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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Bowling Green, Kentucky » Food Animal Environmental Systems Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #343955
Research Project: Developing Safe, Efficient and Environmentally Sound Management Practices for the Use of Animal Manure

Location: Food Animal Environmental Systems Research

Title: Characterizing temporal changes of agricultural particulate matter number concentrations

Author
item LARKIN, GRANT - Western Kentucky University
item DOKECAL, GREGORY - Western Kentucky University
item Silva, Philip - Phil
item MAHMOOD, REZAUL - Western Kentucky University

Submitted to: American Geophysical Union
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/9/2017
Publication Date: 12/15/2017
Citation: Larkin, G.P., Dokecal, G.P., Silva, P.J., Mahmood, R. 2017. Characterizing temporal changes of agricultural particulate matter number concentrations. American Geophysical Union. Paper No. A53A-2197.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: It is widely accepted among literature that particulate matter (PM) are of detriment to human health and the environment as a whole. These effects can vary depending on the particle size. This study examines PM size distributions and number concentrations at a poultry house. Despite much literature on PM concentrations at agricultural facilities, few studies have looked at the size distribution of particles at such facilities from the nucleation up through the coarse mode. Two optical particle counters (OPCs) were placed, one inside of a chicken house, and one on the outside of an exhaust fan to determine particle size distributions. In addition, a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) and aerodynamic particle sizer (APS) sampled poultry house particles to give sizing information from a full size range of ~10 nm – 20 um. The data collected show several different types of events where observed size distributions changed. While some of these are due to expected dust generation events producing coarse mode particles, others suggest particle nucleation and accumulation events at the smaller size ranges that also occurred. The data suggest that agricultural facilities have an impact one the presence of PM in the environment beyond just generation of coarse mode dust. Data for different types of size distribution changes observed will be discussed.