Ammonia, amine, and reduced sulfur concentrations in and around confined animal feeding operations

Authors: Silva, Philip - Phil

Submitted to: Air and Waste Management Annual Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/31/2019
Publication Date: 6/26/2019
Citation: Silva, P.J. 2019. Ammonia, amine, and reduced sulfur concentrations in and around confined animal feeding operations. Air and Waste Management Annual Conference Proceedings. Paper No. 576300.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: As air emissions from mobile and point sources continue to decline, area source emissions become a greater focus. Agriculture is one such source where available emissions information from different source categories is seriously lacking. Here we discuss gaps in agricultural emissions inventories and their impact on understanding of atmospheric chemistry and modeling of air quality. We will also discus experiments we have conducted measuring concentrations of ammonia, organic nitrogen, and organic sulfur compounds at animal feeding operations. Emissions from swine, dairy, poultry, and mink operations all have unique characteristics. Ammonia concentrations near animal facilities are measured at very high part-per-million levels near source. Organic nitrogen compounds such as amines are typically present a couple orders of magnitude lower than the ammonia. Reduced sulfur compounds are typically measured at lower part-per-billion levels from houses on average, but exhibit transient concentrations that can increase to much higher levels for short time periods. Hydrogen sulfide dominates the sulfur compounds, but other compounds such as dimethylsulfide are frequently detected. Data on these emissions from several animal operations will be presented and ramifications for emission inventories will be discussed.