Laboratory

ENAC accrediation for determination of PM10 and PM2.5

The Institute of Enviroment has experience, highly qualified personnel and the following scientific instrumentation:

  • Laboratory with controlled temperature and humidity room. Since 12/07/2013 accredited by ENAC, reference 1051/LE1939, for gravimetric determination of PM10 and PM2.5 according to European standard EN 12341.
  • High level instrumentation.
  • Sample preparation systems for analyzing organic and inorganic compounds.

Air quality station

IUMA station

Composed of two cabins:
1. With automatic monitors: PM10, PM2,5 and PM1; black carbon; meteorological station; gravimetric samplers for collection of different fractions of atmospheric particulate matter.
2. Analyser of ozone precursor volatile organic compounds (VOC), unique in Galicia.

Mobile station

Mobile station

With automatic analysers: NOx, SO2, O3; meteorological station; gravimetric samplers for collection of different fractions of atmospheric particulate matter.

Black carbon measurement

Aethalometer

For the continuous measurement of black carbon particles in ambient air, in addition to the aethalometer AE33, installed in the air quality station, we have a new sensor: ObservAir, which allows the measurement of this pollutant in both outdoor and indoor air. This sensor is unique in Spain at the moment.

 

Measurements of nanoaerosols

SMPS

For these measurements we use a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) which needs a radioactive source of Ni-63 to achieve a homogenous charge distribution. 

Software applications

  • PALMA software application: Program of automatization of enviromental laboratories, developed jointly with Laboratorio de Ingeniería del Software from UDC (G000275). It is a web application developed multidisciplinary to give support to the tasks of a network of air quality control.
  •  CRACOBA software application: Chemical Risk Assessment by Control Bandings developed jointly with the Laboratorio de Ingenería del Software from UDC. It was developed with the purpose of facilitating of working of technicians with respecto management and evaluation of chemical risk of workers.
  • SCALA software application: Sampling Campaigns for Aerosol in the Low Atmosphere, developed jointly with Laboratorio de Ingeniería del Software from UDC and CIEMAT. It is a web application developed multidisciplinary to give support for the management of measurement campaigns of atmospheric aerosols.
  • ESCAPE software application: Environmental Sampling Campaigns for Aerosols and PrEcursor gases, developed jointly with Laboratorio de Ingeniería del Software from UDC and CIEMAT. It is an extension of the SCALA application where the precursor gases of atmospheric aerosols are also taken into account.