Results of the European Intercomparison exercise for Receptor Models 2011-2012. Part I
Receptor models are commonly used to identify the sources of ambient particulate matter (PM) in Europe. However, the use of different tools and methodological approaches make it difficult to compare the results of different studies.
In order to promote harmonization in this field an intercomparison exercise involving 16 expert groups was organized and evaluated by the JRC with the collaboration of European experts in the field.
The test database consisted of 178 PM2.5 speciated samples deriving from two real-world re-arranged DB
Participants were asked to scrutinize the database in order to identify, solve and report typical imperfections of real world DBs (missing values, values below detection limits, outliers, unusual uncertainty patterns, etc...). The reported solutions included the number and label of the identified sources, their contribution estimation (SCE) and uncertainty. The exercise was evaluated using a new methodology developed on purpose
The majority of the solutions reconstructed the PM mass satisfactorily while the number of sources identified in the different solutions was variable. The correspondence of every source/factor to a source category was checked by comparing its chemical profile and time trend with all the other members of the same category and with reference source profiles, when available. The SCEs of the different solutions were compared with a reference value obtained by robust analysis (standard ISO 5725-5). The acceptability criterion was set to 50% standard uncertainty. More than 90% of the 182 tested profiles passed the preliminary tests and 86% of the assessed source/factor contribution estimations met the acceptability criterion. This result indicates a good general agreement between the performances of the different participants and models.
KARAGULIAN Federico;
BELIS Claudio;
BOROWIAK Annette;
2013-01-17
Publications Office of the European Union
JRC77565
978-92-79-28130-3,
1831-9424,
EUR 25727,
OP LB-NA-25727-EN-N,
https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC77565,
10.2788/77917,
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