SIST EN ISO 21877:2019 PDF

Overview

EN ISO 21877:2019 - Stationary source emissions: Determination of the mass concentration of ammonia (NH3) - Manual method specifies a validated, manual (independent) method for sampling and analysis of ammonia in waste gases from industrial and agricultural plants. The method measures the volatile ammonia content (all compounds volatile at sampling temperature that yield ammonium ions in the absorption solution) and is intended for intermittent monitoring and for calibration/validation of permanently installed automated measuring systems (AMS). Field validation was performed in the range of approximately 8 mg/m3 to 65 mg/m3 (standard conditions), with the potential to measure lower concentrations depending on sampling duration, sample volume and analytical detection limits.

Key Topics and Requirements

• Scope and principle: Defines what is measured (volatile ammonia) and the basis of the manual absorption/analysis approach.
• Sampling systems: Requirements for sampling equipment including non‑isokinetic and isokinetic sampling options and related setup.
• Field operation: Measurement planning, sampling strategy, field blanks, leak tests, sample transport and storage.
• Analytical methods: Supported laboratory techniques described in informative annexes:
  • Spectrophotometry
  • Continuous Flow Analysis (CFA)
  • Ion chromatography
• Performance and validation: Performance characteristics for sampling and analysis, field validation data (Annex A) and examples of uncertainty budgets (Annex E).
• Uncertainty management: Guidance for establishing an uncertainty budget, including conversion to dry gas and reference oxygen concentrations (Annex F).
• Reporting: Required elements for the measurement report and documentation to support calibration/validation of AMS.

Applications and Who Uses It

This standard is directly applicable to:

• Environmental laboratories conducting emissions testing for ammonia (NH3).
• Industrial operators - combustion plants, waste incinerators, fertilizer production, agricultural facilities - needing intermittent monitoring or AMS validation.
• Regulatory bodies and compliance auditors assessing emission performance and verifying AMS calibration.
• Consultants and third‑party measurement teams performing independent reference measurements (Standard Reference Method / SRM).

Practical uses include intermittent stack testing, AMS calibration/validation per ISO 17179, emission inventory verification, and compliance testing where quantified NH3 slip or agricultural emissions are regulated.

Related Standards

• ISO 17179 (performance of automated ammonia measuring systems) - for AMS calibration/validation relationships.
• EN 14181 - concept of Standard Reference Method (SRM) for monitoring systems.
• Analytical method standards referenced: ISO 7150‑1, ISO 11732, ISO 14911.
• ISO/IEC Guide 98‑3 (GUM) - uncertainty of measurement guidance.

Keywords: EN ISO 21877:2019, ammonia emissions, NH3 measurement, stationary source emissions, manual method, sampling, spectrophotometry, ion chromatography, continuous flow analysis, AMS calibration, emission monitoring.