AQ monitoring in the Czech Republic overviewJana OstatnickJan Horlek

AQ monitoring in the Czech Republic The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (CHMI) is authorized by the Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic to monitor the pollutants concentrations in the ambient air and to assess air quality. It is also in charge of collection of data from the authorized monitoring networks of other organizations and their storage in the air pollution database which is the part of the Air Quality Information System of the Czech Republic (AQIS).

The AQIS includes also databases of the chemical composition of precipitation and the emission databases. The databases of the Air Quality Information System are administered by the CHMI.

The AQIS air pollution database and the database of chemical composition of precipitation receives and stores data from:CHMIHealth Institutethe EZ companyForest Management and Gamekeeping Research Institute (VLHM)Czech Geological Survey (GS)the Water Management Research Institute T.G.M. (VV)the Hydrobiological Institute (HB)and from the stations of municipal authorities and other contributors.

Since 1996 data for the German part of the former Black Triangle provided by Landesamt fr Umwelt und Geologie in DresdenSince 1997 data from the border area for the Polish part provided by Wojewodski Inspektorat Ochrony Srodowiska in Jelenia Gora Data on the quality of atmospheric precipitation from Poland have been submitted since the second half of the 90s by Instytut Meteorologii I Gospodarki Wodnej in Wroclaw.

Major station networks of ambient air quality monitoring, 2007

CHMI monitoring network The oldest data stored in the air pollution database include the SO2 concentrations measured by manual method in 1969. In those years mainly SO2 concentrations were measured in the northwestern area of the Czech Republic. In the 70s and 80s this area represented the most loaded territory in the Czech Republic, mainly due to high emissions from power plants. In 1971 the measurements of solid particles started and in 1973 NOx measurements were launched (manual methods).

1984 Automated stations (AMS), SO2, NOX1992 TSP1994 PM102004 CHMI monitoring networks were reconstructed The number of measuring programs and the location of monitoring stations were carried out with regard to the aims of measurements set by the respective EU directives, the Clean Air Act No. 86/2002 Coll. on Clear Air Protection and Amendment of Some Other Acts, and the Government Order No. 597/2006 Coll. on air quality monitoring and assessment, in order to ensure ambient air quality monitoring on the whole territory of the Czech Republic and mainly in the areas with deteriorated air quality.

Monitoring of SO2 in selected organisations development

Monitoring of TSP/PM10 in selected organisations development

Monitoring of NOx/NO2 in selected organisations development

CHMI monitoring networks, 2007

Overview of measuringAMSSO2, NO2, NOx, NO, PM10, PM2.5ozonecarbon monoxidebenzene and other aromatic hydrocarbons (toluene, etylbenzene, m,p-xylene, o-xylene)other VOCs (2 lokalities)supplementary meteorological elements

Manual stationsSO2, NO2, NOx, PM10, PM2.5heavy metals (Cd, Ni, As, Pb, Mn, Cu)POPs benzo(a)pyrene above allSO4, SNO3, SNH4 (3 lokalities)

Several localities measure benzene with the use of passive samplers.

The Air Quality Protection Division of the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute is located in Prague-Komoany and in five regional CHMI branches in st nad Labem, Ostrava, Hradec Krlov, Brno and Plze.

The branch offices ensure the operation and maintenance of the monitoring networks, both manual and automated, sampling and the transport of samples to the respective laboratories.

The Central Laboratory works in Prague-Libu, further laboratories are in the branch offices in st nad Labem, Ostrava and Brno.

The measured data from the automated CHMI stations (AMS) are supplied in 1-hour interval to the central AQIS database to Prague as operative data. Monthly summary of these data is verified in the respective branch office and sent off as a monthly batch to be stored in the air pollution database. Thus the operative data are replaced by the verified data. Operative data from the measurements of CHMI automated stations are available immediately on the CHMI website.

Data from manual CHMI stations are analyzed in the laboratories and then transferred, mostly as monthly batches, to the AQIS database. Data measured in the monitoring network of other state organizations, stored in the AQIS air pollution database, are obtained from the suppliers mostly once in month.

The measured data are submitted to the verification of 2nd level in the AQIS air pollution database.

Quality controlWithin this control the unreliable data are detected from the currently stored national files of daily averages of air pollution data using the database application.

The primary detection of unreliable data in the newly stored national files of daily averages of air pollution data is carried out by using the database application. The application is launched automatically upon each ISKO database update (i.e. input of new data, correction of the stored data etc.) and its output in the form of html page is given at disposal of the researcher responsible for the reliability control of the stored data.

The researcher responsible for the control of data considers the results of verification and then contacts the data supplier and requests the verification of suspicious data and, if necessary, the approval to eliminate the data from the database.

The supplier sends the corrected data to the ISKO data administrator who stores the corrected data to the database.

Measured data processingAfter the collection of data for the period of one year the researcher responsible for the control of data accuracy carries out also the control of reliability of all measured and calculated (aggregated) air pollution data exceeding the limit values.After the measured data for the whole calendar year have been uploaded the aggregated data are calculated annual, monthly averages, percentiles, and other air pollution characteristics linked with the limit values. First off the Tabular Yearbook is published, and later the data are processed in the output suitable for the assessment of ambient air quality for the respective previous year.

The outputs mainly include the construction of spatial maps of individual air pollution characteristics for which the limit values have been set, both for health protection and ecosystem and vegetation protection, in GIS (annual average concentrations of PM10, NO2, 36th highest PM10 concentration in the given year etc.).Further, various overviews and graphical outputs and assessments are produced depicting ambient air quality in the previous year. The material is compiled in the so called Graphical Yearbook of CHMI.

Field of annual average concentration of PM10 in 2007

Field of the 36th highest 24-hour concentration of PM10 in 2007

Trends of NO2, NOx in the Czech Republic, 19962007

Trends of O3 in the Czech Republic, 19962007

Trends of SO2 in the Czech Republic, 19962007

The processed information is used as the basis for other reports and reviews, mainly for the state administrative bodies and informing the general public, incl. the publication of the materials on web sites, e.g. for the Environment Report, the Statistical Yearbook and the Report on Monitoring.