SOURCE TESTING ASSOCIATION I Annual Guide 2025


Understanding How Standards Numbers Work in the UK


In the UK, standards are established and published by the British Standards Institute (BSI) following specifi c prefi xes that signify their origin and development body. These designations help professionals identify the applicable scope and authority of each standard.


Prefi xes and Their Meaning


1. BS Standards (British Standards) When BSI develops a standard within the UK, it is given the prefi x BS, e.g., BS 3841-1:1994 for determining smoke emissions from domestic solid fuels.


2. EN Standards (European Standards)


Standards developed by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) carry the EN prefi x. In the UK, these become BS EN standards, e.g., BS EN 1911:2010 for determining gaseous chloride concentrations in stationary source emissions. If there is any confl icting UK standard, it must be removed upon the adoption of a BS EN standard.


• When a standard is co-developed by CEN and ISO, it is prefi xed as EN ISO, and in the UK, it becomes BS EN ISO (e.g., BS EN ISO 23210:2009 for PM10/PM2.5 concentration determination in fl ue gases). A national foreword is added to address UK-specifi c concerns.


3. ISO Standards (International Standards)


Standards developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) use the prefi x ISO. When adopted in the UK, these standards are labeled BS ISO, such as BS ISO 25597:2015, which specifi es methods for measuring PM10/ PM2.5 in stack gases using cyclone samplers.


STA Contact Details


Contacts: General Enquires Samantha Harvey


Technical Support: Andrew Curtis Telephone: +44(0) 1462 457535


Email: General enquiries: sam@s-t-a.org Technical support: andycurtis@s-t-a.org Website enquiries: steve@s-t-a.org Website: www.s-t-a.org


Figure 1. Diagram of the world family of standards Standards Committees


Various technical committees are responsible for developing standards. In emissions monitoring, CEN TC 264 handles European standards related to air emissions, while ISO TC 146 SC1 oversees international standards on the same subject.


Further Guidance and Support


The STA provides comprehensive support to its members, offering advice on methodologies, equipment selection, and training. For more information, visit STA’s website.


Hierarchy of Standard Usage


Standards established by CEN are generally regarded as the most robust and are often mandatory under European Directives, such as the Industrial Emission Directive (IED). When selecting standards, professionals should prioritise the following, as recommended by the European IPPC Bureau’s Reference Document on General Principles of Monitoring:


1. EN Standards


2. ISO Standards, Other International Standards, National Standards


3. Validated Laboratory-Developed and Non-Standard Methods


When choosing a method, it is essential to consider the standard’s intended application. In certain cases, a non-CEN method may be more suitable if the CEN standard does not precisely match the application’s requirements.


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