# Presentation: 064617

## Updating and Enhancing EPA’s QA Handbook

- for Air Pollution Measurement Systems
- Volume IV

**Dennis K. Mikel and Scott A. Jackson**
**EPA-Office of Air Quality,**
** ****Planning and Standards**
** **

## Outline

** ****Survey Issues/Recommendations**
**Strategy**
** ****Available Guidance**
** ****Work Identified**
**EPA Volume IV **
** ****Summary**

## Survey Issues/Recommendations

**Phase 1 – Investigation and Research**
**Assess current meteorological monitoring efforts at State, Local, and Tribal (SLT) agencies to understanding their meteorological data needs**
**Investigation of Meteorological data in AQS**
**Survey SLTs agencies**
** **

## Survey Issues/Recommendations

**Met Monitoring Across the  Nation **
** **

-      Met station  actively reporting     data to AQS - June 2005

## Survey Issues/Recommendations

_**Primary Issue:**_**  ****	****	****	****	**** ****	****	****	**
- Many State/Local agencies are hesitant to use the meteorological data they collect because of _**uncertainty in data quality. **_
- Several State/Local agencies have _**trouble accessing meteorological data**_ both from their own agency and from neighboring agencies.
- Some traditional _**meteorological monitoring methods**_ (e.g. siting criteria) are _**not appropriate**_ for air quality applications.

_**Recommendation:**_
**Quality Assurance (QA) requirements at NCore multi-pollutant sites to promote better data quality.**
**Enhance EPA’s databases (e.g. AIRNow and AQS) to improve their capability for storing and sharing meteorological data.  **
**Create measurement methods specific to meteorological monitoring for air quality management.  Specifically, investigate ways to appropriately use met data from a tower that may not be “perfect.”**

***Common issues with meteorological monitoring:***** **

## Strategy

**Phase 2 - Developing a Strategy**
**Synthesize all elements of Phase 1 to create a concise guidance on appropriate meteorological monitoring **
**Incorporate this guidance into the National Ambient Air Monitoring Strategy (NAMMS), specifically NCore network design.**

## Available Guidance

**Ambient Monitoring Guidelines for Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD)****   **
**Meteorological Monitoring Guidance for Regulatory Modeling Applications****   **
**Quality Assurance Handbook:  Volume 4 Meteorological Measurements**
**Photochemical Assessment Monitoring Stations (PAMS) – Meteorological Guidance    **

## Work Identified

** **

**Decision was made that rather than have a new met document, a revised Volume IV was the best answer **
** ****A working prototype station on EPA-RTP’s campus to serve training and NCore network design purposes**
**Volume IV Re-write workgroup formed December 2005 **

## EPA Volume IV

** **

**The Team**
_**Participant**_**	****	****	****	**_**Affiliation**_
**Dennis Mikel (**_**Team Lead**_**)****	****	****EPA-OAQPS**
**Desmond Bailey****	****	****	****EPA-OAQPS**
**Dennis Atkinson****	****	****	****EPA-OAQPS**
**Nealson Watkins****	****	****	****EPA-OAQPS**
**Scott Jackson****	****	****	****EPA-OAQPS**
**Jeff West****	****	****	****	****EPA-ORD**
**Ben Davis****	****	****	****	****Maricopa County, Az**
**David Fields****	****	****	****	****Maricopa County, Az**
**Mike Miguel****	****	****	****	****CARB**
**Fred Burriel****	****	****	****	****CARB**
**Kent Field ****	****	****	****	****Ventura County, CA**
**Tammy Eagan****	****	****	****Florida DEP**
**Kevin Durkee****	****	****	****South Coast AQMD**
**Alex Barnett****	****	****	****	****PCR Services**
**Robert Baxter****	****	****	****T+B Systems**
**Dave Bush****	****	****	****	****T+B Systems**
**Paul Fransciola****	****	****	****T+B Systems**
**George Allen****	****	****	****NESCAUM**
**David Gemmill****	****	****	****CE-CERT**

## EPA Volume IV

** **

**This version would be:**
**Targeted for State/Local and Tribal Agencies that may or may not have meteorologists on staff**
**Be “user friendly”**
**Have useful information – more of the “how to” **
**Have less technical information**
**Have a number of “hot links” to documents that exist on the Internet**
**Have clear Measurement Quality Objectives (MQOs) on different types of monitoring needs**

## EPA Volume IV	

** **

**Outline **
**4.0 Introduction**
**Overview of Meteorological System Requirements**
**EPA Quality System**
**Data Quality Objectives (DQOs)**
**Measurement Quality Objectives  **
**Traceability and Standards**
**4.1 Tower Guidance and Siting**

## EPA Volume IV

** **

**Measurement Quality Objectives **
**Modeling Applications**
**Photochemical Assessment Monitoring Stations **
**National Core Monitoring Stations **
**Prevention of Significant Deterioration Monitoring Stations **
**Homeland Security Monitoring**
**Other Meteorological Categories**

