VOC quality control measurements in the CASTNet Air Toxics Monitoring Program (CATMP)
- Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., Gainesville, FL (United States). Analytical Services Lab.
The determination of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in ambient air with acceptable precision and accuracy at concentration levels as low as 0.1 ppbV is the primary analytical requirement of the Environmental Protection Agency`s (EPA`s) Clean Air Status and Trends Network (CASTNet) Air Toxics Monitoring Program (CATMP). The CATMP was established in 1993 by EPA to reactivate and operate the Urban Air Toxics Monitoring Program (UATMP). The purpose of the program is to establish baseline toxics concentrations, develop air emission inventories, and to identify air toxic sources using chemical mass balance modeling techniques. Samples are collected from 15 urban sites in passivated stainless steel canisters every 12 days and analyzed with a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer (GC/MS) operated in the electron impact full-scan mode. 53 target VOCs are determined. Analytical procedures and instrument operating parameters are described in detail. The paper focuses on the analytical quality control (QC) measurements which accompany every batch of samples analyzed. These include the analysis of instrument performance check standards, calibration standards, NIST reference samples, canister blanks, replicates, and internal standards/surrogates. Results of QC measurements performed during 1993 are presented, including precision and accuracy determinations. Data for selected VOCs determined in network samples are also presented.
- OSTI ID:
- 197452
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9405167-; TRN: IM9612%%226
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Measurement of toxic and related air pollutants, Durham, NC (United States), 3-6 May 1994; Other Information: PBD: 1994; Related Information: Is Part Of Measurement of toxic and related air pollutants. Proceedings of the 1994 U.S. EPA/A and WMA international symposium; PB: 1075 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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