An Overview of EPA’s QualityAssurance Guidance for Ambient Air
Quality Monitoring Data
Data Analysis and InterpretationFebruary 12 – 14, 2008, Tempe, AZ
Catherine Brown, EPA Region 9
What are the QA elements forambient monitoring data?
Monitoring Objectives PQAO defined Network Design DQO process EPA’s MQO’s for ambient monitoring
(some new) Data Quality Assessments Tools
EPA’s Ambient Air QualityMonitoring Program Objectives
Provide air pollution data to general public in atimely manner
Support compliance with air quality standards &emissions strategy development
Support air pollution research studies
Primary Quality AssuranceOrganizations
To aggregate monitoring data and assessDQO’s, should have common– SOPs, QAPPs– Team of operators with common training– Calibration facilities and standards– QA oversight– Management, lab or HQ
Design of AmbientMonitoring Networks
Highest concentration areas Population exposure Source-oriented sampling General background Pollutant transport Visibility and welfare effects *
* Note: Appendix A requirements now apply to PSD monitoring
EPA’s Quality System
Now fully based on DQO process(December 2006)
Decision makers must understandprobability of incorrect NAAQS decision(data uncertainty)
Data Quality Assessments determine DQOsare achieved
Measurement Quality Objectives
Table A-2 in 40 CFR 58 Appendix A Note: Some statistics are new
–Defines measurement quality samplesrequired for manual and automated methodsfor each criteria pollutant
Data Quality Assessments
Evaluate each monitoring program or project forthese indicators
Representativeness Precision Bias Detectability Completeness Comparability
Summary
QA requirements apply to environmentalmeasurements used in decision-making
Data quality assessments help organize andunderstand complex datasets
Statistical tools available from EPA
EPA References
Guidance on Systematic Planning Using theData Quality Objectives ProcessEPA/240/B-06/001 Feb. 2006http://www.epa.gov/quality/qa_docs.html
Guideline on the Meaning and Use ofPrecision and Bias Data Required by 40CFR Part 58 Appendix A – Version 1.1
http://www.epa.gov/ttn/amtic/parslist.html
EPA References (cont.)
EPA Quality Assurance Handbook http://www.epa.gov/ttn/amtic/qabook.html Data Assessment Statistical Calculator
(DASC) Software for calculating newprecision and bias statistics
http://www.epa.gov/ttn/amtic/parslist.html
EPA References (cont.)
2006 Criteria Pollutant Quality IndicatorSummary Report for AQS Data
http://www.epa.gov/ttn/amtic/parslist.html
