prEN 13205

Workplace exposure - Assessment of sampler performance for measurement of airborne particle concentrations

Scope

This European Standard specifies methods for testing aerosol samplers under prescribed laboratory conditions, and performance requirements that are specific to aerosol samplers. These performance requirements, which include conformity with the EN 481 sampling conventions, apply only to the process of sampling the airborne particles from the air, not to the process of analysing particles collected by the process of sampling. Although analysis of samples collected in the course of testing is usually necessary in order to evaluate the sampler performance, the specified test methods ensure that analytical errors are kept very low during testing and do not contribute significantly to the end result. The determination of analytical errors and factors related to them (for example the bias, precision and limit of detection of the analytical method) is outside the scope of this standard. Where the aerosol sampler requires the use of an external (rather than integral) pump, the pump is not subject to the requirements of this standard.
EN 482 contains general performance requirements for methods used for determining the concentrations of chemical agents in workplace atmospheres. These performance requirements include maximum values of expanded uncertainty (a combination of random and non-random measurement uncertainty) achievable under prescribed laboratory conditions for the methods to be used. The requirements of EN 482 apply to a complete measurement procedure, a combination of the stages consisting of sampling, sample transport/storage and sample preparation/analysis. This standard specifies how the performance of aerosol measurement procedures is assessed with respect to the general requirements of EN 482, through the combination of errors arising in the sampling, sample transportation/storage and sample preparation/analysis stages.
This standard applies to all samplers used for the health-related sampling of particles in workplace air, whatever their mode of operation.