Dr Marc Coleman joined the National Physical Laboratory in 2002 after completing a Fellowship at the Queen's University of Belfast. Over the last 18 years Marc has led much of the research in the Emissions and Atmospheric Metrology Group at NPL with interests ranging from measuring industrial emissions at source through to ground based observations of the radiative balance of the atmosphere. Marc is the UK expert to somewhere in the region of 8 CEN and ISO working groups in the emissions area. Marc also plays a pivotal role coordinating much of the emissions research carried out by European Metrology Institutes.
Both synthetically prepared and 'real' (stack simulator extracted) sulphate samples were despatched to UK analytical laboratories ISO/IEC 17025 accredited for sulphate analysis in accordance with EN 14791: the European Standard Reference Method (SRM) for periodical monitoring of SO2 emissions from stacks and flues. We compared the variance seen across the blind comparison of these laboratories to the uncertainty requirements associated with emission limits found in the Industrial Emissions Directive. Whilst the amount of variance found indicated that the IED uncertainty requirements for compliance monitoring could in principle be routinely met, the same was not true for the stricter uncertainty requirements set in many member states for the use of EN 14791 for the calibration of process plant operator Automated Measuring Systems (AMS) in accordance with EN 14181.