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ARS Home » Plains Area » Las Cruces, New Mexico » Cotton Ginning Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #307640
Title: First stage mote system particulate emission factors for cotton gins: Particle size distribution characteristics

Author
item BUSER, MICHAEL - Oklahoma State University
item Whitelock, Derek
item BOYKIN, JAMES - Retired ARS Employee
item Holt, Gregory

Submitted to: Journal of Cotton Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/29/2015
Publication Date: 11/12/2015
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/61745
Citation: Buser, M.D., Whitelock, D.P., Boykin, J.C., Holt, G.A. 2015. First stage mote system particulate emission factors for cotton gins: Particle size distribution characteristics. Journal of Cotton Science. 19:491-503.

Interpretive Summary: In 2006, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) implemented a more stringent air quality standard for very fine dust smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter (PM2.5). Also, quality ratings for EPA emission factors for cotton gin particulate with a diameter less than or equal to 10 micrometers (PM10) are extremely low. The primary issue affecting the cotton industry across the country is that cotton gins may not be regulated fairly, because very little scientifically sound information is available on cotton gin emissions. Since all cotton gins will eventually be impacted by these issues, cotton ginners' associations across the Cotton Belt agreed that there was an urgent need to collect cotton gin emissions data to address the PM2.5 standards and current regulatory issues concerning PM10 emission factors. The EPA-approved methodology to measure emissions utilizes size selective particulate samplers. There is a body of evidence that raises questions regarding the effectiveness of these samplers and points to a critical need for additional information about the particulate sampled. In response, seven cotton gins at locations across the Cotton Belt were sampled by the USDA-ARS Cotton Ginning Laboratories and Oklahoma State University to develop particle size characteristics for the dust emitted while processing cotton. Using these characteristics, it was found that the first stage mote systems at the gins sampled emitted on average 0.0014 pounds of PM2.5 for every 500 pound bale of cotton produced and 0.020 pounds of PM10 per bale. These results were lower than those measured utilizing EPA-approved methods. This information will go further to ensure that cotton gins are appropriately permitted and accounted for in state and federal regulations. Also, this may allow many gins to avoid installing additional dust control measures with substantially higher capital and operating costs that will impact the ginning cost to the farmer.

Technical Abstract: This report is part of a project to characterize cotton gin emissions from the standpoint of total particulate stack sampling and particle size analyses. In 2013, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a more stringent standard for particulate matter with nominal diameter less than or equal to 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5). This created an urgent need to collect additional cotton gin emissions data to address current regulatory issues, because EPA AP-42 cotton gin PM2.5 emission factors did not exist. In addition, current EPA AP-42 included combined mote cleaner PM10 (particulate matter with nominal diameter less than or equal to 10 micrometers) and total particulate emission factors and not individual mote cleaner system emission factors. The objective of this study was to characterize particulate emissions for first stage mote systems from cotton gins located in regions across the Cotton Belt based on EPA-approved total particulate stack sampling methodologies and particle size analyses. Average measured PM2.5, PM10 and PM10-2.5 emission factors based on the mass and particle size analyses of EPA Method 17 total particulate filter and wash samples from five gins (14 total test runs) were 0.00063 kg/227-kg bale (0.0014 lb/500-lb bale), 0.0091 kg/bale (0.020 lb/bale), and 0.0084 kg/bale (0.019 lb/bale), respectively. The first stage mote system particle size distributions were characterized by an average mass median diameter of 16.37 micrometers (aerodynamic equivalent diameter) and a geometric standard deviation of 3.85. Based on system average emission factors, the ratio of PM2.5 to total particulate was 2.5%, PM2.5 to PM10 was 6.9%, PM10 to total was 36%, and PM10-2.5 to total was 33%. Particle-size distribution-based system average PM2.5 and PM10 emission factors were 15% and 45% of those measured for this project utilizing EPA-approved methods. The particle-sized distribution-based PM10 emission factor was 15% of that currently published in EPA AP-42 for the mote fan which is equivalent to a combined first and second stage mote system.