Air Quality Management & Monitoring Flashcards
7 cards from real CEM practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Air Quality Management & Monitoring flashcards as text
Which measurement approach is used in the EPA Federal Reference Method (FRM) for ambient PM2.5 monitoring?
Answer: Gravimetric filter-based sampling
The EPA FRM for PM2.5 uses gravimetric filter-based samplers that physically collect particles on a pre-weighed filter, which is then re-weighed to determine mass concentration.
Which EPA-approved method is primarily used to measure total particulate matter (filterable) emissions from a stationary source stack?
Answer: EPA Method 5 (particulate matter)
EPA Method 5 is the reference method for determining total particulate matter emissions from stationary sources by isokinetic sampling and gravimetric analysis.
Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (CEMS) are most commonly required for facilities subject to which Clean Air Act program?
Answer: Acid Rain Program (Title IV) and other major source requirements
CEMS are mandated for major sources under programs such as the Acid Rain Program (Title IV) and certain Title V requirements to provide continuous, real-time emission data.
Which EPA-preferred regulatory dispersion model is used to estimate ground-level pollutant concentrations from stationary sources?
Answer: AERMOD
AERMOD is the EPA's preferred steady-state atmospheric dispersion model for regulatory air quality impact assessments from stationary sources, incorporating modern planetary boundary layer concepts.
The 'bubble concept' in air quality regulation allows a facility to:
Answer: Average emissions across multiple emission points within a facility to meet an overall emission limit
The bubble concept treats all emission units at a facility as if they were enclosed in a single 'bubble,' allowing emissions trading among units as long as the total facility emissions meet the aggregate limit.
What does 'opacity' measure in the context of visible emission monitoring?
Answer: The degree to which particulate emissions block the transmission of light
Opacity is a measure of how much emitted smoke or particulate matter reduces the transmission of light, serving as a surrogate indicator of particulate emission density under EPA Method 9.
Under EPCRA Section 313, facilities must submit a Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) report detailing:
Answer: Annual releases and off-site transfers of listed toxic chemicals above threshold quantities
EPCRA Section 313 requires covered facilities to annually report to EPA and states the quantities of listed toxic chemicals released to air, water, and land, and transferred off-site, above applicable reporting thresholds.