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ARS Home » Plains Area » Las Cruces, New Mexico » Cotton Ginning Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #316064
Title: Particle size distribution characteristics of cotton gin unloading system total particulate emissions

Author
item BUSER, MICHAEL - Oklahoma State University
item Whitelock, Derek
item BOYKIN, J - Retired ARS Employee
item Holt, Gregory

Submitted to: World Wide Web
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/1/2015
Publication Date: 4/1/2015
Citation: Buser, M.D., Whitelock, D.P., Boykin, J.C., Holt, G.A. 2015. Particle size distribution characteristics of cotton gin unloading system total particulate emissions. National Cotton Gin Technical Reports. Report #OSU13-01. Available: http://buser.okstate.edu/air-quality/cotton-gin/technical-reports/

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: This report is part of a project to characterize cotton gin emissions from the standpoint of total particulate stack sampling and particle size analyses. In 2013, EPA published a more stringent standard for particulate matter with nominal diameter less than or equal to 2.5 µm (PM2.5). This created an urgent need to collect additional cotton gin emissions data to address current regulatory issues, because EPA AP-42 cotton gin PM2.5 emission factors did not exist. In addition, current EPA AP-42 emission factor quality ratings for cotton gin PM10 (particulate matter with nominal diameter less than or equal to 10 µm) data are questionable and extremely low. The objective of this study was to characterize particulate emissions for unloading systems from cotton gins located in regions across the cotton belt based on EPA-approved total particulate stack sampling methodologies and particle size analyses. Average measured PM2.5, PM10 and PM10-2.5 emission factors based on the mass and particle size analyses of EPA Method 17 total particulate filter and wash samples from three gins (9 total test runs) were 0.0059 kg/227-kg bale (0.013 lb/500-lb bale), 0.084 kg/bale (0.185 lb/bale), and 0.078 kg/bale (0.172 lb/bale), respectively. The unloading system particle size distributions were characterized by an average mass median diameter of 7.48 µm (aerodynamic equivalent diameter) and a geometric standard deviation of 2.44. Based on system average emission factors, the ratio of PM2.5 to total particulate was 4.4%, PM2.5 to PM10 was 7.0%, PM10 to total was 62%, and PM10-2.5 to total was 58%. Particle size distribution based system average PM2.5 and PM10 emission factors were 27% and 78% of those measured for this project utilizing EPA-approved methods. The particle sized distribution based PM10 emission factor was 1.5 times that currently published in EPA AP-42.