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At the Air & Waste Management Association's annual meeting in San Antonio, Texas, Dr. Judith C. Chow provided a comprehensive review and evaluation of methods to measure particles suspended in the atmosphere. This review was timely in that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) intends to revise the current National Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for suspended particles in 1997. In her presentation, Dr. Chow summarized from the written Critical Review 1 technical findings that supported seven recommendations for future compliance monitoring methods. These recommendations were as follows: 1. Compliance monitoring methods should be based on performance standards, not on design standards. 2. The upper particle size cut for a compliance monitor should be between 2 and 3 um. 3. Particle mass should be the primary property measured for compliance with the 1997 NAAQS. 4. Standard operating procedures need to be part of the performance standard and need to be specific with respect to sample handling, storage, equilibration, and filter acceptance testing. 5. Compliance monitors should be capable of determining chemical components of suspended particles. 6. Trade-offs between increased sample density, frequency and duration, and decreased measurement precision need to be evaluated. 7. Research is needed on continuous measurement of major chemicals in suspended particles to support the next round of NAAQS review. Dr. Chow was specifically charged by the Critical Review subcommittee with drawing conclusions in these areas, in full recognition that others might have alternate interpretations of the published literature. In her presentation, she provided examples drawn from nearly 1,000 literature citations to support her recommendations. Discussants were recruited to offer additional opinions on the content of the review and Dr. Chow's conclusions. Additional reactions were solicited from those attending the session and from the A&WMA membership. This article summarizes the substance of these presentations.

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