ISO 15259:2023

Overview

ISO 15259:2023 - "Air quality - Measurement of stationary source emissions - Requirements for measurement sections and sites and for the measurement objective, plan and report" defines requirements for planning, executing and reporting emission measurements in waste gas ducts at industrial plants. The standard applies to periodic measurements using manual or automated reference methods (RM) and establishes generic principles to ensure reliable, comparable results for air pollutant concentrations and reference quantities (e.g., temperature, pressure, oxygen, water vapour).

Key topics and technical requirements

• Measurement sections and sites: criteria for selecting and preparing measurement planes, ports and working areas in waste gas ducts to enable representative sampling.
• Measurement objective: requirement that the measurement objective is specified (by the customer) and identified/reviewed by the testing institute, including regulatory context when relevant.
• Measurement plan and procedures: elements to be defined before measurement - number and timing of individual measurements, plant operating conditions and load characteristics, measurement points and methods, personnel and logistics.
• Sampling strategy: procedures for taking representative samples, including grid measurements for particulates, homogeneity assessment of gas profiles, and selection of best sampling point for automated measuring systems (AMS) used in continuous monitoring.
• Measurement report: mandatory content and structure for reporting results, metadata and uncertainties so results are transparent and comparable.
• Scope limitations: the standard does not cover structural safety of chimneys/ducts or construction/safety of working platforms; it focuses on measurement quality and representativeness.

Practical applications and users

ISO 15259:2023 is intended for practitioners and stakeholders involved in stationary source emission measurement and air quality compliance:

• Testing and calibration laboratories conducting periodic emission measurements and validating AMS.
• Plant designers, operators and maintenance teams preparing measurement sites and supporting on-site sampling.
• Regulators and permitting authorities requiring standardized measurement plans and reports for compliance assessment.
• Accreditation bodies and auditors assessing conformity of measurement procedures to recognized principles.
• Use cases include emission limit value compliance checks, acceptance tests, emission inventories, permit applications, troubleshooting of waste gas treatment, and AMS calibration/validation.

Related standards

• Designed to be used in conjunction with established reference methods (for example, those developed by CEN/TC 264) and national regulatory requirements for emission monitoring and reporting.

Keywords: ISO 15259:2023, air quality, stationary source emissions, emission measurements, measurement plan, measurement sites, waste gas ducts, reference methods, automated measuring systems, sampling strategy, emission reporting.