NIST JOINS THE NATIONAL PARTICULATE MATTER RESEARCH PROGRAM.

With the signing of a recent agreement, NIST has joined an interagency effort led by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)--the National Particulate Matter Research Program--aimed at improving the nation's air quality and public health. NIST will develop and provide the fundamental chemical measurements and standard reference materials that will serve as the basis for improved monitoring of air quality by government and industry.

Particulate matter is a mix of coarse and fine particles in the air produced by natural processes as well as human activities. About 10 to 100 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair, fine particulate matter can consist of dust, ashes, soot and sea salt aerosols. The challenge is to identify and measure accurately the chemical components--specifically, the toxic ones--and collect enough particulate to constitute a representative sample. Under the 2 year agreement with the EPA, NIST and its partners will develop urban particulate matter reference materials, a special thin-film glass standard for x-ray fluorescence analysis and technology for large-scale collection of fine airborne particulate matter. This work will enable the accurate measurement of emissions from various pollutant sources such as industrial plants and vehicles.