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Last changed: 9/03/11
Continuous measurements as referred to in Article 29 of the Federal Immission Control Act (Bundes-Immissionsschutzgesetz, BImSchG) as well as continuous ambient air quality monitoring and supervisory tasks within the meaning of the First and Second Ordinances for the Implementation of the Federal Immission Control Act may only be carried out with measuring instruments that have successfully passed a suitability test and have been designated as suitable by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. This requirement also applies to evaluation and remote-control systems. The purpose of suitability testing is to ensure a sufficient quality and comparability of the measurements as well as a uniform practice throughout Germany in emission and ambient air quality monitoring.
The Federal Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt, UBA) has commissioned a series of R+D projects to develop the scientific basis. The results of these projects have been taken up in guidelines adopted by the Federal States’ Immission Control Committee (Länderausschuss für Immissionsschutz, LAI) and published by the Federal Environment Ministry. The guidelines indicate what the test should cover and what criteria should be applied in the evaluation of the results. They specify the relevant performance characteristics and minimum requirements, compliance with which must be demonstrated in suitability testing.
The commissioned testing institute is responsible for determining and defining what investigations need to be performed to demonstrate compliance in the individual case. A test plan providing guidance has been developed jointly by the testing institutes in cooperation with experts from the Federal States’ supervisory and enforcement authorities and the Federal Environment Agency.
Manufacturers of measuring instruments normally commission third parties to carry out the suitability tests. After completion of the suitability test, the commissioned testing institute presents the results in a test report, which is examined by the competent authorities at federal and Land level. If the result of this examination is positive, the Federal Environment Ministry publishes a suitability notification in the Joint Ministerial Gazette (Gemeinsames Ministerialblatt, GMBl), the federal ministries’ publication organ.
The overview below lists suitable measuring instruments published in the Joint Ministerial Gazette by measuring object and then by type of measuring instrument, manufacturer’s name (short name), and bibliographical data. Suitable measuring instruments that are no longer included in the manufacturer’s product range are marked with *). They are included in the overview because they fulfil the current requirements and are partly still in use.
Since measuring technology is constantly advancing, it can be assumed in most cases that the most recent notifications in the Joint Ministerial Gazette correspond to the latest product developments.