Atmospheric Fate and Transport of Agricultural Dust and Ammonia

2006

Ammonia emissions are associated with many agricultural operations including animal and poultry operations, waste and wastewater treatment operations, and fertilizer and manure land applications. The fate of ammonia released to atmosphere is affected by interaction with other gases, aerosols, and fine particles. These interactions affect the gas-to-particle conversion. This process alters ammonia concentrations downwind from agricultural operations. However, experimental research and modeling of the gas-to-particle conversion processes in ammonia-rich environments is generally limited. This paper summarizes the state-ofthe-art knowledge related to gas-to-particle conversion of ammonia. Ammonia and inorganic acid gases emitted from livestock and poultry operations and manure treatment, handling and application can affect air quality by formation of secondary particulate in the fine, PM2.5 range (a regulated air pollutant). The process of gas-to-particle conversion of relatively short-lived gaseous ammonia to more persistent fine particulate can affect local and regional air quality far away from the agricultural sources. Emissions of ammonia from livestock and poultry operations can potentially be detrimental to the air quality in non-compliance areas. Several models for the formation of fine PM from substrates such as ammonia are available and have been used for air quality modeling on a local and regional scale. These models can be adapted or modified to include emissions of ammonia and acid gases from livestock and poultry operations. More research is needed to improve the knowledge related to the role of ammonia gas-to-particle conversion. These needs include: (1) simultaneous field measurements of ammonia and acid gases at typical livestock and poultry sources, (2) development of emission factors for ammonia and acid gases, (3) incorporation of ammonia from agricultural sources to local and regional air quality models, and (4) modeling the fate of ammonia and acid gases emissions from livestock and poultry operations.

Atmospheric Environment, 2004

We present 1 year of ambient ammonia (NH 3 ), ammonium (NH 4 + ), hydrochloric acid (HCl), chloride (Cl À ), nitric acid (HNO 3 ), nitrate (NO 3 À ), nitrous acid (HONO), sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), and sulfate (SO 4 2À ) concentrations at three sites in the Coastal Plain region of North Carolina. The three sites, Clinton, Kinston, and Morehead City, are located in counties with total NH 3 emission densities of 4800, 2280, and 320 kg NH 3 -N km À2 yr À1 , respectively. Average NH 3 concentrations were 5.32, 2.46, and 0.58 mg m À3 at Clinton, Kinston, and Morehead City, respectively. Average NH 4 + concentrations were 1.84, 1.25, and 0.91 mg m À3 , and total concentrations of inorganic (NH 4 + +NO 3 À + SO 4 2À +Cl À ) particulate matter with aerosol diameters o2:5 mm (PM 2.5 ) were 8.66, 6.35, and 5.31 mg m À3 at Clinton, Kinston, and Morehead City, respectively. NH 3 concentrations were highest during the summer at all sites, with summer-to-winter concentration ratios of 2.40, 5.70, and 1.70 at Clinton, Kinston, and Morehead City, respectively. NH 3 concentrations were higher at night at the Clinton site, during the day at the Kinston site, and day vs. night concentrations were similar at the Morehead City site. NH 4 + concentrations were highest during the winter at all sites, though this may not be representative of all years. Average daytime concentrations of NH 4 + were similar to night values at all sites. NH 4 + aerosol was primarily associated with SO 4 2À at all sites, though the degree of SO 4 2À neutralization was highest at Clinton and lowest at Morehead City. NH 4 + aerosol formation appeared to be acid-gas-limited at the Clinton site during all seasons and during the spring and summer at the Kinston site. This study shows that agricultural NH 3 emissions influence local ambient concentrations of NH 3 and PM 2.5 .

Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) in the semi-arid Southern Great Plains face air quality challenges, including odor and dust, ammonia (NH 3), gaseous emissions, particulate matter (PM) emissions, and respiratory health of livestock. The scientific basis for selecting cost-effective abatement options and establishing achievable emission factors for odor, odorous gases (odorants), ammonia (NH 3), hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and particulate matter (PM 10 and PM 2.5) has not been developed for the CAFO industry especially openlot livestock feeding systems. To establish a credible scientific basis for addressing these issues, this research and technology-transfer project involves a federal/state partnership of outstanding engineers and scientists faculty from the following institutions/agencies:

2004

This work was motivated by the need to better reconcile emission factors for fugitive dust with the amount of geologic material found on ambient filter samples. The deposition of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to 10 m (PM 10 ), generated by travel over an unpaved road, over the first 100 m of transport downwind of the road was examined at Ft. Bliss, near El Paso, TX. The field conditions, typical for warm days in the arid southwestern United States, represented sparsely vegetated terrain under neutral to unstable atmospheric conditions. Emission fluxes of PM 10 dust were obtained from towers downwind of the unpaved road at 7, 50, and 100 m. The horizontal flux measurements at the 7 m and 100 m towers indicated that PM 10 deposition to the vegetation and ground was too small to measure. The data indicated, with 95% confidence, that the loss of PM 10 between the source of emission at the unpaved IMPLICATIONS This work was motivated by the well-documented disagreement between estimates of road and other geological dust obtained by emissions inventory methods and the actual amount of inorganic minerals observed on filter samples at ambient monitoring sites. This study provides a basis for modeling the magnitude of PM 10 dust removal by deposition close to the emission source. The analysis focuses on emissions from unpaved roads, though the results may be pertinent to other sources of fugitive dust.

