Quality Management Documents for CARB

Welcome to your resource for exploring approved quality management documents for CARB’s Primary Quality Assurance Organization (PQAO), specifically for the monitoring organization: CARB. These documents are utilized to ensure effective air quality monitoring practices.

Quality management documents, or related addendums, for CARB include program guidance documents, such as the Quality Management Plan (QMP), Quality Assurance Program/Project Plans (QAPP), Roles and Responsibilities Agreements (R&R), and Training Plans. Other quality management documents, or related addendums, may include a variety of more detailed guidance documents, such as Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for Data Quality Management, Gaseous Pollutants, Particulate Matter (PM) Pollutants, and Meteorological Parameters.

To support these efforts, CARB has developed a comprehensive Quality Assurance Manual, organized into six volumes that collectively describe the structure and implementation of CARB's Quality Assurance Program:

Volume I - QMP: Includes the QAPPs for both the PM pollutant air monitoring program and the gaseous pollutant air monitoring program.
Volume II - SOPs for Ambient Air Monitoring: Provides standardized procedures for field monitoring activities.
Volume III - Laboratory SOPs: Details protocols for laboratory analysis.
Volume IV - Monitoring Methods for State Ambient Air Quality Standards: Outlines approved methods for measuring air pollutants in accordance with State standards.
Volume V - Audit Procedures for Air Quality Monitoring: Describes the procedures for conducting audits of air quality monitoring systems.
Volume VI - SOPs for Stationary Sources Emission Monitoring and Testing: Covers procedures for monitoring and testing emissions from stationary sources.

Approved quality management documents* within CARB's PQAO are shown based on their origin:

CARB: Developed and approved by CARB.
EPA: Developed and approved by U.S. EPA.
MO: Developed by a monitoring organization within CARB's PQAO and approved by CARB.
--: Not applicable.

*Quality management documents not linked below are available upon request by contacting qa@arb.ca.gov.

**The date of the document reflects when the document was approved by CARB, or U.S. EPA, as applicable.

Program Guidance Documents
Type	Document	Date**
R&R	CARB - Roles and Responsibilities Agreement	8-6-2016
Training Plan	CARB - Air Monitoring Field Training Program for Station Operators and Calibration Staff, First Edition	10-4-2019
Program Guidance Materials and Forms
Type	Document	Date**
Form	CARB - SOP Review Checklist	01/2023
Form	CARB - Corrective Action Notification Form	11/2020
Form	CARB - Quality Management Document Addendum Form	03/26
Form	EPA - QAPP Review Checklist	2-20-2025
SOP	CARB - Corrective Action Notification, Revision 5	11-20-2020

Volume I: QMP & QAPPs
Type	Document	Date**
QMP	CARB - Quality Assurance Manual, Volume I, Quality Management Plan for Ambient Air Monitoring, Revision 2.0	3-30-2026
QAPP	CARB - Gaseous Pollutant Air Monitoring Program, Revision #0	9-25-2018
QAPP	CARB - Particulate Matter Pollutant Air Monitoring Program, Revision #0	9-16-2020

Volume II: SOPs for Ambient Air Monitoring
SOPs for Data Quality Management
CARB provides standard procedures for maintaining and operating air monitoring stations and detailed instructions for acceptance testing, maintaining, troubleshooting, and calibrating specific analyzers or support equipment. For a list of all SOPs related to Ambient Air Monitoring, please visit the Standard Operating Procedures for Ambient Air Monitoring webpage.
SOPs for Gaseous Criteria Pollutants
CARB provides standard procedures for maintaining and operating air monitoring stations and detailed instructions for acceptance testing, maintaining, troubleshooting, and calibrating specific analyzers or support equipment. For a list of all SOPs related to Ambient Air Monitoring, please visit the Standard Operating Procedures for Ambient Air Monitoring webpage.
SOPs for Gaseous Trace Level Pollutants
CARB provides standard procedures for maintaining and operating air monitoring stations and detailed instructions for acceptance testing, maintaining, troubleshooting, and calibrating specific analyzers or support equipment. For a list of all SOPs related to Ambient Air Monitoring, please visit the Standard Operating Procedures for Ambient Air Monitoring webpage.
SOPs for Particulate Matter Pollutants
CARB provides standard procedures for maintaining and operating air monitoring stations and detailed instructions for acceptance testing, maintaining, troubleshooting, and calibrating specific analyzers or support equipment. For a list of all SOPs related to Ambient Air Monitoring, please visit the Standard Operating Procedures for Ambient Air Monitoring webpage.
SOPs for Meteorological Parameters
CARB provides standard procedures for maintaining and operating air monitoring stations and detailed instructions for acceptance testing, maintaining, troubleshooting, and calibrating specific analyzers or support equipment. For a list of all SOPs related to Ambient Air Monitoring, please visit the Standard Operating Procedures for Ambient Air Monitoring webpage.
SOPs for Calibration
CARB provides standard procedures for maintaining and operating air monitoring stations and detailed instructions for acceptance testing, maintaining, troubleshooting, and calibrating specific analyzers or support equipment. For a list of all SOPs related to Ambient Air Monitoring, please visit the Standard Operating Procedures for Ambient Air Monitoring webpage.
SOPs for Ambient Air Toxics
CARB provides standard procedures for maintaining and operating air monitoring stations and detailed instructions for acceptance testing, maintaining, troubleshooting, and calibrating specific analyzers or support equipment. For a list of all SOPs related to Ambient Air Monitoring, please visit the Standard Operating Procedures for Ambient Air Monitoring webpage.

