Gas Samples Used to Verify Air Monitors Often Inaccurate, Inspector General Finds

摘要

The Environmental Protection Agency needs to take additional steps to ensure the content of gas samples used by air emissions sources to calibrate their monitors is accurate, according to an Inspector General report released Sept. 17.rnThe report, EPA Needs an Oversight Program for Protocol Gases, evaluated the accuracy of the content of gas samples used by emissions sources to verify the accuracy of their air quality monitoring programs, finding 11 percent were not accurate to the percentages required by EPA.rnEmissions sources such as power plants are required to purchase cylinders of the protocol gases containing known quantities of pollutants such as carbon dioxide, nitric oxide, and sulfur dioxide from outside vendors when evaluating the accuracy of their continuous emissions monitoring systems and ambient air monitoring systems.