Tang, Y.S. et al

Monthly atmospheric ammonia gas concentration data from Northern Ireland ALPHA® Ammonia Monitoring Network, 2019-2020

https://doi.org/10.5285/7d380209-9df4-4686-b7ad-de39cca19cce Cite this dataset

This dataset is from the Northern Ireland (NI) ALPHA® Ammonia Monitoring network, and consists of monthly concentrations of atmospheric ammonia (NH3) gas measured with the UKCEH ALPHA® method at 25 sites across NI for the years 2019 to 2020.

NH3 data were also collected with a monthly measurement frequency with the UKCEH DELTA® method at a further 4 sites, as part of the NI DELTA® Gas and Aerosol Monitoring Network. At one site, ALPHA® and DELTA® methods were co-located to inter-compare NH3 concentrations. Monthly NH3 data (2019 – 2020) from the NI DELTA® network are reported separately in a companion submission.

The network is operated jointly by Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) and the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), and funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), Northern Ireland.

Publication date: 2022-03-28

Where/When

Study area
Temporal extent: 2019-01-01 to 2020-01-01

Provenance & quality

ALPHA® samplers were prepared and analysed by the UKAS accredited UKCEH Lancaster Laboratory, following protocols and procedures in manuals and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) developed and adopted in the UK National Ammonia Monitoring Network (NAMN), operated also by UKCEH.

Measurement frequency was monthly, with monthly site visits (± 5 days of the 1st of each calendar month) by a network of trained local site operators to exchange samples.

Sample exposure information (manual transcription from site recording sheets) and raw chemistry data files from analysed air samples (csv files) are stored, combined and processed in an oracle-based database (AAGA) to calculate and output calculated NH3 concentrations via a ShinyApp.

Output files are in a standardised reporting template, with data quality flags (based on flags defined in ebas; https://projects.nilu.no/ccc/flags/). Each output file generated are time-stamped, with versioning control.
An annual field calibrated ALPHA® uptake rate from the UK National Ammonia Monitoring Network project (https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/networks/network-info?view=nh3) was applied to the ALPHA® data for the corresponding calendar year.

Ratified data were generated following a multi-stage, iterative review process, with both automatic and manual data checks, in accordance with procedures in the AAGA data processing system and data review SOPs.

This dataset is included in the following collections

Northern Ireland ALPHA® and DELTA® monitoring networks

Supplemental information

UKEAP National Ammonia Monitoring Network (NAMN)

Information on the ALPHA® and DELTA® NH3 monitoring protocols from the national network, and on annual ALPHA® field calibrated uptake rates, which were applied in the Northern Ireland NH3 network.

UKEAP National Ammonia Monitoring Network – atmospheric ammonia gas and ammonium aerosol data (since 1996)