Performance Test Results and Comparative Data June 1983 For Designated Reference Methods For Carbon Monoxide

United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
r.
Environmental Monitoring Systerflf^ '
Laboratory J^nk
Research Triangle Park NC 27711 '
Research and Development
EPA-600/S4-83-013 June 1983
&ER& Project Summary
Performance Test Results and
Comparative Data for Designated
Reference Methods for
Carbon Monoxide
R. M. Michie, Jr., F. F. McElroy, J. A Sokash, V. L Thompson, D. P. Dayton,
and C R Sutcliffe
This report summarizes the results
of postdesignation testing (both labo-
ratory and field) conducted on eight
commercially available and one com-
mercially unavailable ambient carbon
monoxide analyzers to characterize
their performance, reliability, and oper-
ational peculiarities.
This Project Summary was developed
by EPA's Environmental Monitoring
Systems Laboratory, Research Triangle
Park. NC, to announce key findings of
the research project that is fully doc-
umented in a separate report of the
same title (see Project Report ordering
information at back).

Introduction
Under Part 53 of Title 40 of the Code of
Federal Regulations (40 CFR Part 53), the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) designates specific procedures or
analyzers as reference or equivalent meth-
ods for the monitoring of ambient air
pollutants. The methods are then accept-
able for use in National Air Monitoring
Stations (IMAMS), State and Local Air
Monitoring Stations (SLAMS), and Pre-
vention of Significant Deterioration (PSD)
monitoring. The Methods Standardization
Branch (MSB) of the Environmental Moni-
toring Systems Laboratory (EMSL) at Re-
search Triangle Park, NC, is responsible
for EPA's reference and equivalent meth-
od designation program. In this capacity,
MSB has acquired performance data and
other information on these methods, pri-
marily by testing commercially available
analyzer models.
To summarize these data and make
them available to those who may find them
beneficial in selecting analyzers, MSB,
with the assistance of the Research Tri-
angle Institute, prepared this report on
designated methods for carbon monoxide.

Types of Tests Conducted
Two principal types of postdesignation
tests were conducted by MSB. Phase I
tests were laboratory tests similar to the
predesignation tests required by 40 CFR
Part 53. Phase II tests simulated actual
use conditions and compared simulta-
neously operating analyzers. Results from
these post designation tests provide most
of the data in this report.

Analyzers Tested
The report is intended to cover all cur-
rently designated reference and equivalent
methods for CO. However, as of this
writing, the tests have not been completed
for all analyzers. Table! lists the designa-
ted CO analyzers, their detection principles,
the tests that have been carried out and
the dates of the tests. Please note that
nondispersive infrared spectroscopy and
gas filter correlation spectroscopy as
used in these analyzers are so closely
allied that they are considered to be the
same principle of measurement. Thus, all
of the analyzers discussed in this report
are designated as reference methods for
carbon monoxide.

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Table 1.    CO Analyzers Tested and Test Dates
Manufacturer
Beckman
Bendix
Dasibi
Horiba

Horiba
MASS-CO

Monitor Labs
MSA
Thermo Electron
Model
866
8501-5CA
3003
APMA300E/
300SE
AQM-10
Model 1

8310
202S
48
Detection
principle
NDIR
NDIR
GFC
NDIR

NDIR
NDIR

NDIR
NDIR
GFC
Phase 1 Tests
Nov. 1977
Jan. 1981
June 1982
June 1982

Jan.-Oct 1981
Postdesignation testing not
anticipated
Jan. 1981
Nov. 1977
June 1982
Phase II tests
May • Sept 1980
May • Sept. 1980
Not yet performed
Not yet performed

May - Sept 1980


May - Sept 1980
May • Sept 1980
Not yet performed
NDIR= Nondispersive infrared spectroscopy.
GFC = Gas filter correlation spectroscopy.
Phase  I  Test  Description  and
Results
  Phase  I  laboratory  performance tests
were conducted in accordance with  the
same procedures  and specifications re-
quired  for the applicant's predesignation
tests, with the exception that fewer trials
(usually four) were performed for each test
parameter.   All calibrations, apparatus,
pollutant standards, test procedures, test
atmospheres, and test documentation were
as specified in40 CFR  Part 53. (Individual
reports containing  more detailed informa-
tion on the  Phase I  tests for each analyzer
are available from MSB.)
  Analyzers undergoing Phase I tests were
allowed to operate  for  several weeks prior
to actual  testing.   During  this startup
period, preliminary  calibration and linearity
checks were  performed.  If  a  failure oc-
curred  during testing, the manufacturer
was notified and given the opportunity to
correct the failure. At the conclusion of the
test, all failures and manufacturer involve-
ment were included in routine documenta-
tion.
  Phase I tests included characterization
of output signal noise level, lower detec-
table limit interference equivalents, 12-h
and  24-h zero drifts,  span drift at  20
percent and at 80 percent of full scale, lag
time, rise time, fall time and  precision.
Results are reported in Table 2. The total
interferent equivalent, zero drift, and span
drift data reported are averages of absolute
values; all other values represent the arith-
metic averages of several repetitions.
  Phase I results indicated that all carbon
monoxide analyzers tested met or exceeded
the performance specifications.

