On Dec. 21, 2010, EPA published the final rule amending the
methods for measuring filterable PM10 and PM2.5 and condensable PM
emissions from certain stationary sources including fossil fuel
steam generators, electricity generating units, petroleum
refineries, municipal waste combustors, and coal preparation
plants, and others. The final rule is effective Jan. 1, 2011 and
applies to stationary sources that are required to control or
measure total particulate matter (PM), PM10 or PM2.5. The
measurement methods are included in 40 C.F.R. Part 51, Appendix
M.
In 1990, Congress amended the Clean Air Act (CAA) to require the
EPA to set National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) (40
C.F.R. Part 50) for pollutants considered harmful to public health
and the environment. The EPA set standards for PM10 and PM2.5 and
developed methods 201A and 202 in the early 1990's to measure
particulate matter emissions.
EPA considers this final rule to be an improvement to previous
methods of measuring filterable and condensable PM. The rule amends
Methods 201A and 202 to improve measurement of fine particulate
matter emissions. Here are the most significant changes:
Changes to Method 201A – Filterable PM10
- Adds PM2.5 measurement device to measure filterable PM2.5, filterable PM10 or both;
- Adds PM2.5 cyclone to create sampling train that collects particles with diameters less than or equal to 2.5 µm.
Changes to Method 202 – Condensable PM
- Revises the sample collection and recovery procedures to reduce potential for formation of reaction artifacts unrelated to the primary emission of condensable PM;
- Eliminates most of the hardware and analytical options to increase precision and consistency of the method;
- Replaces methylene chloride with hexane as the extraction solvent because of comments on the proposed rule regarding health risks.
The final rule was published in the Federal Register on Dec. 21,
2010, and is available here: http://origin.www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2010-12-21/pdf/2010-30847.pdf.
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