This report provides the results of the Third inter-laboratory comparison for analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on particulate matter (PM) quartz filters carried out in Ispra from the 25th of January to the 7th of February 2024. Eighteen laboratories from different Member States of the European Union participated in this exercise. Sections from two blank and four PM10 filters, collected using a high-volume sampler, were analysed in this comparison. These sections were representative of daily PAH concentrations typically measured with a low-volume sampler. The exercise allowed the comparison between laboratories analysing filters from low volume sampler covering typical concentration range of ambient air.
The comparison was performed on the analysis of 15 PAHs, from phenanthrene to benzo[g,h,i]perylene, covering a broad range in volatility, including those of interest in the new Directive (EU) 2024/2881: benzo[a]pyrene and other relevant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons like benzo[a]anthracene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[j)]fluoranthene, benzo[k)]fluoranthene, indeno[1,2,3-cd] pyrene, and dibenzo[a,h]anthracene as regulatory compound. The median of the inter-compound robust repeatability and reproducibility uncertainties were 14% and 17%, respectively while the robust overall expanded uncertainty was ± 33% for the exercise. Their values were aligned with the results of the last comparison exercise from 2019, consolidating the expectation for the analysis of PAHs and data quality objectives (DQO) defined in the new Directive (EU) 2024/2881.
PEREZ BALLESTA Pascual;
BAU' Andrea;
2025-07-09
Publications Office of the European Union
JRC142177
978-92-68-28509-1 (online),
1831-9424 (online),
EUR 40354,
OP KJ-01-25-333-EN-N (online),
https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC142177,
10.2760/5858587 (online),
