in resolution CEN/BT C106/2004.
Purpose
The mandate aims to establish standardized measuring methods for determining total gaseous mercury concentrations in ambient air and assessing the total deposition of mercury. This is intended to ensure consistent, reliable, and comparable data collection across the European Union.
Standardisation request
The European Commission requests CEN (European Committee for Standardization) to develop and publish harmonized standards that specify precise procedures and methodologies for measuring total gaseous mercury in the ambient air and quantifying its total deposition on environmental surfaces.
Expected deliverables
- Standardized measuring methods detailing sampling, analysis, and quality assurance for total gaseous mercury in ambient air.
- Procedures for assessing and quantifying total mercury deposition.
- Official CEN standards to support environmental monitoring, regulatory compliance, and mercury impact assessments across EU member states.
Context
Mercury is a hazardous pollutant with significant environmental and health impacts. Monitoring atmospheric mercury and its deposition is critical for compliance with EU environmental directives and international conventions. This mandate supports the development of common measurement standards to improve data comparability and assist in policy implementation at the EU level. The decision process related to this mandate was recorded under resolution CEN/BT C106/2004.
This mandate covers the development of standard measuring methods for determining total gaseous mercury in ambient air and the total deposition of mercury. It focuses on environmental monitoring related to mercury presence and deposition.
General Information
This European Standard specifies a method for the determination of the total deposition of mercury. This standard can be used within the framework of the European Council Directive on Ambient Air Quality Assessment and Management and Directive 2004/107/EC. Performance requirements with which the method should comply are specified in this European Standard. The performance characteristics of the method were determined in comparative field validation tests carried out at two European locations.
This European Standard is applicable to background sites that are in accordance with the requirements of Directive 2004/107/EC and to urban and industrial sites.
This standard allows the sampling of deposition using cylindrical deposition gauges, and analysis using Cold Vapour Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (CVAAS) or Cold Vapour Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometry (CVAFS) following existing harmonised and standardised procedures. The standard is applicable for the measurement of mercury in deposition between 1 ng/(m2•d) and 100 ng/(m2•d).
The standard is validated for the deposition range listed in Table 1.
NOTE The range given is based upon the values measured in the field validation test. The upper and lower limits are the observed minimum and maximum values measured during the field validation tests. The actual lower limits of the working range depends on the variability of the laboratory blank, for bulk and wet-only collectors, and the precipitation. The method can be applied to higher and lower deposition rates provided that the collection characteristics are not compromised.
- Standard33 pagesEnglish languagee-Library read for1 day
This European Standard specifies a standard method for determining total gaseous mercury (TGM) in ambient air using cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAAS), or cold vapour atomic fluorescence spectrometry (CVAFS).
This European Standard is applicable to background sites that are in accordance with the requirements of Directive 2004/107/EC and to urban and industrial sites.
The performance characteristics of the method have been determined in comparative field validation tests carried out at four European locations: two background and two industrial sites. The method was tested for two months at each site over a period of twelve months using automated equipment currently used in Europe for determination of TGM in ambient air.
The working range of the method covers the range of ambient air concentrations from those found at background sites, typically less than 2 ng/m3, up to those found at industrial sites where higher concentrations are expected. A maximum daily average up to 300 ng/m3 was measured during the field trials.
Results are reported as the average mass of TGM per volume of air at 293,15 K and 101,325 kPa, measured over a specified time period, in nanograms per cubic metre.
- Standard45 pagesEnglish languagee-Library read for1 day
This European Standard specifies a method for the determination of the total deposition of mercury. This standard can be used within the framework of the European Council Directive on Ambient Air Quality Assessment and Management and Directive 2004/107/EC. Performance requirements with which the method should comply are specified in this European Standard. The performance characteristics of the method were determined in comparative field validation tests carried out at two European locations.
This European Standard is applicable to background sites that are in accordance with the requirements of Directive 2004/107/EC and to urban and industrial sites.
This standard allows the sampling of deposition using cylindrical deposition gauges, and analysis using Cold Vapour Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (CVAAS) or Cold Vapour Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometry (CVAFS) following existing harmonised and standardised procedures. The standard is applicable for the measurement of mercury in deposition between 1 ng/(m2•d) and 100 ng/(m2•d).
The standard is validated for the deposition range listed in Table 1.
NOTE The range given is based upon the values measured in the field validation test. The upper and lower limits are the observed minimum and maximum values measured during the field validation tests. The actual lower limits of the working range depends on the variability of the laboratory blank, for bulk and wet-only collectors, and the precipitation. The method can be applied to higher and lower deposition rates provided that the collection characteristics are not compromised.
- Standard33 pagesEnglish languagee-Library read for1 day
This European Standard specifies a standard method for determining total gaseous mercury (TGM) in ambient air using cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAAS), or cold vapour atomic fluorescence spectrometry (CVAFS).
This European Standard is applicable to background sites that are in accordance with the requirements of Directive 2004/107/EC and to urban and industrial sites.
The performance characteristics of the method have been determined in comparative field validation tests carried out at four European locations: two background and two industrial sites. The method was tested for two months at each site over a period of twelve months using automated equipment currently used in Europe for determination of TGM in ambient air.
The working range of the method covers the range of ambient air concentrations from those found at background sites, typically less than 2 ng/m3, up to those found at industrial sites where higher concentrations are expected. A maximum daily average up to 300 ng/m3 was measured during the field trials.
Results are reported as the average mass of TGM per volume of air at 293,15 K and 101,325 kPa, measured over a specified time period, in nanograms per cubic metre.
- Standard45 pagesEnglish languagee-Library read for1 day
Frequently Asked Questions
A European Standardization Mandate is a formal request from the European Commission to the European Standardization Organizations (CEN, CENELEC, and ETSI) to develop European standards (ENs) in support of EU legislation and policies. Mandates are issued under Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012 and help ensure that products and services meet the essential requirements set out in EU directives and regulations.
M/360 is a European Standardization Mandate titled "Standardisation mandate to CEN for standard measuring methods for the determination of total gaseous mercury in ambient air and the total deposition of mercury". Standardisation mandate to CEN for standard measuring methods for the determination of total gaseous mercury in ambient air and the total deposition of mercury There are 4 standards developed under this mandate.
Standards developed in response to a mandate and cited in the Official Journal of the European Union become "harmonized standards". Products manufactured in compliance with harmonized standards benefit from a presumption of conformity with the essential requirements of the corresponding EU directive or regulation, facilitating CE marking and market access across the European Economic Area.