UKHSA – Ammonia Analyser

Concepts

• analysers
• ammonia
• ammonia analyser
• the picarro si2103 gas concentration analyser
• ukhsa
• analyser
• vehicle emission quantification
• livestock emission quantification
• negligible drift
• indoor air quality

Location

Environment Agency <br/>Spurrier House, <br/>Lancashire Business Park, <br/>Centurion Way, <br/>Leyland Lancaster, <br/>PR26 6TZ

Description

Procurement of an Picarro - Ammonia analyser.

Total Quantity or Scope

The Picarro SI2103 gas concentration analyser delivers ultra-precise and stable measurements of ammonia (NH3) with a parts-per-trillion (ppt) lower limit of detection (LOD) and negligible drift. It is the ideal solution for urban and atmospheric air quality monitoring, studies of particulate matter formation, livestock emission quantification, vehicle emission quantification, indoor air quality and other applications.

Award Detail

Renewal Options

The Authority may extend the Contract for a period of up to forty-eight (48) months by giving not less than ten (10) Working Days’ notice in writing to the Supplier prior to the Expiry Date. The terms and conditions of the Contract shall apply throughout any such extended period.

Award Criteria

CPV Codes

• 38434000 - Analysers

Indicators

• Options are available.
• Award on basis of price.

Legal Justification

With respect to the Picarro ammonia analyser we have been informed by the Environment Agency (EA) that there has been a protracted comparative study recently completed by the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and CEH Edinburgh which builds on the attached paper (Martin et al). The attached study from 2016 states the Picarro analyser has potential use as a ‘spectroscopic reference instrument’ for monitoring ammonia in future exposure chamber tests to validate diffusive and pumped samplers, and also for field measurements. However, this latest comprehensive inter-comparative study of real time instruments and wet chemistry techniques which was led by CEH Edinburgh suggests the Picarro to be the real-time instrument of choice for ammonia and will be the EA’s preferred instrument of choice in future. This was primarily due to the unique methodology (cavity ringdown spectroscopy) which enables a superior limit of detection at levels of parts per trillion (ppt) as opposed to parts per billion (ppb) of the alternative instrument technologies (ppt levels of detection are essential for the investigative work this instrument will be employed to undertake). This therefore this means that from review undertaken there near technical impossibility for another economic operator to achieve the required performance due to the limitations of detection for comparative instruments in accordance with Reg 32 (2)(b)(ii) of the Public Contract Regulations 2015. Meaning this provider is uniquely placed to meet our requirements. UKHSA would require this level of detection for specific monitoring applications.