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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Pullman, Washington » Northwest Sustainable Agroecosystems Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #167409

Title: EMISSION AND TRANSPORT OF PM10 FROM AGRICULTURAL FIELDS

Author
item Sharratt, Brenton
item FENG, GUANGLONG - WASHINGTON STATE UNIV.

Submitted to: Soil and Water Conservation Society
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/3/2004
Publication Date: 7/24/2004
Citation: Sharratt, B.S., Feng, G. Emission and transport of pm10 from agricultural fields [abstract]. Soil and Water Conservation Society.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The amendments to the Clean Air Act in 1990 required the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to promulgate the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Several locations in eastern Washington failed to meet the PM10 standard due to elevated dust emissions from agricultural fields during high wind events. Therefore, research was initiated by the USDA Agricultural Research Service and Washington State University to quantify and simulate the emission of PM10 and develop strategies for reducing the emission of PM10 from agricultural soils. Instrumentation was installed in the autumn of 2003 to measure the loss of soil (using BSNE airborne sediment samplers) and PM10 (using high volume air samplers) from a 9-ha field site. The site was in fallow in 2003. In addition, a weather station was also installed at the site. Soil characteristics such as bulk density, near surface water content, surface roughness, residue cover, and surface strength were assessed periodically during the autumn. Measurements of airborne sediment were used to quantify the loss of soil and PM10 that resulted from a high wind event (dust storm) on October 28, 2003. This singular event resulted in a net loss of topsoil greater than 1200 kg ha-1 (0.5 ton ac-1) and a loss of PM10 of 220 kg ha-1 (0.1 ton ac-1) from the field site.