Taiwan Air Quality Monitoring Network

1、History

In order to increase the quality of various environmental data related operations in May of 1979, America's EPA injected the concept of quality assurance into environmental topics and requested that the related departments see its importance and develop quality assurance operations. In April of 1984, a complete quality assurance operations execution plan was released (CFR5360.1). When our administration planned the air quality monitoring network in 1988, we understood the importance of data on the formulation of environmental policies which is why we referenced America's EPA and their various regulations in regards to quality assurance operations and implemented these concepts into the design of our monitoring network. Aside from completing the management standards and operations system for the air quality monitoring network in 1989, quality assurance standards for air quality monitoring and a laboratory for monitoring quality assurance were both completed in 1991.

2、Equipment Resources

In order to provide this administration with a means to check the analysis of the equipment air quality, the quality assurance laboratory is equipped with all types of measuring equipment and the necessary first level standard equipment (including O₃ SRP and others, as shown in the table below). Furthermore, the first standard ozone level laboratory in south east Asia was established in 2002.

3、Public Service

The main task of the quality assurance laboratory currently is maintenance and management related operations of air quality monitoring stations and to offer guidance to local air quality monitoring station personnel to provide quality operations. In order to raise the operations quality of Taiwan's air quality monitoring for the environment and to expand the efficient use and sharing of monitoring resources, a standard ozone and flowmeter retrospective validation service began in 2001 with equipment calibration operation points which provide the environment and equipment for environmental agencies, measuring institutes, academic and business units of all cities and counties to calibrate O₃ SRP and flowmeters. For convenience in calibration registration and operations management, starting in 2009 the electronic checking management system has been established to enable the online reservation and registration for calibration services.

Online reservation for Instruments calibration →

＊ Device Calibration Reservation Method
Contact: Ms. Wu Yu-Rou
Tel: 07-7761190
Fax: 07-7769881
Address: 83052 Kaoshiung County, Fengshan City, Ba-Teh Rd. No. 323, 2F

Quality Assurance

1、Purpose：

The main goal of quality assurance operations (QA) is to monitoring data that is accurate and precise in order to achieve the administration's data quality objectives (DQO).

Therefore, the main focus of this operation is to perform annual performance audit on all of the instruments that are used to monitor and capture pollutants in the air (including SO₂, CO, O₃, NO_x, NO, NO₂, and HC), the suspended micro particle analyzer (PM₁₀), and meteorological instruments. System audits are held irregularly once the system is up and running smoothly.

2、Content：

Performance Audit: Used to assess the quality of monitoring systems. Audit personnel test the monitoring instruments, calibration standard gas using sample analysis techniques and data, including auditing of outdoor instruments and the standard operating procedures (SOP) used in laboratories to obtain data.

System Audit: Used to assess whether the monitoring system has achieved the target functions of quality assurance.

1.Auditing target and goal: Systems auditing is to achieve the goals below:

1. (1) Assess the data gathering quality and function of the air quality monitoring system.
2. (2) Assess the legality of the monitoring system
3. (3) Assess the data quality of the monitoring system
4. (4) Assess the monitoring system, provide suggestions for adjustments

2.Auditing Content：

1. (1) Monitor network management
2. (2) On-site monitoring control
3. (3) Data management
4. (4) Quality Assurance & Quality Control
5. (5) Laboratory analysis operation and sample technology
6. (6) Assess the legality of monitoring systems
7. (7) Document management of personnel and equipment

3.Execution Frequency：

1. (1) At the beginning of a new monitoring project.
2. (2) When the operation of a monitoring system undergoes a major change of adjustment, or continuously produces data with poor quality.
3. (3) Monitoring networks that have not been established for long must receive system audits annually.
4. (4) Monitoring networks that have been operating do not need annual audits, but require one audit every three years.