Over the last decades the European Reference Laboratory for Air Pollution (ERLAP) of the Joint Research Centre (JRC) has developed a series of programmes aimed at improving the quality of air pollution measurement data across Europe. This includes the organisation of Proficiency Testing (PT) schemes for the measurement of organic and inorganic gaseous pollutants, particulate matter mass concentration, and particulate matter component mass concentration. PT schemes are usually restricted to National Reference Laboratories (NLR). Upon availability other laboratories from the public or private sector may be admitted.
You are welcome to participate in Proficiency Testing (PT) schemes organized by ERLAP. Create your personal EU Login account and access the Proficiency Testing Data Acquisition Platform (PT-DAP). The system allows participants of PT schemes to submit their results and have them checked for outliers by the PT coordinator. A final report with all results, statistical analysis and comments is then produced by the PT coordinator and made publicly available for downloading.
By taking part in PT schemes, participants can detect possible problems in their analytical chain and take remedial actions (if necessary), or else prove the reliability of their analyses. PT schemes consist in inter-laboratory comparisons performed on-site at the JRC ERLAP facility in Ispra, Italy or test items are dispatched to the participants. PT results submitted to the PT-DAP by participants are analysed by ERLAP using proven methods as described in international standards.
