How well are we measuring polluted air?
The Ulsan Institute of Health and Environment announced on the 20th that from June 20 to 23, it will conduct the "2024 Proficiency Test for Stack Sampling in the Air Sector" at the LG Chem Onsan Plant, targeting air quality measurement agencies.
This evaluation is jointly conducted every year by the National Institute of Environmental Research and health and environment research institutes from each city and province, in order to verify the measurement capabilities of agencies that measure pollution levels at air pollutant emission sites.
Seven air quality measurement agencies in the Ulsan area, including Taehwa Environmental Technology Co., Ltd., will be comprehensively evaluated on the entire process of stack sampling at actual business sites.
The evaluation items cover eight areas in total: △Preparation for sampling △Equipment setup △Leakage check test △Sampling process △Proficiency in sampling △Calculation of measurement results, among others.
Based on a maximum score of 100 points, a score of 80 or above is rated as "suitable," while a score below 80 is rated as "unsuitable."
If an agency is rated "unsuitable," a re-evaluation will be conducted, and if it is still found "unsuitable" in the re-evaluation, penalties such as business suspension may be imposed.
An official from the institute stated, "We plan to conduct the proficiency evaluation rigorously to not only strengthen the sampling capabilities of measurement agencies but also to ensure the reliability of measurement results," adding, "We will do our best to enhance the professionalism of agencies through education and technical support for any shortcomings."
In last year's proficiency evaluation of air quality measurement agencies in Ulsan, all seven agencies received a "suitable" rating.
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