Robert E' Graves

1
Piecing Together
Ag-Air Quality Issues

• Robert E. Graves
• Department of Agricultural and Biological
  Engineering

Penn State is committed to affirmative action,
equal opportunity, and the diversity of its work
force
2
Conclusions

• Everything has to be someplace
• Environmental Protection is more than water
  quality
• AQ is more than odor
• AQ is more than a local concern
• AQ regulation related to agriculture appears
  murky

3
Conclusions

• As the nations AQ becomes more murky,
  agriculture will be expected to participate in AQ
  solutions.
• (Ags regulatory status and responsibility will
  be made clearer)

4
Conclusions

• Existing and proposed actions to protect WQ,
  maintain worker and animal health, and comply
  with regulations may not be consistent with
  proper control of air emissions.

5
Public Concern
environmental and health effects of air emissions
(AE) from Animal Feeding Operations (AFO)
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Concerns have grown with increasing size and
geographical concentration of AFOs
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Air Emissionsfrom Animal Feeding
Operationscurrent knowledge, future needs
Recent Report
National Research Council Of National
Academies www.nap.edu 2003
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AFO EMISSIONS

• Emissions Global Local Effects of Concern
• NH3 Major Minor Atmosphere dep., Haze
• ODOR Insignificant Major Quality of human
  life

Source Table 1 NRC
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AFO EMISSIONS

• Emissions Global Local Effects of Concern
• NH3 Major Minor Atmosphere dep., Haze
• N2O Significant Insignificant Global
  climate change
• NOx Significant Minor Atmosphere dep.,
  Haze,
• Smog
• CH4 Significant Insignificant Global
  climate change

Source Table 1 NRC
10
AFO EMISSIONS

• Emissions Global Local Effects of Concern
• H2S Insignificant Significant Quality of
  human life
• PM10 Insignificant Significant Haze
• PM2.5 Insignificant Significant Health, Haze
• ODOR Insignificant Major Quality of human
  life

Source Table 1 NRC
11
Descriptive Parameters

• Emission Factor
• Emission Rate
• Emission Inventory

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Emission Factor

• An emission factor is a representative value
  that attempts to relate the quantity of a
  pollutant released to the atmosphere with an
  activity associated with the release of that
  pollutant divided by a unit weight, volume,
  distance, or duration of the activity emitting
  the pollutant.
• 
  EPA, 1995

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Emission Rate

• An expression of mass emitted per unit time, with
  or without a production unit.
• kg / hour, kg/hour/ 500kg live weight
• Lacey et
  al, 2003

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Emission Factor

• expressed in terms of mass per production unit
  and is calculated from an emission rate. In many
  cases, emission rates are erroneously reported as
  emission factors.
• Lacey et al, 2003

15
Emission Inventory

• annual inventory of pollutants emitted from a
  site
• pounds of ammonia emitted per year from a
  poultry complex
• kg of hydrogen sulfide emitted per year from a
  swine finishing barn
• Lacey et al, 2003

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Air Quality is

• An animal and worker health concern
• A concern of nearby neighbors
• A concern of state, regional, national and global
  neighbors

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Atmospheric nitrogen compounds

• Nitrogen enrichment of surface waters
• Acid precipitation
• Formation of PM2.5

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Systems Approach

• Geographic size of system is increasing
• Complexity of system is increasing
• More people/regulations concerned

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FARM
EMMISIONS
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ODORS
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AMMONIA
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AMMONIA
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Everything has to be someplace
P
N
PM2.5
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Law of unintended consequences

• is alive and well and present in ag operations
  and environmental protection

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• The big picture keeps getting bigger!