Intercomparison exercise for gases emitted by a cement industry in Spain: a functional data approach

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Industrial Emissions

Background:

• Accredited companies perform atmospheric pollutant measurements for industrial facilities.
• Ensuring the technical competence of these companies is crucial for accurate environmental monitoring.
• Cement plants are significant sources of atmospheric pollutants requiring rigorous measurement protocols.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the technical competence of accredited Spanish companies in measuring atmospheric pollutants from cement plants.
• To compare the effectiveness of conventional statistical analysis with functional data analysis for this purpose.
• To assess the suitability of international standards for in situ testing.

Main Methods:

• An intercomparison exercise involving thirteen accredited Spanish companies was conducted in Catalonia.
• Participants performed in situ measurements of atmospheric pollutants emitted by cement plants.
• Data analysis employed both conventional statistical methods and functional data analysis.

Main Results:

• Functional data analysis demonstrated advantages over conventional statistical methods.
• The functional approach compares measurement curves, offering a more comprehensive analysis than comparing mean values.
• Functional data analysis does not require the assumption of a normal data distribution, increasing its applicability.

Conclusions:

• Functional data analysis is a more robust and advantageous method for evaluating the technical competence of pollutant measurement companies.
• The study highlights the importance of advanced statistical techniques in environmental monitoring.
• The findings support the use of functional data analysis for ensuring the accuracy of industrial emission measurements.