According to the clean air regulations published by the European Union, the air inhaled in indoor environments should be as clean and healthy as the natural air. In this respect, the emissions causing the polluted air and the effects of these emissions on human health, other organisms and plants should be continuously monitored, measured and air quality data analyzed.

Substantially solid or gaseous air pollutants act differently in the air. Gaseous pollutants can be transported to very long distances depending on the movement of the air. However, solid particles generally collapse to a location near the source.

All kinds of gases and solid particles formed during chemical reactions and combustion processes and mixed with the ambient air are called emissions. For example, gases emitted from the chimneys of industrial enterprises or the exhaust of vehicles are emissions. The emission is all gas and solid particles in the atmosphere, inhaled and measured.

Simply put, emission measurements are made at the source. Fixed sources are factories, such as thermal power plant chimneys or combustion plants. Imission measurements are made in the atmosphere of the measurement environment.

The emission measurement parameters are therefore:

• Combustion gases (SOx, NOx, CO)

•      Volatile organic compounds (VOC)

•      Heavy metals

•      Halogens (HCl, HF)

•      Ammonia

•      Powder

• Dioxides and furans (PCDD / F)

•      Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH)

Impression measurement parameters are:

•      Particulate matter (PM10)

•      Sulfur dioxide (SO2)

•      Nitrogen oxides (NOX)

•      Volatile organic compounds (VOC)

•      Methane or non-methane hydrocarbon (CH4 / NMHC)

•      Carbon monoxide (CO)

•      Ozone (O3)

•      Semi-volatile organics (PCDD / F, PCB, PAH, PBDE and the like)

Imission measurements performed by laboratories accredited by national or international accreditation bodies are intended to determine the airborne concentrations of gases and solids polluting the air. In general, two types of sampling methods are used: passive sampling and active sampling.

All laboratories must comply with the principles of the Environmental Measurement and Analysis Laboratories Qualification Regulations issued by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization in 2013. The aforementioned regulation was issued in order to regulate the principles for the authorization of the laboratories to carry out the measurements and analyzes that shall be submitted to the Ministry or the institutions authorized to audit and to carry out the measurements and analyzes constituting the basis of the audit, within the scope of environmental regulations. All laboratories, whether private or formal, must operate in accordance with the principles of this regulation.

Within the scope of emission measurements, the main measurements performed by laboratories are:

•      Measurement of particulate matter (PM10)

•      Precipitation dust measurement

•      Volatile organic compound (VOC) measurement in ambient air

•      Gas measurement in ambient air

•      Heavy metal measurement in ambient air

•      Exposure measurements in ambient air

Authorized laboratories must be accredited from a national or international accreditation body in accordance with TS EN ISO / IEC 17025 General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories. Laboratories are also required to carry out measurement, analysis and evaluation studies in accordance with standards and prepare reports accordingly.

If these laboratories are located within the company's own organization, it is not possible to carry out measurements and analyzes which are the basis of environmental permits, work licenses and supervision of the said facilities or enterprises except for internal monitoring.

 

Likewise, if these laboratories provide environmental consultancy, supervision and environmental audit services besides laboratory services, they have to keep the personnel who provide this service separately. It is not possible for the enterprises to provide such services to carry out measurements and analyzes that constitute the basis of environmental permits, work licenses and supervision.