Quality assurance/Quality control

Ionic chromatography

The chemical analysis service of the Laboratoire d’Aérologie (LAERO) in Toulouse (France) participates twice a year since 1996 to the intercomparison analytical programme of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Global Atmospheric Watch (WMO/GAW) programme. This intercomparison exercise is operated by the Quality Assurance/Science Activity Centre (QA/SAC).

All ionic chromatography analyses, and pH and conductivity measurements carried out at the LAERO are evaluated through the WMO-GAW intercomparison studies. Results are available at https://qasac-americas.org/study-results (LAERO is referenced 700106).

Analytical precision of the LAERO is:

  • 5% or better for mineral ions,
  • 0.6% for pH,
  • 2% for conductivity.
Ring diagram example illustrating WMO-GAW intercomparison study result. All measurements displayed as solid green hexagons or trapezoids meet Data Quality Objectives (DQOs). All other measurements do not meet DQOs.

Carbon analyses

The chemical analysis service of the LAERO participates since 2019 to the ACTRIS-ECAC (Aerosol Cloud Trace gases Research Infrastructure -Euorpean center for Aerosol calibration) intercomparison program (EUSAAR 2 method, thermo-optical method, sunset instrument).

Results are available for the LAERO following this link (serial number 461-230).

Example of submission of LAERO results to ECAC intercomparison/calibration in 2020.

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