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PERFORMANCE AUDITING OF A HUMAN AIR POLLUTION EXPOSURE SYSTEM FOR PM2.5
Citation:
Ray, B M. PERFORMANCE AUDITING OF A HUMAN AIR POLLUTION EXPOSURE SYSTEM FOR PM2.5. Presented at Air & Waste Management Assoc-96th Annual Conf, San Diego, CA, June 22-26,2003.
Description:
Databases derived from human health effects research play a vital role in setting environmental standards. An underlying assumption in using these databases for standard setting purposes is that they are of adequate quality. The performance auditing program described in this manuscript provides novel methods for determining data quality for one form of human health effects research, human exposure to PM2.5. PM2.5 is defined as particulate matter (PM) particles in the ambient air having aerodynamic diameters less than or equal to a nominal 2.5 m measured by a reference method specified by EPA or measured by methods designated by EPA to be equivalent to the reference method (U.S. EPA, 1997). This paper presents the development and implementation of a performance auditing program for a particulate matter concentrator exposure system used by EPA researchers to expose human volunteers to PM2.5 air pollution. Audit procedures for determining the accuracy of critical operating parameters of the system are described. The results of audits of the system's ability to measure temperature, humidity, and PM2.5 concentration and distribution within the exposure chamber are listed. The utility of the performance auditing program in assisting health effects researchers to determine the adequacy of databases obtained from the PM2.5 concentrator exposure system in meeting their research requirements is discussed.