Volume III: Laboratory SOPs
Laboratory Analysis Branch
CARB’s Laboratory Analysis Branch is responsible for providing analytical support for various regulatory programs, including CARB’s PQAO. LAB conducts measurements and analyzes data for air quality and consumer products. They utilize state-of-the-art laboratory equipment and follow SOPs to ensure accurate and reliable results. These SOPs provide detailed instructions that implement the guidance of the Laboratory Quality Control Manual. Each SOP corresponds to a method used by CARB to analyze ambient air samples or consumer products. For a list of all SOPs related to the LAB, please visit the Laboratory Standard Operating Procedures webpage.
Standards Laboratory
In support of California’s ambient air monitoring program, CARB operates and maintains a Standards Laboratory to provide authoritative standards for determining whether data meets established data quality objectives. The Standards Laboratory provides metrological certification and verification services for equipment used to perform required quality assurance activities, such as calibrations, checks, and audits. The equipment evaluated includes ozone transfer standards, flow‑measuring devices (such as orifices, mass flow meters, and mass flow controllers), and meteorological sensors (including wind speed, temperature, pressure, and relative humidity). For a list of all SOPs related to the Standards Laboratory, please visit the Standards Laboratory webpage.

Volume IV: Monitoring Methods for State Ambient Air Quality Standards
CARB provides a list of methods (known as the California Approved Sampler (CAS) List) used to measure air pollutants in ambient air for determining compliance with the California Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS). CAAQS define the State’s health protective air quality goals. Together with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) that establish the federal limits for criteria pollutants, these standards guide how air quality records are evaluated and how progress toward attainment is measured. For a list of methods, please visit the Monitoring Methods for the State Ambient Air Quality Standards webpage.

Volume IV: Monitoring Methods for State Ambient Air Quality Standards

CARB provides a list of methods (known as the California Approved Sampler (CAS) List) used to measure air pollutants in ambient air for determining compliance with the California Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS). CAAQS define the State’s health protective air quality goals. Together with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) that establish the federal limits for criteria pollutants, these standards guide how air quality records are evaluated and how progress toward attainment is measured.

For a list of methods, please visit the Monitoring Methods for the State Ambient Air Quality Standards webpage.

Volume V: Audit Procedures for Air Quality Monitoring
Audit Procedures for Air Quality Monitoring define the responsibilities for conducting system and performance audits and establish standardized procedures and reporting formats for these audits. For a list of all SOPs related to Audit Procedures, please visit the Audit Procedures for Air Quality Monitoring webpage.

Volume V: Audit Procedures for Air Quality Monitoring

Audit Procedures for Air Quality Monitoring define the responsibilities for conducting system and performance audits and establish standardized procedures and reporting formats for these audits.

For a list of all SOPs related to Audit Procedures, please visit the Audit Procedures for Air Quality Monitoring webpage.

Volume VI: Stationary Sources Emission Monitoring and Testing
Document	Date**
CARB - Quality Assurance in the Testing of Stationary Sources, Revision 0	1-1979

*Quality Management documents not linked above are available upon request by contacting qa@arb.ca.gov.

**The date of the document reflects when the document was approved by CARB, or U.S. EPA, as applicable.

Quality Management Documents for CARB

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