ABSTRACT
The purpose of this paper is to present the state-of-the-art of source sampling for regulated air pollutants from stationary sources. Based on the committee’s experience and their joint agreement, the current state-of-the-art for measuring regulated air pollutants from Stationary Sources was determined to be the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (U.S. EPA) Reference Test Methods. The major reason for this agreement is the significant effort that has been expended to ensure that these are the most suitable test methods and that they are kept current with the latest sampling technology. Some key aspects of the Reference Method (RM) system include:
RMs are developed for and validated at concentrations representative of well-controlled source emission levels.
All RMs are subjected to rulemaking procedures which include public comment.
The RM system allows for method modification as the technology changes and as improvements are developed.
Many of the RMs have active performance audit programs which are sponsored by the Federal Government.
A Quality Assurance Handbook has been developed and is updated for many of the RMs (1).
The U.S. EPA headquarters personnel can respond to technical questions and problems regarding the RMs.
There are numerous training courses, workshops, and technical publications available concerning various aspects of the RMs (2).
The RMs use commercially available equipment and/or components and provide detailed construction specifications.
