Airborne particle monitoring

Tender description

The Authority is looking for a supplier to manage and operate the Toxic Organic Micro Pollutants (TOMPs) Network, and analyse, and report on ambient levels of selected Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in the UK through monitoring at 6 sites, to inform policy development on environmental and human exposure to POPs and to provide information on the sources of POPs in the atmosphere. The TOMPs Network is responsible for contributing to the monitoring of UK air quality by providing measurement of the air concentrations of POPs at rural and urban locations in the UK. Monitoring work complements emission inventory work, whilst also providing information on the sources of POP releases into the environment. The UK Government has been supporting the TOMPs monitoring programme on emissions to air since 1991 in order to inform policy development and to evaluate the effectiveness of measures aimed at reducing the releases of POPs into the environment. Monitoring data is used to inform negotiation of international instruments to control POPs, such as consideration of restrictions on POPs already covered by the UNECE Protocol on POPs and Stockholm Convention on POPs, as well as the consideration of new candidate POPs for inclusion. This work complements Defra's Air Quality Strategy which aims to improve air quality and reduce human exposure to all air pollutants including POPs. The Contractor should note this is a three (3) year contract with the option of extending for up to a further twelve months (12). A minimum of four (4) weeks handover period will operate were necessary at the beginning of this contract. A further handover period of four (4) weeks will operate at the end of the contract. The Contractor will manage and operate the Authority's TOMPs Network, and analyse and report on ambient levels of selected POPs in the UK. The scope of services to be provided includes but is not limited to: — Collection of samples and sampling data from six (6) designated monitoring points across the UK; — Monitoring of airborne concentrations of selected POPs; — Production of sampling, and analysis methodologies, and risk assessments; — Undertaking regular maintenance and calibration of sampling equipment so that accurate data is reported; — Provision of all consumables associated with the provision of the Service; — All aspects of data management including but not limited to: i. Data manipulation; ii. Data Quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) (QA/QC); iii. Data validation/verification; and iv. Data submission in a format compatible with the Authority's requirements; — Interpretation of data (e.g. comparison of data against trends).