Attachment_-_SOW.pdf

STATEMENT OF WORK

IMPROVE Carbon Analysis

The purpose of this contract is to assist the National Park Service (NPS) in all tasks related to carbon analysis from module C filters from the IMPROVE network. The awardee shall complete the work as required:

(1) Purchase, pre-fire and ship all module C filters to the IMPROVE Operations Contractor

(2) Analyze all exposed fine (PM2.5) module C filters for carbon concentrations

(3) Report results to the IMPROVE Operations Contractor

(4) Conduct an internal quality assurance program.

The awardee shall use established protocols for analyzing module C IMPROVE filters, based on existing SOPs

(http://vista.cira.colostate.edu/Improve/carbon-analysis/). At the direction of the COR, the contractor will ensure that all pertinent information developed for routine operations are available to other organizations as needed.

As part of this effort, the awardee shall work closely with the IMPROVE Operations Contractor, the

University of California, Davis. The IMPROVE Operations Contractor is responsible for receipt of the pre-fired quartz filters from the awardee of this contract, shipment of exposed, blank and quality assurance C-module filters to the awardee of this contract for analysis, and incorporation of the carbon data into the

IMPROVE dataset.

Scope of Work. Purchase and Pre-Firing and Carbon Analysis of IMPROVE Quartz Filters

This contract is for the purchase and pre-firing of 14,000 filters and carbon analysis of 11,600 filters. All filters will be analyzed for organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC). In the Offeror’s cost proposal, costs should be broken down on a cost per filter basis and separated into (1) Filter purchase, pre-firing and shipment; and (2) Carbon Analysis.

Filter Purchase, Pre-firing, and Shipment

The awardee of this contract will be responsible for purchasing and pre-firing quartz filters and shipping the filters to the IMPROVE Operations Contractor. The filters to be used are Pallflex (Putnam, CT) 25 millimeter

(mm) diameter quartz-fiber (#2500QAT-UP), or equivalent. Equivalent filters must be made of quartz, be 25 mm in diameter, have an effective filtration area of >95 cm², and have an air flow rate of 73±3 L/min/cm².

This task includes acceptance testing. Pre-firing shall be done in accordance with the existing SOP:

http://vista.cira.colostate.edu/Improve/carbon-analysis/. After pre-firing, filters are placed in Ziplock bags, in foil-lined boxes, and stored in the refrigerator prior to disbursement to the IMPROVE Operations Contractor.

The awardee of this contract shall ship the pre-fired filters to the IMPROVE Operations Contractor. The pre-firing/shipping will be done at a rate sufficient to supply all IMPROVE samplers with the necessary filters; this equates to approximately 1750 filters per month, which includes QA filters. The IMPROVE Operations

Contractor will prepare filter cassettes with the quartz filters, ship filters to the field, receive the sampled filters from the field, and ship the sampled filters back to the Carbon Analysis Contractor for analysis on a monthly basis. These shipments will include field blanks, and quality assurance filters in addition to the field samples.

The Carbon Analysis Contractor shall identify each sample using a unique code, established in collaboration with the IMPROVE Operations Contractor. Each batch of exposed filters shall be analyzed within sixty (60) calendar days from the receipt of each batch. The contractor shall remove a portion of the sample for analysis and store the remainder of each sample for possible re-analysis.

http://vista.cira.colostate.edu/Improve/carbon-analysis/ http://vista.cira.colostate.edu/Improve/carbon-analysis/

Carbon Analysis

The contractor will analyze the quartz filters for organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) using the DRI

Model 2015 multi-wavelength carbon analyzer (Chow et al., 2015), or an equivalent method. Carbon analysis must follow the procedures specified by the established SOP: http://vista.cira.colostate.edu/Improve/carbon-analysis/. Using the current SOP, only a portion of the filter is analyzed, yielding minimum detection limits

(MDLs) of 0.41 µg cm-2 for OC; 0.11 µg cm-2 for EC, and 0.42 µg cm-2 for Total carbon (TC).

Carbon analyses shall include field samples, laboratory blanks, field blanks, and quality assurance filters. In addition to Carbon Analysis, the contractor shall:

• Characterize the sensitivity, accuracy, and precision of the analytical techniques;

• Perform replicate analyses on the network filters at a rate sufficient to establish measurement precision;

• Routinely analyze laboratory and field blanks.

The contractor shall follow strict quality assurance protocols consistent with the IMPROVE Quality Assurance

Project Plan (QAPP: http://vista.cira.colostate.edu/improve/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMPROVE-QAPP-

Signed_3_2016_updated.pdf). As part of quality assurance efforts, the contractor shall:

• Test new filters for filtration characteristics and analytic suitability;

• Ensure that written procedures and protocols are followed;

• Certify that the reported data have been collected using the established criteria for accuracy and precision;

• Perform reanalysis of stored samples to assess temporal stability;

• Maintain records on system calibration and comparison to standards, and document all routine procedures and changes to the procedures; and

• Assist the IMPROVE Operations Contactor in determining analytical uncertainties.

There will be an initial batch of filters ready for analysis and the remaining filter analysis is to be completed on an ongoing basis as the filters are received in conjunction with the scheduled delivery by the IMPROVE

Operations Contractor.

Data Reduction and Reporting

The contractor shall determine masses for OC and EC, separated into subgroups based on the SOPs. The contractor is also expected to determine accuracy and precision of the analysis procedures. The contractor shall submit the results of the analyses for the samples in each batch within sixty (60) calendar days of the receipt of the filters. Reduced data shall be submitted to the IMPROVE Operations Contractor. The results shall include the sample identification code and carbon masses in micrograms. The contractor shall include relevant quality assurance data, including comparisons to standards and results of re-analysis. The IMPROVE

Operations Contractor is responsible for determining uncertainties and calculating ambient concentrations.

Steering Committee Meetings

The contractor shall attend and provide technical and scientific progress reports at the IMPROVE Steering

Committee Meeting, held at least once annually.

Period of Performance (POP)

All work shall be completed within 240 calendar days from notice of award.

http://vista.cira.colostate.edu/Improve/carbon-analysis/ http://vista.cira.colostate.edu/Improve/carbon-analysis/ http://vista.cira.colostate.edu/improve/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMPROVE-QAPP-Signed_3_2016_updated.pdf http://vista.cira.colostate.edu/improve/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMPROVE-QAPP-Signed_3_2016_updated.pdf