1. The French National Reference laboratory (NRL)
Laboratoire Central de Surveillance de la Qualité de l’Air
(LCSQA)

2. The French air quality network
The Ministry of the environment (MTES/DGEC/BQA)
Defines the national policy for monitoring, prevention and public information about ambient air quality
Defines the regulations relative to atmospheric pollutants, in agreement with European directives
Design the competent authorities in charge of the assessment of ambient air quality and of the verification of the accuracy of measurements and compliance with the data quality objectives
Prev’air : in charge of the production of daily air quality forecasts and maps resulting from numerical simulations on different spatial scales for the same day, the following day and the day after that,
Associations agréées de surveillance de la qualité de l’air (AASQA) : institutions operating networks, individual stations and modelling in each region (18 associations in France)
Le laboratoire central de surveillance de la qualité de l’air (LCSQA) : French national reference laboratory, the technical coordinator of French air quality network

3. The French National Reference Laboratory
1991 : First works for the French air quality network
1995 : Creation of the “LCSQA” drawing on the expertise of three partners :
Ecole Nationale Supérieure Mines-Telecom Lille Douai (IMT LD)
Laboratoire National de métrologie et d’Essais (LNE)
Institut National de l’Environnement industriel et des Risques (INERIS)
2005 : Creation of the current structure “Groupement d’Intérêt Scientifique (GIS)”
2011 : Designated by national authority as technical coordinator of French air quality network
2017 : Publication of a national decree about the French air quality network describing members and missions (17/04/2017)
About 60 people distributed within three partners

4. The French National Reference Laboratory
Objectives and tasks :
Scientific and technical support for the Ministry of the Environment and for regional networks (AASQA) to improve the national air quality monitoring network
4 objectives of our performance contract :
Guarantee the quality of the data, devices or methodologies and their adequacy with the European requirements and the needs of the national network
Assure the distribution and the exploitation of the data produced by the national network
Improve the scientific and technical knowledge of the national network to help the implementation of action plans and anticipate the future monitoring strategy
Coordinate the national network

5. The French National Reference Laboratory
Guarantee the quality of the data, devices or methodologies and their adequacy with the European requirements and the needs of the national network
Some examples of QA/QC & metrology works :
Realization of laboratory and field studies, research works and developments for measurement methods, modelling and data processing :
development of reference standards and methods
traceability through calibration chains
evaluation of “devices or methodologies” (tests or “mutual recognition of data” for equipment – national type approval scheme)
Organization of Interlaboratory Comparisons (ILCs) for measurements and modelling
Manage the national reference guidance and realize technical audits of the regional networks (AASQA)
Verification of the conformity of the national network
QA/QC processes for new pollutants and devices : pesticides, AE33, ACSM

6. The French National Reference Laboratory
National calibration chain
Intercomparison for mobile devices
Intercomparison for PM
Intercomparison for modelling

7. The French National Reference Laboratory
Evaluation of “devices” : LCSQA verifie that the test reports shall demonstrate that the equipment meets all the performance requirements including where some environmental and site conditions specific in France.
Approved devices list available on

8. The French National Reference Laboratory
LCSQA also have obligations :
Participation of the LCSQA to the Union- wide quality assurance programmes organized by the Commission's Joint Research Centre.
Intercomparison trial for the measurement of concentrations of PM10 and PM2,5
INERIS is accredited by the COFRAC (NF EN ISO/CEI 17025) for the measure of the PM10 and PM2.5 according to the NF EN Standard

9. The French National Reference Laboratory
Assure the distribution and exploitation of the data produced by the national network
Some examples :
Development of the national database (Geod’air)
Development of “Vigilance atmosphérique” site which collect, manage and spread in real time information concerning the exceed of the information or alert thresholds (pollution episodes) and the action plans indicating the measures taken in the short term in order to reduce the risk or duration of such an exceedance
EU reporting process
Exploitation of national database

10. The French National Reference Laboratory
GEOD’Air database
Vigilance Atmosphérique
Exploitation of national database
(French Air quality report SOeS)

11. The French National Reference Laboratory
Improve the scientific and technical knowledge of the national network to help the implementation of action plans and anticipate the future monitoring strategy
Some examples :
CARA program implementation : chemical characterisation of PM to improve the comprehension of PM episodes and help to the implementation of the adapted action plans
MERA program implementation : French contribution to EMEP program (European Monitoring and Evaluation Program) for the monitoring and evaluation of long-range transmission of air pollutants in Europe
Organize a technology and scientific watch on the new stakes : anticipate the future monitoring strategy

12. The French National Reference Laboratory
CARA : chemical characterization of PM
MERA : the French contribution of the EMEP program

13. The French National Reference Laboratory
Coordinate the national network
Participation of some European and International networks :
Ambient Air Quality Expert Group and Ambient Air Quality Committee
AQUILA
FAIRMODE
CEN
Technical meetings on e-reporting
EIONET
EURAMET and CCQM (BIPM)

14. The French National Reference Laboratory
Web site ( : more than visits in 2016
More than 200 publications on line :
Technical reports
Annual activity reports
Reference guides
Etc.
Newsletters and actualities
Workshops and events :
2013 : PM French strategy ; population exposed (methodology)
2014 : pollution episodes
2015 : PNSQA & PRSQA
2016 : performance contract and work done ( )
2017 : CARA and MERA programs (November 2017)

15. Thank you for your attention