NEWS RELEASE                                                                                                    JUNE 2012

Air and Water Monitoring Terms - Decisive Classification Needed

Analyzers to measure constituents in various gases and fluids are each designed for specific chemicals or physical properties. Since there are hundreds of different chemicals and many physical properties, there are many unique instrument designs. Laboratory instruments vary considerably from those used by field testers or those used for continuous measurement in processes. There are many different operating principles employed. Instruments used for stack gas measurement differ from those used at the fence line or those used for water or process fluids. The end result is that there are thousands of unique instruments.

There are more than 5,000 suppliers of instruments to measure gases and fluids worldwide. There are 3,000 instrument makers in China alone. Given the language inconsistencies, it is a real challenge to determine which of these companies make an instrument which fits the specific needed criteria.

The McIlvaine Company (www.mcilvainecompany.com) is developing a system which it will make available free of charge to anyone. In return, it is asking for input to make the system better. Associations, suppliers and research institutions all have niche expertise which can be applied both to the technology and the languages. Here are the details:

A decisive classification system in Chinese, English and other languages will allow monitor purchasers in developing countries to efficiently utilize the world’s existing knowledge. Monitoring products need to be classified by the way decisions are made.  For example, the new U.S. MATS rule utilizes PM mass monitors as a surrogate for measuring toxic metals. However, Pall was able to convince EPA that their multi-metals analyzer was a cost effective alternative.  Scientific classification does not typically list PM mass monitors and multi-metals analyzers as siblings but Decisive Classification does in this instance.

The system identifies monitoring products by application (there is a big difference between shale oil and oil shale), function (analyzer, sample system, etc.) medium (ambient air, stack gas), properties measured, (ammonia, arsenic), measurement parameters (ppb, ppm, count) operating principle (optical, electrochemical) and mode of use (handheld, portable, etc.).

It is also necessary to identify financial entities and their subsidiaries with unique numbers. Each subsidiary with unique products should have its own unique number. It is further necessary to provide the listings in Chinese, English and other languages.

Details on this initiative and instructions for participating are found at:   Decisive Classification Initiative for Monitoring products and services