The development of the quality assurance program for PM2.5: The December 13, 1996 proposal, the July 18, 1997 regulations and the public comments concerning QA
- Environmental Protection Agency (United States)
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed a new National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) standard for particles in the atmosphere with aerometric diameters of 2.5 micrometers or less. The EPA has also promulgated a new federal reference and equivalent method program to regulate the methods needed to monitor these particles. This federal reference method (FRM) is very complex and sensitive and requires enhanced quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) procedures to ensure that a valid sample is collected. The QA program for PM2.5 was first introduced in the December 13, 1996 proposal published in the Federal Register. This proposal outlined several QA procedures for the PM2.5 program. The precision of an existing monitoring network was to be determined with collocated monitors and flow checks. The bias of a monitoring network was to be determined with a new QA procedure that required bi-monthly audits on all PM2.5 monitors using a portable FRM audit sampler. Consistent with Agency policy, this proposal was open to public comment and review. The Agency received over 30,000 comments many of which concerned the QA program. The QA system was modified, based upon these comments, to reduce the logistical burden for the implementation of the program. The subsequent modifications were finalized in the July 18, 1997 regulations published in the Federal Register. This finalized QA program required 25% of the monitors to be collocated, quarterly flow audits on all PM2.5 monitors used in the SLAMS network, and 25% of all PM2.5 monitors to be independently audited with the new FRM audit sampler. Details of the QA system are found in 40 CFR Part 58, Appendix A.
- OSTI ID:
- 361955
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-980632--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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