Monitoring the composition of ambient air is a vital process in maintaining the quality of the air we breathe. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has attributed millions of deaths per year to air pollution and inhalation of industrial particulates emitted by vehicles and industrial plants. New research has underlined the severity of the issue, suggesting that the health impacts associated with polluted air are more severe than previously believed. The European Heart Journal estimates that air pollution reduces the mean life expectancy in Europe by approximately 2.2 years[1].

Monitoring the composition and quality of ambient air is a fundamental process in environmental studies considering the cardiovascular impacts of air pollution. It is also important to perform ambient calibration to ensure that constricted workplaces do not represent a risk to the respiratory health of workers, particularly in industrial fields.

We recently explored the importance of ambient air quality testing in more detail, discussing the appropriate gas and particulate concentrations according to the various regulatory bodies. In this blog post, Environics introduces the Series 6100 ambient calibration system for dynamic calibration of ambient air analyzers.

Series 6100: Ambient Calibration

In 2006, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established a multi-pollutant monitoring network known as the National Core (NCORE). These sites are based in urban and rural locations across the US with the express intention of monitoring ambient air in-line with newly amended regulatory standards. By monitoring multiple pollutant species, NCORE sites are expected to yield rich data for researchers and policymakers with regards to health assessments, emissions strategy development, and environmental monitoring.

The Environics® Series 6100 is an advanced multi-gas calibration system for ambient air analysis systems. Fully computerized and state-of-the-art, the Series 6100 can perform a range of dynamic processes to ensure ultra-precise calibration of sensors and control systems with various gases and hydrocarbons of interest.

NCORE ambient calibration can be challenging for existing instruments given the requirements for extremely low-level ozone (O3) concentrations. The Series 6100 exceeds the EPA’s requirements for calibrating gas systems charged with monitoring ground-level ozone. It can be optimized for ozone calibrations on the parts per billion (ppb) range, with an internal ozone generator and multiple mass flow controllers guaranteeing outstanding precision for multi-pollutant calibration of ambient air analyzers.

The Environics® Series 6100 is suitable for multi-pollutant ambient calibration of gas sensors in NCORE sites across the US and is widely trusted to conduct low-level ozone calibration.

Ambient Calibration with Environics

Environics is a world leader in computerized gas calibration. We supply an extensive range of instruments for ambient calibration, utilizing the latest technology to facilitate studies and ongoing monitoring into the quality of the air we breathe.

If you would like any more information about performing ambient calibration with Environics, please do not hesitate to contact us directly.

[1] European Heart Journal