Welcome to the
Center for Aerosol In-Situ - European Center for Aerosol Calibration and Characterization (CAIS-ECAC)
In the frame of the European Research Infrastructure ACTRIS-ERIC, the Center for Aerosol In-Situ - European Center for Aerosol Calibration and Characterization (CAIS-ECAC) is one of the Central Facilities for the ACTRIS National Facilities and external users worldwide. CAIS-ECAC’s mission is to offer operational support for quality assured and controlled physical and chemical aerosol in situ measurements & sampling, to conduct traceable instrument calibration, and to perform laboratory analysis of aerosol samples. Furthermore, CAIS-ECAC develops and offers Near-Real-Time tools for fast data submission and central quality control.
CAIS-ECAC is a consortium, consisting of seven facilities. The WCCAP (World Calibration Center for Aerosol Physics), PACC (Prague Aerosol Calibration Center), and CCC (Cluster Calibration Center) are responsible for aerosol microphysical and optical aerosol variables. The OCTAC-CC (Organic Tracer and Aerosol Constituents - Calibration Center), ERLAP (European Reference Laboratory for Air Pollution), the ACMCC (Aerosol Chemical Monitor Calibration Center) and EMC2 (Element Mass Calibration Center) are in charge of the chemical & elemental aerosol variables.
To visit the CF and the workshops, please click on the icon.
which consists of
Seven Central Facilities
and is responsible for 65 National Facilities in 18 countries in Europe.
Events & Announcement
Event:
Invitation to Aerosol In-Situ Community Meeting by CAIS-ECAC
Topic:
- 09:05-09:35 Harmonized procedure for data correction from nephelometers and filter based absorption photometers
- 09:35-10:05 Quality control for nephelometers – real user example
- 10:05-10:10 Announcement of the upcoming OGTAC-CC community meeting in April and the next hands-on training workshop in May 2026
- 10:10-11:00 Questions and Discussion
Date:
12 March 2026
Time:
9 - 11 a.m. CET
Info:
link is provided in the community
Location:
online meeting
announcement:
Workshops at Central Facilities
Event:
Topic:Hands-on training workshop May 2026 @TROPOS ACD, Leipzig (Germany)
Theory and practice – Offline chromatographic (LC-MS and GC-MS) determination of organic tracer compounds and organic and elemental carbon (OC/EC) measurements in particulate matter collected on filters
Location:
Registration:TROPOS ACD in Leipzig
Subscription via email to ogtac-cc[at]tropos.de (registration deadline May 1st)For any questions don´t hesitate to contact Dr. Falk Mothes (mothes[at]tropos.de)
announcement:
Activity &
Newsletter
Meetings
Minutes
Commiunity Meetings
last update January 2024
last update September 2022Measurement
Guidelines
Labeling
Process
Labeling Process Step 1A - initial acceptance
The labeling process for a ACTRIS National Facility consists of several steps:
The sketch explains the procedure of the step 1a, the initial acceptance, at CAIS-ECAC.
- step 1a (initial acceptance)
- step 1b (performance evaluation after 2 consecutive years of operation)
- step 1c (review approval and obtaining the ACTRIS label)
- step 2 (regular re-evaluation)
Procedure Of The Labeling
Operational SupportOperational support which is organized by CAIS-ECAC on regular basis:
Operational Support | Instrument | Frequency | Modality of provision |
| Calibration Workshops at CAIS-ECAC | Microphysical & optical instruments | biannually | Call launched by CAIS-ECAC |
| Round-Robin-Tests at CAIS-ECAC | OC/EC Organic tracers Element analysis | annually | Call launched by CAIS-ECAC |
| NF audits | Not regular | Call launched by CAIS-ECAC |
Event:
Invitation to Aerosol In-Situ Community Meeting WCCAP
Topic:
09:00-09:05 Welcome & Introduction
09:05-09:35 Harmonized procedure for data correction from nephelometers and filter based absorption photometers
09:35-10:05 Quality control for nephelometers – real user example
10:05-10:10 Announcement of the upcoming OGTAC-CC community meeting in April and the next hands-on training workshop in May 2026
10:10-11:00 Questions and Discussion
Date:
12 March 2026
Time:
9 - 11 a.m. CET
Info:
link is provided in the community
Location:
online meeting
The course will be held for 5 days from Monday 18th to Friday 22nd of May 2026 at TROPOS ACD in Leipzig. The number of participants is limited to 8. The course is free of charge. Participants have to cover only their travel and accommodation costs.
Topic:
Theory and practice – Offline chromatographic (LC-MS and GC-MS) determination of organic tracer compounds and organic and elemental carbon (OC/EC) measurements in particulate matter collected on filters.
Subscription via email to ogtac-cc[at]tropos.de (registration deadline May 1st)
For any questions don´t hesitate to contact Dr. Falk Mothes (mothes[at]tropos.de).
Event:
Invitation to the 2nd OGTAC-CC community meeting (online)
Topic:
Ongoing and planned activities of the calibration centre for particulate organics
Status of the technical requirements and measurement guidelines
Offline data workflow
Past, current and planned inter-laboratory comparisons
Status labelling
Date:
28 April, 2026
Time:
1-4 p.m. CEST
Info:
Registration via brief notice to mothes[at]tropos.de
Location:
online meeting
Head of the European Center for Aerosol Calibration and Characterization (CAIS-ECAC) and Researcher in Atmospheric Microphysics
The Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS) is a research institute of the Leibniz Association and an internationally renowned institute in the field of aerosol and cloud research. ACTRIS (Aerosol, Clouds and Trace Gases Research Infrastructure, www.actris.eu) is a European research infrastructure for quality-assured observation of aerosols, clouds, and short-lived trace gases. ACTRIS serves to investigate the complex interactions between gases, aerosols and clouds, especially in the areas of climate and air quality.
We are looking for an outstanding personality in the field of aerosol research with in-depth experience in measurement technology and quality assurance for the Department of Atmospheric Microphysics (AMP).
In addition to research activities, the position encompasses the lead of CAIS-ECAC. It is important to maintain close contact with all institutions within CAIS-ECAC and to work together to shape the future of ACTRIS and CAIS-ECAC. An enthusiasm for international cooperation and a vision for further development are just as important as technical expertise and experience in applying for international third-party funding in order to continue and strengthen the consortium through new European applications.
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