Adaptation of an Ambient Ion Monitor for Detection of Organic Ions in Particulate Matter from Agricultural Emissions

PHIL SILVA (1)

(1) USDA-ARS, Bowling Green, KY

     Abstract Number: 739
     Last modified: May 14, 2010

Abstract
Agricultural facilities are the source of many types of particles and gases that can exhibit an influence on air quality. Particle mass concentration influences from agricultural sources can include both primary emissions and secondary particle formation through emission of gaseous precursors.

The ambient ion monitor (AIM) is composed of a parallel plate denuder, aerosol steam generator, and two ion chromatographs equipped with conductivity detectors to provide semi-continuous air quality monitoring capability. The AIM has been used for detection of common particulate ions (ammonium, chloride, nitrate, nitrite, and sulfate) and their precursor gases in a number of studies of urban air quality. In this project we pursue adapting the method to organic ions important in the field of agricultural emissions.

Target analytes include carboxylic acids (C1-C5) for the anion column detector and alkyl amines (C1-C4) for the cation column detector. We will discuss sampling optimization, including denuder composition for the gas-phase precursors and separation protocols to optimize detection of the analytes.