Guidelines for air sampling and analytical method development and evaluation (May 1995). Technical report

Guidelines were presented for the development and evaluation of sampling and analytical methods for airborne contaminants. Steps included selection of compounds for method development and evaluation, development of the sampling and analytical method, evaluation of the method, preparation of a written version of the method, and preparation of a technical report on the development and evaluation. During method development the analyte was identified, a literature search was performed to determine measurement and evaluation concentration ranges, physical and chemical properties, information about the use of the analyte and method availability. During method evaluation, several steps were performed including the recovery of the analyte from the medium, stability of analyte on the sampling medium, stability of the sampling medium itself, sample generation, capacity of the sampler, sampling and analysis evaluation, pressure drop across the sampler, sample stability, precision, bias, and accuracy. In the documentation stage the final report was developed and the format for presenting the analytical method defined.