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2018

The increasing use of intensive agricultural practices can lead to damaging consequences for the atmosphere through enhanced emissions of air pollutants. However, there are few direct measurements of the surface-atmosphere exchange of trace gases and water-soluble aerosols over agricultural grassland, particularly of reactive nitrogen compounds. In this study, we present measurements of the concentrations, fluxes and deposition velocities of the trace gases HCl, HONO, HNO 3 , SO 2 and NH 3 as well as their associated water-soluble aerosol counterparts Cl − , NO − 2 , NO − 3 , SO 2− 4 and NH + 4 as determined hourly for 1 month in May-June 2016 over agricultural grassland near Edinburgh, UK, pre-and postfertilisation. Measurements were made using the Gradient of Aerosols and Gases Online Registrator (GRAEGOR) wet-chemistry two-point gradient instrument. Emissions of NH 3 peaked at 1460 ng m −2 s −1 3 h after fertilisation, with an emission of HONO peaking at 4.92 ng m −2 s −1 occurring 5 h after fertilisation. Apparent emissions of NO − 3 aerosol were observed after fertilisation which, coupled with a divergence of HNO 3 deposition velocity (V d) from its theoretical maximum value, suggested the reaction of emitted NH 3 with atmospheric HNO 3 to form ammonium nitrate aerosol. The use of the conservative exchange fluxes of tot-NH + 4 and tot-NO − 3 indicated net emission of tot-NO − 3 , implying a ground source of HNO 3 after fertilisation. Daytime concentrations of HONO remained above the detection limit (30 ng m −3) throughout the campaign, suggesting a daytime source for HONO at the site. Whilst the mean V d of NH + 4 was 0.93 mm s −1 in the range expected for the accumulation mode, the larger average V d for Cl − (3.65 mm s −1), NO − 3 (1.97 mm s −1) and SO 2− 4 (1.89 mm s −1) reflected the contribution of a supermicron fraction and decreased with increasing PM 2.5 /PM 10 ratio (a proxy measurement for aerosol size), providing evidence-although limited by the use of a proxy for aerosol size-of a size dependence of aerosol deposition velocity for aerosol chemical compounds, which has been suggested from process-orientated models of aerosol deposition.

Journal of Agromedicine, 2009

2000

In support of the Central States Regional Air Planning Association's (CENRAP) need to develop a regional haze plan, Sonoma Technology, Inc. (STI) developed a 2002 emission inventory of particulate matter (PM) emissions from agricultural dust sources for the nine-state CENRAP region, which includes Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, and Minnesota. Emissions from agricultural tilling operations were estimated

Atmospheric Environment, 2008

Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) are major sources of ammonia emitted into the atmosphere. There is considerable literature on ammonia emissions from poultry and swine CAFO, but few comprehensive studies have investigated large, open lot beef cattle feedyards. Ammonia emission rates and emission factors for a 77-ha, 45 000-head commercial beef cattle feedyard on the southern High Plains were quantified using measured profiles of ammonia concentration, wind speed and air temperature, and an inverse dispersion model. Mean summer emission rate was 7420 kg NH 3 d À1 , and winter emission rate was about half that, at 3330 kg NH 3 d À1 . Annual NH 3 -N emission rate was 4430 kg NH 3 -N d À1 , which was 53% of the N fed to cattle. Daily per capita NH 3 -N losses increased by 10-64% after the daily per capita N in feed rations increased by 15-26%. Annual emission factors for the pen area of the feedyard were 19.3 kg NH 3 (head fed) À1 , or 70.2 kg NH 3 Mg À1 biomass produced. Annual emission factors for the retention pond of the feedyard were estimated to be 0.9 kg NH 3 (head fed) À1 , or 3.2 kg NH 3 Mg À1 biomass produced.

2014

h i g h l i g h t s Five years of measurements reveal low ammonia concentrations in western Wyoming. Ammonia and nitric acid concentrations show a strong seasonal variation. Ammonia concentrations peak in summer. Nitric acid concentrations peak in summer and winter.

2012

BY: George Ruchathi Mwaniki, Ph.D. Washington State University December 2012 Chair: Timothy VanReken Air pollution impacts occur at all scales, meaning that policies and air quality management practices must be implemented and coordinated at the local, regional, national, and global scales. This dissertation is part of a continuing effort to improve our understanding of various air quality related issues in different environments. The dissertation consists of four studies. In the first study, wintertime chemical composition of water-soluble particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) was monitored in the Treasure Valley region near Boise, Idaho. This study was aimed at understanding the major drivers of wintertime PM2.5 within the locality of Boise and its suburbs. From this study, organics and particulate nitrate were the dominant contributors to the PM2.5 mass during wintertime. In the second study, particle size distribution, light scattering coefficient...