Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

Monitoring and improving air quality

Ozone precursors

NPL is the Central Calibration Laboratory (CCL) for non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs) within the World Meteorological Organisation Global Atmospheric Watch programme (WMO-GAW).

NPL provides a 30-component primary reference material (PRM) that contains all the ozone precursor hydrocarbon compounds listed in Annex X of the European Directive 2008/50/EC on Ambient Air Quality and Cleaner Air for Europe. These mixtures are typically prepared at amount fractions of 4 nmol/mol, but other amount fractions from 1 to 200 nmol/mol are also available.

BTEX mixtures

NPL provides a range of BTEX PRMs containing benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m-xylene, p-xylene and o-xylene at amount fractions from 1 nmol/mol to 10 µmol/mol. Mixtures containing BTEX and 1,3-butadiene are also available.

Oxygenated VOCs (OVOCs)

NPL offers a range of OVOC PRMs at amount fractions of 1 to 10 μmol/mol. One typical multi-component mixture contains the components shown below. Mixtures containing other OVOCs (e.g., acetaldehyde, acetonitrile, methyl ethyl ketone) are available on request. 

Bespoke mixtures

NPL can provide, on request, bespoke PRMs containing C₂ to C₁₀ hydrocarbons, chlorinated hydrocarbons and fluorinated hydrocarbons at a range of amount fractions. For example, PRMs of perdeuterated toluene (d₈-toluene) are available due to their use as an internal standard in GC-MS applications. We can provide these mixtures at a range of amount fractions but most commonly at 5 µmol/mol.

Download the User Guide for NPL VOC Standards

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