Urban Air Monitoring

Filter being weighed to determine particulate matter captured from urban air.

Ion chromatography is used to determine ionic species present in air.

A quality assurance program is operated by the laboratory to support the PM2.5 Chemical Speciation Air Monitoring Network. The PM2.5 air monitoring network, managed by Office of Air Quality Planning & Standards (OAQPS), collects data on the levels and composition of ultra fine particulate matter in urban areas across the nation. NAREL performs a variety of quality assurance tasks to ensure the integrity and validity of the data collected by the network. These tasks include oversight of contractor laboratories through on-site audits, analysis of routine quality assurance samples, and performance of evaluation samples.

NAREL, in conjunction with the Radiation and Indoor Environments National Laboratory in Las Vegas, also provides quality assurance support to the field activities associated with the network. Field personnel receive training on air samplers, field audits are conducted, and quality assurance samples are collected and analyzed. All of these activities ensure that decisions made by the Agency regarding ultra fine particulate matter are based on data of the highest quality.

Further information can be found in the following documents:

• Anion Analysis for the PM2.5 Chemical Speciation QA Program
  [PDF File, 144KB, 17 Pages]



• Cation Analysis For The PM2.5 Chemical Speciation QA Program
  [PDF File, 428KB, 17 Pages]
  
  
• Carbon Analysis For The PM2.5 Chemical Speciation QA Program
  [PDF File, 428KB, 25 Pages]

 
• Gravimetric Mass Analysis For The PM2.5 Chemical Speciation QA Program
  [PDF File, 114KB, 16 Pages]

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