Division of Air Quality -- Ambient Monitoring --

1. Division of Air Quality-- Ambient Monitoring -- EMC Member Continuing Education Session Donnie Redmond Section Chief March 7, 2012

2. Topics to be Covered • Ambient Monitoring • Why do we do it? • Who determines how many to operate? • How do we decide where to put them? • What do monitors look like? (Pictures!) • Improvements and Challenges

3. Toxics monitoring • The Division does some Toxics monitoring • That’s another group • You’ll see them another time

4. Ambient Monitoring: Why? • EPA requirements • Highest concentrations • Population exposure • Background • Research • Public health effects re pollutant levels • To better understand control strategies • Public interest

5. Ambient Monitoring: What? • EPA regulations lay out minimum requirements • Number of monitors • Where to locate them • How long to operate them • Different rules for each pollutant • Same standards apply across the nation

6. Example: Ozone requirements • Any metro area (MSA) with 350,000 people • Must have at least one ozone monitor • If >85% of the standard, must have two • Any MSA with at least 50,000 people • Must have a monitor if >85% of standard • At least one monitor in each area must be for maximum concentration

7. Ozone monitoring req’ts (cont.) • Nine NC metro areas have >350,000 people • Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Asheville, Hickory, Fayetteville, Wilmington • Each must have at least one monitor • Second monitor required if near ozone standard • Five other MSAs with <350,000 people • Greenville, Rocky Mount, Jacksonville, Goldsboro, Burlington • One monitor required if >85% of standard • 85% of the standard (75ppb) is ~64 ppb

8. Ozone monitoring req’ts (cont.) • Other considerations • Additional monitors may help reduce the size of a nonattainment area • How do you know if you’re >85% if you don’t have a monitor?! • Number of required ozone monitors can add up quickly!

9. Example: Fine particles (PM2.5) • Population and concentration standards • 2 or 3 monitors if >1 million people • 1 or 2 monitors if >0.5 million people • 0 or 1 monitor if > 50,000 people • At least one monitor must be in population-oriented area of expected maximum concentration • Co-located continuous monitors also required • At least one site for background • Another for regional transport • Speciation monitors also required

10. Fine particles (PM2.5) • Federal Reference Method or “FRM” • Traditionally/historically, this is the monitor to determine attainment or not • 24-hour sample, usually every 3 days • Filters returned to lab for analysis • Results are not known for weeks or months • Continuous monitors (new technology) • 1-hour samples, runs continuously • Results available immediately on website

11. Other pollutants • NO2 • Population and traffic volume • SO2 • Population and emissions weighted index • Lead • Emissions-based • CO • No population-based requirements • Additional background monitors in support of PSD permitting

12. Ambient Monitoring: Where? http://ncair.org/monitor/data/monitorsites2011.pdf

13. Ambient Monitoring: Who? • Statewide network • Regional office staff operates the monitors • Electronics calibration/repair shop in Raleigh • Two labs in Raleigh • Central office does QA, SOPs, and reporting • Local programs • Mecklenburg, Forsyth, Western NC • Cherokee tribe

14. Ambient Monitoring: • http://xapps.enr.state.nc.us/aq/ambient/AmbtPollutant.jsp

15. Particulate monitor at Spruce Pine

16. Particulate at Goldsboro

17. Ozone at Mocksville

18. Whole bunch of ‘em at Raleigh

19. Gaseous monitors

20. Continuous particulate monitor

21. Hydrocarbon sampler

22. SO2 at Bayview (my favorite!)

23. Ozone at Purchase Knob

24. Site Characteristics • Must meet EPA requirements, including • Distance from trees, buildings, roads • Nearby emissions sources • Prevailing wind direction • Height of sample probe above ground • Other considerations • Safety of technicians (traffic, terrain) • Access to power and phone • Cost to use site (free is good!) • Co-located with other instruments

25. Miscellaneous Notes • Not all monitors run all the time • Some are seasonal, some year-round • Some continuous, some every six days • Some operate every third year • Meteorological sites • Pollen monitor • Not required, but people like the daily tweet • Network plan public review every June

26. Quality Assurance requirements • Chemists/statisticians review, validate, and report all the data • Calibrations • Power failures • “Exceptional events”, i.e., fires • Monitor performance issues • Temperature, humidity, leaks • Insects • Completeness

27. Challenges • It’s expensive! • Every pollutant uses different box • Must undergo EPA certification • Each box typically costs $10k-20k • Special materials that don’t react with sample • Stuff breaks, need inventory of parts and spares • Field operations, travel, phone, utilities, critters • Ever changing EPA requirements • Standards getting closer to background levels • Accuracy becomes more important

28. Improvements • Reviewing long-time way of doing things • Automating some functions, revising others • Public demand for instant accurate info • Looking into wireless web-based polling • Newer technology analyzers • Less manpower intensive • Cooperative agreements with other agencies

29. Questions? Donnie Redmond Ambient Monitoring Section Chief 919-707-8468 donnie.redmond@ncdenr.gov References • 40 CFR Part 58, Appendix D • http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2010/julqtr/pdf/40cfr58AppD.pdf • DAQ website • http://www.ncair.org/