**Notes:**
Another Ncore Level 2 correction needed

| Measurement | Method | Reporting Units | Operating range | Detection Limit | Minimum sample frequency | Raw data collection
Frequency | Completeness |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ambient Temperature | Thermister | deg. C | -30 to 50 | 0.5 | Hourly | 1 minute | 90%   |
| Relative Humidity | Psychrometer/Hygrometer | % | 0-100 | 0.5 | Hourly | 1 minute | 90%  |
| Barometric Pressure | Aneroid Barometer | Mb | 600 - 1100 | 0.5 | Hourly | 1 minute | 90% |
| Wind Speed | Cup or sonic anemometer | m/sec | 0.5 – 50.0  | 0.25 | Hourly | 1 minute | 90%   |
| Wind Direction | Vane or sonic anemometer | Degrees | 0 – 360 (540) | 5.0 | Hourly | 1 minute | 90%   |
| Solar Radiation | Pyranometer | Watts/m2 | 0 – 1100 | 10 | Hourly | 1 minute | 90%   |
| Vertical Wind Speed | Vane or sonic anemometer | m/sec | -25.0 to 25.0 | 0.1 | Hourly | 1 minute | 90%   |
| Vector Data
	Wind Speed
	Wind Direction
	Sigma Theta
	Sigma W | DAS Calculations | 
m/s
degrees
degrees
m/s | 
0 – 50.0
0 – 360 
0 – 105
0 -10  | 
0.1
1.0
1.0
0.1 | Hourly | 
1 minute
1 minute
15 minute
1 minute
 | 90%   |
| Precipitation | Tipping Bucket | Millimeters | 0 – 7.6 cm/hour | Hourly | Hourly | 5 minute | 90%   |

**Prevention of Significant Deterioration  - Measurement Quality Objectives**

- EPA Volume IV

| Measurement | Calibration |  |  | Accuracy  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | Type | Acceptance Criteria | Frequency | Type | Acceptance Criteria | Frequency |
| Ambient Temperature | 3 pt. Water Bath with NIST traceable thermister or thermometer | 0.5 deg. C | Semi-Annually | 3 pt. Water Bath With NIST traceable thermister or Thermometer | 0.5 deg. C | Semi-Annually |
| Relative Humidity | NIST traceable Psychrometer  | 1% | Semi-Annually | NIST traceable Psychrometer  | 1% | Semi-Annually |
| Wind Speed | NIST traceable Synchronous Motor | 0.2 m/s | Semi-Annually | NIST traceable Synchronous Motor | 0.2 m/s | Semi-Annually |
| Wind Direction | Solar Noon, GPS or Magnetic Compass | 2 degrees | Semi-Annually | Solar Noon, GPS or Magnetic Compass | 2 degrees | Semi-Annually |
| Solar Radiation | NIST traceable Pyranometer | 5% of observed | Semi-Annually | NIST traceable Pyranometer | 5% of observed | Semi-Annually |
| Vertical Wind Speed | NIST traceable Synchronous Motor | 0.2 m/s | Semi-Annually | NIST traceable Synchronous Motor | 0.2 m/s | Semi-Annually |
| Vector Data

Wind Speed
Wind Direction
Sigma Theta
Sigma W | Voltmeter and Voltage Generator | 

0.2 m/s
5 degrees
5 degrees
0.2 m/s | Annually | Voltmeter and Voltage Generator | 

0.2 m/s
5 degrees
5 degrees
0.2 m/s | Annually |

-  **PSD Calibration and Auditing Standards**

- EPA Volume IV

## EPA Volume IV	

** **

- Subsequent Chapters
**4.2   Wind Speed and Direction:  Scalar and Vector**
**4.3   Temperature and Temperature Gradient**
**4.4   Rainfall and Precipitation **
**4.5   Relative Humidity and Dew Point Determination**
**4.6   Solar Radiation:  Net and UV**
**4.7   Atmospheric Pressure    **
**4.8   Upper Air Systems          **
**4.9   **_**Data Acquisition Systems and Meteorological Parameters**_
**4.10 **_**Data Validation and Verification **_

## EPA Volume IV	

** **

**Each chapter has a section on: **
**Types of Instruments and Specifications**
**Acceptance Testing**
**Installation, Instrument Exposure and Wiring**
**Calibration and Alignment **
**Operation and Maintenance**
**Auditing **
**References **

## Summary

** **

**Initial Assessment made**
**Need for updated guidance**
**Workgroup Formed:  work progressing**
**All major met system covered**
**New manual targeted at S/L/T agencies**
**Delivery dates: ****	**
**First Draft:  March 1, 2006**
**Second Draft:  June 1, 2006**
**Final Draft:  September 1, 2006**
** **