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ARS Home » Plains Area » Las Cruces, New Mexico » Cotton Ginning Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #289701
Title: Second stage lint cleaning system total particulate emission factors and rates for cotton gins: Method 17

Author
item BUSER, MICHAEL - Oklahoma State University
item Whitelock, Derek
item Boykin Jr, James
item Holt, Gregory

Submitted to: Journal of Cotton Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/3/2014
Publication Date: 4/15/2015
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/61731
Citation: Buser, M.D., Whitelock, D.P., Boykin Jr, J.C., Holt, G.A. 2015. Second stage lint cleaning system total particulate emission factors and rates for cotton gins: Method 17. Journal of Cotton Science. 19:82-91.

Interpretive Summary: The cotton ginning industry across the cotton belt has agreed that there is an urgent need to collect additional cotton gin particulate emissions data to address current regulatory issues. Their main concern is that EPA emission factors are generally assigned a rating that is used to assess the quality of the data being referenced and that current EPA total particulate emission factor quality ratings for cotton gins are extremely low. Cotton gin factors received these low ratings because the data was collected almost exclusively from a single geographical region. In response, seven cotton gins at locations across the cotton belt were sampled by the three USDA-ARS Cotton Ginning Laboratories and Oklahoma State University to collect additional information about the amount of dust emitted while processing cotton. Four of the seven gins had 2nd stage lint cleaning systems that were not combined with other systems. It was found that the 2nd stage lint cleaning systems at the gins sampled emitted on average 0.050 pounds of dust for every 500 pound bale of cotton produced; which was about 9% of the current EPA emission factor. This information could improve the quality rating of cotton gin emission factors and will ensure that cotton gins are appropriately permitted and accounted for in state and federal regulations.

Technical Abstract: This manuscript is part of a series of manuscripts that characterize cotton gin emissions from the standpoint of stack sampling. The impetus behind this project was the urgent need to collect additional cotton gin emissions data to address current regulatory issues. A key component of this study was focused on EPA total particulate emission factors. EPA AP-42 emission factors are generally assigned a rating that is used to assess the quality of the data being referenced. The ratings can range from A (Excellent) to E (Poor). EPA current total particulate emission factor quality ratings for cotton gins are extremely low. Cotton gins received these low ratings because the data was collected almost exclusively from a single geographical region. The objective for this study was to collect additional total particulate emission factor data, based on the EPA approved stack sampling methodology, for 2nd stage lint cleaning systems from cotton gins located in regions across the cotton belt. The project plan included sampling seven cotton gins across the cotton belt. Key factors for selecting specific cotton gins included: 1) facility location (geographically diverse), 2) industry representative production capacity, 3) typical processing systems and 4) equipped with properly designed and maintained 1D3D cyclones. Four of the seven gins were equipped with 2nd stage lint cleaning systems that were not combined with 1st stage lint cleaning systems. In terms of capacity, the four gins were typical of the industry; averaging 29.0 bales/hr during testing. The average measured total particulate emission factor based on four tests (11 total test runs) was 0.023 kg/bale (0.050 lb/bale). The test average emission rates ranged from 0.22 to 1.50 kg/hr (0.49 to 3.31 lb/hr).