Quality Assurance Handbook for Air Pollution Measurement Systems Volume II Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Program Page Intentionally Left Blank EPA-454/B-17-001 January 2017 Quality Assurance Handbook for Air Pollution Measurement Systems Volume II Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Program U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards Air Quality Assessment Division RTP, NC 27711 QA Handbook Volume II January 2017 Contents Section Page Revision Date Contents iv FINAL 01/17 Figures vi FINAL 01/17 Tables vii FINAL Acknowledgments viii FINAL 01/17 Acronyms and Abbreviations ix FINAL 01/17 0. Introduction FINAL 01/17 0.1 Intent of the Handbook 1/3 0.2 Use of Terms Shall, Must, Should, May 2/3 0.3 Use of Footnotes 2/3 0.4 Handbook Review and Distribution 2/3 PROJECT MANAGEMENT 1. Program Background FINAL 01/17 1.1 Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Network 1/12 1.2 The EPA Quality System Requirements 6/12 1.3 The Ambient Air Monitoring Program Quality System 8/12 2. Program Organization FINAL 01/17 2.1 Organization Responsibilities 1/7 2.2 Lines of Communication 6/7 3. Data Quality Objectives FINAL 01/17 3.1 The DQO Process 3/7 3.2 Ambient Air Quality DQOs 4/7 3.2 Measurement Quality Objectives 5/7 4. Personnel Qualification and Training FINAL 01/17 4.1 Personnel Qualifications 1/3 4.2 Training 2/3 5. Documentation and Records FINAL 01/17 5.1 Management and Organization 2/9 5.2 Site Information 3/9 5.3 Environmental Data Operations 3/9 5.4 Raw Data 8/9 5.5 Data Reporting 8/9 5.6 Data Management 9/9 5.7 Quality Assurance 9/9 MEASUREMENT ACQUISITION 6. Monitoring Network Design FINAL 01/17 6.1 Monitoring Objectives and Spatial Scales 5/15 6.2 Monitoring Site Location 7/15 6.3 Minimum Network Requirements 11/15 6.4 Operating Schedules 12/15 6.5 Network Plan Reporting 15/15 7. The Sampling System FINAL 01/17 7.1 Monitor Placement 1/17 7.2 Environmental Control 2/17 7.3 Sampling Probes and Manifolds 5/17 7.4 Reference/Equivalent and Approved Regional Methods 13/17 8. Sample Handling and Custody FINAL 01/17 8.1 Sample Handling 2/7 8.2 Chain of Custody 5/7 9. Analytical Methods 01/17 9.1 Good Laboratory Practices 3/3 9.2 Laboratory Activities 3/3 iv QA Handbook Volume II January 2017 Section Page Revision Date 10. Quality Control FINAL 01/17 10.1 The Quality Control Process 1/13 10.2 QC Activity Areas 3/13 10.3 Internal vs. External Quality Control 4/13 10.4 CFR Related Quality Control Samples 7/13 10.5 Use of Computers for Quality Control 12/13 11. Instrument/Equipment Testing, Inspection, and Maintenance FINAL 01/17 11.1 Instrumentation 1/8 11.2 Preventative Maintenance 5/8 12. Calibration FINAL 01/17 12.1 Calibration Standards and Reagents 3/15 12.2 Calibration Procedures 7/15 12.3 Multi-point Verifications 9/15 12.4 Frequency of Calibration and Analyzer Adjustment 11/15 12.5 Validation of Ambient Data Based on Calibration Info. 15/15 13 Inspection/Acceptance for Supplies and Consumables FINAL 01/17 13.1 Supplies Management 1/4 13.2 Standards and Reagents 2/4 13.3 Volumetric Glassware 3/4 13.4 Sample Containers 3/4 13.5 Particulate Sampling Filters 3/4 13.6 Field Supplies 4/4 14. Data Acquisition and Management FINAL 01/17 14.1 Data Acquisition 3/16 14.2 Data Transfer-Public Reporting 9/16 14.3 Data Transfer-Reporting to External Data Bases 10/16 14.4 Data Management 16/16 ASSESSMENT/OVERSIGHT 15. Assessment and Corrective Action FINAL 01/17 15.1 Network Reviews 1/16 15.2 Performance Evaluations 4/16 15.3 Technical Systems Audits 10/16 15.4 Data Quality Assessments 15/16 16. Reports to Management FINAL 01/17 16.1 Guidelines for Preparation of Reports to Management 2/5 DATA VALIDATION AND USABILITY 17. Data Review, Verification, Validation FINAL 01/17 17.1 Data Review Methods 3/10 17.2 Data Verification Methods 5/10 17.3 Data Validation Methods 5/10 18. Reconciliation with Data Quality Objectives FINAL 01/17 18.1 Five Steps of the DQA Process 2/11 APPENDICES A. National Air Quality Monitoring Program Fact Sheets 10 FINAL 01/17 B: Ambient Air Monitoring QA Information and Web Addresses 4 C: Using the Graded Approach for the Development of QMPs and QAPPs 7 D: Measurement Quality Objectives and Validation Templates 1 E: Characteristics of Spatial Scales Related to Each Pollutant 9 F: Sample Manifold Design for Precursor Gas Monitoring 