AAAR 34th Annual Conference
October 12 - October 16, 2015
Hyatt Regency
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Abstract View
Potential Secondary Aerosol Formation from Volatile Organic Compounds Emitted in Waste Handling
PHILIP SILVA, David R. Cocker III, Nanh Lovanh, John Loughrin, USDA - Agricultural Research Service
Abstract Number: 518 Working Group: Primary and Secondary Aerosols from Agricultural Operations
Abstract Agricultural emissions impact particulate mass concentrations through both primary and secondary processes. Primary contributions of aerosol have focused on wind-blown dust and similar sources. Secondary aerosol contribution is well known for ammonia as a precursor. Evidence from previous laboratory and field work suggests that some volatile organic compounds may contribute secondary chemistry leading to aerosol formation as well. Given that temporal emissions of gases from agricultural facilities are not constant and that some of the chemical species show rapid reactivity in the atmosphere, the need for more real-time and online data to understand emissions and chemistry of agricultural emissions is necessary. In support of this, the Food Animal Environmental Systems Research Unit of the Agricultural Research Service has assembled a suite of instrumentation for field studies to more precisely determine emissions and fate of relevant compounds. Laboratory results suggest rapid formation of secondary aerosol for nitrogen and sulfur containing compounds. Field results confirm the presence of secondary components of particulate matter even very near source. A discussion of the complexity in understanding the net agricultural contribution to secondary aerosol will be included in the presentation.