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Air Quality

Air Quality. November 7, 2012. Odors. The group that discussed ID-310 introduced CAFO odors and enumerated ways to reduce them The annoyance level of an odor depends on: Odor strength Flow rate of the source air stream Hedonic tone (degree of pleasant/unpleasantness) Frequency

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Air Quality

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  1. Air Quality November 7, 2012

  2. Odors • The group that discussed ID-310 introduced CAFO odors and enumerated ways to reduce them • The annoyance level of an odor depends on: • Odor strength • Flow rate of the source air stream • Hedonic tone (degree of pleasant/unpleasantness) • Frequency • Duration • Good farmsteads and building hygienic and maintenance can reduce unpleasant odors

  3. EPA Air Quality Standards • What six air contaminants does the EPA monitor and set standards for?

  4. Clean Air Act • Requires the EPA to set national ambient air quality standards for: • Particle pollution (particulate matter) • Ground-level ozone • Carbon monoxide • Sulfur oxides • Nitrogen oxides • Lead

  5. Todays AQI Forecast • Tuesday, November 6, 2012 • http://www.airnow.gov/ (see animation) • Air quality monitors measure concentrations of air pollutants throughout the country • The EPA, state, tribal and local agencies use that data to ensure that pollutant levels that protect public health and the environment

  6. Ground-level Ozone (O3)

  7. Carbon Monoxide (CO)

  8. Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)

  9. Particulate Matter (PM)

  10. Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)

  11. Lead (Pb) Nationally, average lead concentrations decreased after EPA's regulations reduced the lead content in on-road motor vehicle gasoline.

  12. Methane (CH4) • Methane is a greenhouse gas that remains in the atmosphere for approximately 9-15 years after released • Methane is over 20 times more effective in trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide (CO2) • Global average atmospheric concentrations of methane have increased since 1750 • 1750: approximately 700 parts per billion by volume (ppbv) • 1998: 1,745 ppbv • (150% increase)

  13. Rate of Methane Increase • Late 1970s: growth rate was 20 ppbv per year • 1980s: growth rate was 9-13 ppbvper year • 1990s: growth rate was 0-13 ppbv • 1990-2002: steady rate of 1751 ppbv

  14. Sources and Emissions • Methane (CH4) is emitted from both human-related and natural sources • Natural sources include: • Wetlands (170 Tg/year) • Geologic (mud volcanoes, steam vents, bubbling pools 42-64 Tg/year) • Termites (2-22 Tg/year) • Oceans (2-16 Tg/year) • Gas hydrates (2-9Tg/year) • Wildfires( 2-5Tg/year) • Wild animals (ruminants, 15 Tg/year)

  15. Human-related Sources, U.S. The table shows the level of emissions from individual sources in the U.S. (units: TgCO2) • Other sources, with emissions in the range of 5 – 10 TgCO2, are: • Forest land • Rice cultivation • Stationary combustion • Abandoned underground coal mines • Human-related sources release significant quantities of methane to the atmosphere • (> 50% of the total)

  16. Livestock Enteric Fermentation • Ruminant animals (cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, and camels) produce significant amounts of methane as part of their normal digestive processes • Microbial fermentation converts feed into products that can be digested and utilized by the animalin the rumen (large fore-stomach) • Microbial fermentation (enteric fermentation) produces methane as a by-product • Methane is also produced in smaller quantities by the digestive processes of other animals, including humans, but emissions from these sources are insignificant

  17. Livestock Manure Management • Methane is produced during the anaerobic (i.e., without oxygen) decomposition of organic material in livestock manure management systems • Liquid manure management systems (e.g., lagoons and holding tanks) can cause significant methane production • Manure deposited on fields and pastures, or otherwise handled in a dry form, produces insignificant amounts of methane

  18. Wastewater Treatment • Wastewater from municipal sewage and industrial sources is treated to remove soluble organic matter, suspended solids, pathogenic organisms, and chemical contaminants. • These treatment processes can produce methane emissions if organic constituents in the wastewater are treated anaerobically (i.e., without oxygen) and if the methane produced is released to the atmosphere • The sludge produced from some treatment processes may be further biodegraded under anaerobic conditions, resulting in methane emissions • These emissions can be avoided by treating the wastewater and the associated sludge under aerobic conditions or by capturing methane released under anaerobic conditions

  19. Purdue Agricultural Air Quality Laboratory (PAAQL) Specializes in odor assessment using: • Field and laboratory olfactometry • Chemical analyses using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with olfactory sensing • Ion chromatography • Closed-cell FTIR spectrometry • Continuous emissions monitoring

  20. Odors Tested • Ammonia • Hydrogen sulfide • Carbon dioxide • Methane • Nitrous oxide • Ethanol • Methanol • Particulate matter

  21. Current Research • Air Emissions from High Rise and Belt Battery Layer Barns in Ohio • Purdue University and Ohio State University are monitoring particulates and ammonia emissions from two deep pit layer barns and one belt battery layer barn located in Ohio. • Characterization and Abatement of Ammonia, Particulate, Pathogen and Odor Emissions from Egg Production Facilities • Test the hypothesis that belt battery barns emit less air emissions than conventional deep pit barns with replicated field tests and establish emission factors for each type. • Quantify effects of litter composting, and wet scrubbers on air emissions from egg production facilities.

  22. Previous Research • Quasi-continuous emission measurements from two swine production buildings in Missouri • One barn was unaltered while the other one had a soybean oil sprinkling system. • Each tunnel ventilated building housed 1,100 pigs • The barns were flushed with recycled lagoon effluent about 16 times daily • Measured continuously: NH 3 , H 2 S, CO 2 , CH 4 , non-methane hydrocarbons, PM 10 , TSP, temperature, relative humidity, building static pressure, solar radiation, fan airflows, animal activity, and wind speed and direction were Odor emissions using olfactometry were also measured.

  23. Other Air Pollution Sources • Dust Storms • Reminder: The Dust Bowl,Sunday, Nov. 18, by Ken Burns special – Extra Credit for a 1-2 page report • Pesticide drift – discussed in the Pesticide lecture • Research shows that vaporization and atmospheric deposition has deposited pollutants in the Great Lakes • Atrazine • A chemical (diedren??) was found in the Great Lakes that is a cotton herbicide, used in the south (S. Carolina, Georgia, etc. )

  24. Any Questions?

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