13 G: Example Procedure for Calibrating Data Acquisition System 3 H: Audit Information 48 I: Example of Reports to Management 25 J: Guidance for Use of Electronic Logbooks 18 K: Guidance for Verification of Zero Air Generators 10 L: Rounding Policy for Evaluating NAAQS QA/QC Acceptance Criteria 5 v QA Handbook Volume II January 2017 Figures Number Title Section/Page 1.1 Ambient air quality monitoring process 1/1 1.2 Hierarchy of quality system development 1/7 1.3 Ambient Air Quality Monitoring QA Program 1/8 1.4 Example Quality Bulletin 1/11 2.1 Program organization and lines of communication 2/1 2.2 Relationship of monitored pollutants to site, monitoring organizations and 2/5 primary quality assurance organizations 3.1 Effect of positive bias on the annual average estimate resulting in a false 3/1 rejection error 3.2 Effect of negative bias on the annual average estimate resulting in a false 3/1 acceptance error 6.1 Wind rose pattern 6/9 6.2 Sampling schedule based on ratio to the 24-hour PM10 NAAQS 6/13 7.1 Example design for shelter 7/3 7.2 Individual sample line design for air monitoring 7/5 7.3 Views of sampling inlets 7/6 7.4 Position of calibration line in sampling manifold 7/7 7.5 Acceptable areas for PM10 and PM2.5 micro, middle, neighborhood, and 7/10 urban samplers except for microscale canyon sites 7.6 Optical mounting platform 7/10 7.7 Examples of contaminated tubing and manifolds needing more frequent 7/11 maintenance 8.1 Example sample label 8/3 8.2 Example field COC form 8/6 8.3 Example laboratory COC form 8/7 10.1 QC samples for PM2.5 placed at various stages of measurement process 10/2 10.2 Historical example of calibration, span and 1-point QC 10/8 10.3 An example approach for selecting QC check ranges 10/10 10.4 Ozone calibration 10/11 10.5 Control chart example 10/12 12.1 Electronic Chart Display of an SO2 Calibration Procedure 12/10 12.2 DASC Calibration Tool 12/11 12.3 Calibration/Verification Process Flow Chart 12/13 14.1 DAS data flow 14/3 14.2 Flow of data from gas analyzers to final reporting 14/4 15.1 Definition of independent assessment 15/7 15.2 Pre-Audit activities 15/11 15.3 On-Site audit activities 15/13 15.4 Audit finding form 15/14 15.5 Post-audit activities 15/14 15.6 Audit response form 15/15 18.1 DQA in the context of data life cycle 18/2 18.2 Example DASC Tool 18/10 18.3 Example Box and Whisker Plot 18/11 vi QA Handbook Volume II January 2017 Tables Number Title Section/Page 4-1 Monitoring Functions the Need Some Level of Staffing or Expertise 4/1 4-2 Suggested Sequence of Core QA Related Ambient Air Training Courses … 4/3 5-1 Types of Information the Should be Retained Through Document Control 5/1 6-1 Relationship Among Monitoring Objectives and Scale of Representativeness 6/6 6-2 Summary of Spatial Scales for SLAMS, NCore, PAMS, and Open Path Sites 6/6 6-3 Relationships of Topography, Air Flow, and Monitoring Site Selection 6/10 6-4 Completeness Goals for Ambient Monitoring Data 6/14 7-1 Environment Control Parameters 7/3 7-2 Summary of Probe and Monitoring Path Siting Criteria 7/9 7-3 Minimum Separation Distance between Road and Sampling Probes… 7/9 7-4 Performance Specifications for Automated Methods 7/15 9-1 Acceptable Analytical Methods 9/1 10-1 QC Samples Used in Various Ambient Air Monitoring Programs 10/5 10-2 PM2.5 Field and Lab QC Checks 10/6 11-1 Routine Operation Checks 11/6 12-1 Instrumentation and Devices Requiring Calibration and Certifications 12/14 14-1 AQS Data Reporting Requirements 14/11 14-2 AQS Agency Roles 14/12 14-3 Data Certification and Concurrence Flag Values 14/14 14-4 NCore Information Technology Performance Needs 14/15 15-1 National Performance Evaluation Activities Performed by EPA 15/5 15-2 Suggested Elements of an Audit Plan 15/12 16-1 Types of QA Reports to Management 16/2 16-2 Sources of Information for Preparing Reports to Management 16/2 16-3 Presentation Methods for Use in Reports to Management 16/3 18-1 Summary of Violations of DQO Assumptions 18/6 18-2 Weights for Estimating Three-Year Bias and Precision 18/6 18-3 Summary of Bias and Precision 18/9 vii QA Handbook Volume II January 2017 Acknowledgments This QA Hand Book is the product of the combined efforts of the EPA Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, the EPA Regional Offices, and the State, Tribal and Local monitoring organizations.