The development of the U.S. EPA's performance evaluation program to assess the measurement uncertainty and bias of the national PM{sub 2.5} network
The Federal Reference Method (FRM) Performance Evaluation is a quality assurance activity which will be used to evaluate measurement system bias of the particulate monitoring network for particles with an aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 microns or less (PM{sub 2.5}). The pertinent regulations for this performance evaluation are found in Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations (40 CFR) Part 58, Appendix A, section 3.5.3. The instruments to be used are the FRM portable audit samplers purchased from the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) national contract. The strategy is to collocate a portable audit sampler with an established routine air monitoring site, operate both monitors in exactly the same manner, collect a 24-hour sample, and then compare the resultant concentration data from this instrument against the routine sampler at the site. The comparison of data will be accomplished by EPA personnel using the Aerometric Information Retrieval System (AIRS) data base. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the development of the program, the lessons learned, and the preliminary data received from the evaluations.
- Research Organization:
- Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC (US)
- OSTI ID:
- 20002064
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-990608--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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