NIST Joins the National Particulate Matter Research Program: The EPA/NIST Interagency Agreement

R.M. Verkouteren (837), G.A. Klouda (837), R.A. Fletcher (837), J.A. Small (837), J.R. Sieber (839), R.L. Zeisler (839), S.A. Wise (839), J.M. Ondov (U. Maryland)

Objective: To identify and provide fundamental chemical metrology and dissemination mechanisms [e.g., Standard Reference Materials (SRMs)] that are needed immediately by the measurement communities involved in the National Particulate Matter Research Program.

Problem: The 1997 revisions to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), which were designed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to protect the public health, resulted in a substantial increase in attention to particulate matter (PM) research. This led to a memorandum - Implementation Plan for Revised Air Quality Standards for Ozone and Particulate Matter - from President Clinton to Carol Browner (7/16/97) that included the statement "The EPA, in partnership with other Federal agencies, will develop a greatly expanded coordinated interagency PM research program. The program will contribute to expanding the science associated with particulate matter health effects, as well as developing improved monitoring methods and cost-effective mitigation strategies." PM is a mix of coarse and fine particles in the air, and is the only recognized air pollutant that is not a specific chemical. This presents metrological challenges to NIST in defining and certifying PM components in representative materials. While some PM SRMs exist, none are truly representative of aerosols in typical modern human environments. This gap compromises the quality of PM measurements and undermines the effectiveness of the NAAQS. The stakes to U.S. industries and taxpayers are high - estimates of annual costs to benefits are $6 billion to $58-$119 billion, respectively, for partial NAAQS attainment.

Approach: During FY00, seven groups within two CSTL Divisions and the University of Maryland developed coordinated proposals that addressed immediate chemical metrology issues within the mutual scopes of the National PM Research Program and the CSTL Program for Environmental Measurements. The proposals were directed towards high-priority research topics identified by the National Research Council as crucial for addressing policy-relevant scientific uncertainties. The NIST proposals were appraised and refined by EPA and the Clean Air Science Advisory Committee (CASAC), a group of outside consultants from U.S. Industry and other organizations that provide review of the EPA's PM Program.

Results and Future Plans: The following proposals were accepted into an interagency agreement (IAG) between EPA and NIST: 1) the development of an urban PM-on-filter reference material for carbonaceous species; 2) the development of methods and metrology needed to provide PM calibration materials for organic and elemental carbon analysis; 3) the development of a special thin-film glass standard for X-ray fluorescence analysis; 4) the development of technology for large scale collection of air particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter (for subsequent SRM development); and 5) the development of a modern bulk urban dust material (and soluble extracts) with reference values for selected organic constituents. The IAG was made effective on August 28, 2000 and will be completed on September 30, 2002. The enabling NIST role in the National PM Research Program is recognized as crucial to its success, since PM metrology and quality assurance materials will enable the highest possible traceability to primary standards. The benefits to U.S. industry will be realized through the sound scientific basis of future NAAQS on PM.

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