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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Pullman, Washington » Northwest Sustainable Agroecosystems Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #90919
Title: REGIONAL AIRBORNE PARTICULATES DURING WIND EROSION OF AGRICULTURAL FIELDS

Author
item Saxton, Keith
item LAMB, BRIAN - WASHINGTON STATE UNIV.
item CLAIBORN, CANDICE - WASHINGTON STATE UNIV.
item FRAZIER, BRUCE - WASHINGTON STATE UNIV.
item STETLER, LARRY - WASHINGTON STATE UNIV.

Submitted to: International Symposium on Air Pollution by Particulates
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/1/1995
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Many urban areas, particularly in the Western U.S., have experienced concentrations of fugitive dust particulates which exceeded the federal health standards. In many of these cases, it was evident that a significant amount of this material was generated from upwind agricultural fields, entrained in the regional air mass, and transported into downwind urban regions were significant degradation of air quality occurred. Intensively instrumented farm field sites have provided simultaneous measurements of soil erosion, dust emissions and detailed wind conditions. Two specific wind storms were studied. These preliminary results compared well to measured particulates in the urban regions. Further research is continuing to correctly define and quantify these effects.

Technical Abstract: Intensively instrumented farm field sites have provided simultaneous measurements of soil erosion, dust emissions and detailed near-surface meteorology. A newly constructed portable wind tunnel (1 m wide, 1.2 m high and 14 m long) was used to supplement both erosion and particulate emission data for a wide variety of soil types and field conditions. The resulting prediction methods combined with the characterization data provide estimates of soil wind erosion and fugitive dust emissions for each 1 km squared area over a large study region in Eastern Washington state. Two specific wind storms were studied with the entire characterization, emission, and transport processes. The estimated particulate emissions from each 1 km squared unit area were routed vertically and downwind by a detailed transport-dispersion model to estimate downwind particulate dust concentrations in urban regions. These preliminary results compared well to measured particulates concentrations.