To obtain timely data for the purpose of air quality assessment, air quality trend
reporting, and to meet the requirements for inclusion of the data in provincial and
national air quality databases, a continuous method of analyzing Non Methane
Hydrocarbons (NMHC) concentrations in ambient air is used. This method is capable of
measurement updates at a rate of once every five minutes or faster. Readings from
instruments of this method enables the calculation of hourly averaged concentrations of
Total Hydrocarbons THC, Methane CH4 and Non-methane Hydrocarbons NMHC.
Commercially available NMHC analyzers are used in the method.
This method is applicable to the measurement of NMHC concentrations in ambient air in
the range of 0.1 parts per million (ppm) to 50.0 parts per million (ppm).
This method adheres to the requirements of the current Air Monitoring Directive (AMD)
1989 by Alberta Environment. In some cases the limits and specifications exceed the
requirements of the current AMD. It should be considered that the current and any
future amendments or drafts of the AMD will be used as the benchmark for requirements
and criteria for ambient air monitoring practices conducted in the Province of Alberta.
Information used to write this procedure was also taken from sources identified in the
