Air Quality Monitoring & Standards Flashcards
7 cards from real CES 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 Monitoring & Standards flashcards as text
Under the Clean Air Act Section 112, National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) regulate sources emitting:
Answer: Hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) listed under Section 112(b)
NESHAP regulations under CAA Section 112 control emissions of hazardous air pollutants listed under Section 112(b), currently comprising 187 specific toxic chemicals.
What does the term 'non-dispersive infrared (NDIR)' refer to in air quality monitoring?
Answer: A technique using infrared absorption to measure CO or CO2 concentrations
NDIR instruments measure gas concentrations (commonly CO and CO2) by detecting infrared light absorbed at wavelengths specific to the target gas without using a dispersive element like a prism.
A State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted to EPA for a nonattainment area must demonstrate:
Answer: Reasonable further progress toward attainment and an attainment demonstration
A SIP for a nonattainment area must include a reasonable further progress (RFP) plan showing incremental emission reductions and an attainment demonstration proving the area will reach the NAAQS by its deadline.
The secondary NAAQS for ozone is set at the same level as the primary standard. What is the basis for the secondary standard?
Answer: Protection of public welfare including crops, ecosystems, and materials
Secondary NAAQS are set to protect public welfare — including effects on vegetation, crops, forests, ecosystems, materials, and visibility — not directly for human health.
Which EPA program requires large industrial facilities to report annual air toxic emissions above certain thresholds to the Toxics Release Inventory?
Answer: Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) Section 313
EPCRA Section 313 requires facilities in specific industry sectors that manufacture, process, or otherwise use listed toxic chemicals above threshold quantities to annually report releases to EPA's TRI.
During a QA audit of a PM10 Federal Equivalent Method monitor, which parameter is MOST critical to verify?
Answer: Flow rate accuracy of the sampler pump
Flow rate accuracy is critical because PM10 samplers rely on a size-selective inlet designed to cut at 10 µm aerodynamic diameter at a specific volumetric flow rate (typically 1.13 m³/min for high-volume samplers).
In a metropolitan area with photochemical smog, ozone concentrations typically peak during:
Answer: Late afternoon on hot, sunny days
Ozone builds up throughout the day as sunlight drives photochemical reactions with NOx and VOC precursors, typically peaking in the mid-to-late afternoon when cumulative solar radiation is highest.