Efforts have been maintained in 1999/2000 to ensure that UK industrialists, aerosol and particulate specialists are fully familiar with VAM 1997-2000: Aerosols and Particulates. Much greater focus was placed during the year on the establishment of and technology transfer towards the Vehicle Particle Emission Club (VPEC). Four VPEC meetings were organised and held during the year (start-up, November 1999), in which all relevant features of VAM 1997-2000 have been discussed and certain facets re-shaped.
The primary aims of the VPEC are as follows:
- aid members to make the most appropriate choice of instrument to conduct valid measurements;
- ensure that particle-measurement data are accurate and precise;
- advocate the adoption of well-defined uncertainties for all particle measurements; develop and validate traceable calibration procedures/techniques.
Studies of number calibration standards and related methodologies developed during the course of the VAM work have proved particularly important in validating particle-size measurements of vehicle emissions.
Another focus of effort has been the development of a standard to calibrate particle-number measurement instruments, and the preparation and presentation of a paper describing this work to specialists at the European Aerosol Conference (held in Dublin, 3–8 September 2000). Members of the VAM team have also participated at other appropriate national and international meetings throughout the year.