Phase  II Test  Description and
Results
  The  Phase  II test was intended to test
the analyzers in a more or less typical
ambient monitoring configuration where
each analyzer's stability, reliability, gen-
eral performance, and operational peculi-
arities could be observed and compared
with other analyzers.  The test was con-
ducted simultaneously on a group of five
carbon monoxide analyzers over a period
of 4 months. All analyzers measured am-
bient air sampled from a common mani-
fold.  The ambient pollutant concentra-
tions were sometimes augmented -with
artificially generated pollutant to increase
the concentration readings.
  All test analyzers were installed, calibra-
ted,  operated, and maintained  in  strict
accordance with  the  manufacturer's in-
struction  manual and good  monitoring
practice. Analyzers received a multipoint
calibration initially and once per month
during the test period.   Zero and  span
checks were made two or three times per
week Zero adjustments were made only if
the zero  response was  not within ±3
percent of full-scale response from nomin-
al; span adjustments were made only if the
span (slope of the calibration curve) changed
by more than ±7 percent from nominal.
For this test, data were acquired using a
Monitor Labs 9300 Datalogger data acqui-
sition system.  The acquired data  were
transferred via magnetic tape to a Hewlett-
Packard 98 31A Desk Top Computer where
they were reduced into a useful form.
  Phase II results indicated that most of
the carbon monoxide analyzers tested are
stable and reliable. The comparative data
presented in Table 3 indicate consistently
high correlation coefficients of 0.99-1.00,
mean differences of <0.5 ppm, and stan-
dard  deviations of differences of <0.5
ppm. Similarly, Table 4 indicates low zero
and span drift
Table 2.    Phase I Postdesignation Test Results—Designated Carbon Monoxide Analyzers
Performance
parameters
Noise-0%URL
Noise-80% URL
Lower detectable limit
Interferents
C02
H20
Total interferents
Zero drift-12 h
Zero drift-24 h
Span drift-20% URL
Span drift-80% URL
Lag time
Rise time
Fall time
Precision-20% URL
Precision-80% URL
EPA
specifications
0.50 ppm
0.50 ppm
1.0 ppm

1 1 0 DDID
±1.0 ppm
<1.5 ppm
±1.0 ppm
±1.0 ppm
±10.0% '
±2.5%
10 min
5 min
5 min
0.5 ppm
0.5 ppm
Beckman
0.037
0.059
1.00

0.100
-0. 138
0.238
0.615
0.082
1.33
0.87
0.2
0.3
0.6
0.067
0.059
Bendix
0.042
0.073
1.03

0.000
0.215
0.238
0.406
0.400
2.79
0.38
0.5
1.0
0.8
0.032
0.108
Dasibi
0.107
0.158
1.05

-0.420
0.060
0.490
NC
NC
NC
NC
NC
NC
NC
NC
NC
Horiba
APMA300E
0.031
0.061
0.76

-0.040
0.080
0.140
0.200
0.050
0.91
0.70
<0.2
0.6
0.9
0.044
0.035
Horiba
AQM-10
0.043
0.098
0.62

-0.225
-0.425
0.648
0.199
0.249
1.54
0.67
0.3
0.2
0.3
0.046
0.040
Monitor
MASS-CO Labs
0.016
0.055
1.00

-0.013
-0.228
NO 0-240
TESTING 0.300
ANTICIPATED 0.330
2.34
0.82
0.3
0.7
0.5
0.022
0.104
MSA
0.049
0.061
1.05

0.113
0.200
0.313
0.503
0.252
2.40
0.86
0.4
0.6
0.5
0.055
0.038
Thermo
Electron
0.027
0.053
1.02

0.200
-0.040
0.240
0.112
0.044
0.86
0.69
<0.2
0.8
1.0
0.039
0.031
 URL = Upper range limit
 NC = Not completed.

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Table 3. Summary of Phase II Postdesignation Test Results for Designated Carbon Monoxide
Analyzers When Compared to the Average of the Other Four Analyzers
Statistics
Beckman Bendix
Horiba Monitor Labs MSA
Correlation coefficient
Mean difference, ppm
Standard deviation of
differences, ppm
Number of absolute
differences > 2.0
0.99
-0.10
0.46

1.00
0.15
0.30

1.00
-0.39
0.43

1.00
-0.18
0.34

0.99
0.44
0.49

Table 4. Phase II Postdesignation Test Results for Drift

Statistics Beckman Bendix Horiba Monitor Labs MSA
Standard deviation of
zero drift (ppm)

Standard deviation of
span drift (%)
0.4

2.4
0.3

2.0
0.3

1.7
0.2

1.4
0.4

1.2
Raymond M. Michie, Jr., and John A. Sokash are with the Research Triangle
Institute, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709; Dave-Paul Dayton and Carol
Sutcliffe are presently with TRW Environmental Engineering, Inc., Research
Triangle Park, NC 27709 and Los Alamos National Laboratories, Los Alamos,
NM, respectively.
Frank F. McElroy and Vinson L. Thompson are the EPA Project Officers (see
below).
The complete report, entitled "Performance Test Results and Comparative Data
for Designated Reference Methods for Carbon Monoxide." (Order No. PB 83-
196 808; Cost: $11.50, subject to change) will be available only from:
National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA22161
Telephone: 703-487-4650
The EPA Project Officers can be contacted at:
Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711

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