AAAR 34th Annual Conference
October 12 - October 16, 2015
Hyatt Regency
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Abstract View
Particulate Matter Concentration of Mono-slope Beef Cattle Facilities
MINDY SPIEHS, Erin Cortus, Greg Holt, Kris Kohl, Beth Doran, Ferouz Ayadi, Scott Cortus, Md Rajibul Al Mamun, Stephen Pohl, Richard Nicolai, Richard Stowell, David Parker, USDA ARS
Abstract Number: 162 Working Group: Primary and Secondary Aerosols from Agricultural Operations
Abstract In the Northern Great Plains, mono-slope beef cattle facilities are an increasingly common housing system. Producers may remove all bedding and manure from the pens weekly (Scrape), maintain a deep-bedded manure pack (Pack), or use a combination of management styles. The objectives of the research were to identify relationships between management practices and PM concentrations, and to determine baseline particulate matter (PM) concentrations around the immediate perimeter of the barn. To determine differences in PM concentration between routine operations and a bedding event, PM was measured over two five-day periods at one Pack barn. Overall mean concentration of total suspended particulates (TSP) in the Pack barn during bedding events was 702.2 micro-grams per m$^3 and during routine operation was 58.6 micro-grams per m$^3. Average concentrations of PM less than 10 micro-meters in diameter (PM$_(10)) and PM less than 2.5 micro-meters in diameter (PM$_(2.5)) were 4.9 and 17.5 micro-grams per m$^3, respectively, during routine operation, and 29.7 and 141.7 micro-grams per m$^3, respectively, during a bedding event. Within 18 hours following a bedding event, PM concentrations returned to baseline. Twenty-four hour collections of PM$_(10) and PM$_(2.5) occurred at least twice during each quarter during a 14-month period in two Scrape barns. Daily mean concentrations of PM$_(2.5) and PM$_(10) in Scrape barns ranged from 10 to 14 micro-grams per m$^3 and 25 to 28 micro-grams per m$^3, respectively. This indicated relatively low PM concentrations from mono-slope beef facilities. Ambient air temperature affected PM concentration, while relative humidity, number of cattle, and wind speed were less influential to overall dust in the facilities.