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ARS Home » Plains Area » Las Cruces, New Mexico » Cotton Ginning Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #316049
Title: Particle size distribution characteristics of cotton gin mote cleaner system total particulate emissions

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

Submitted to: World Wide Web
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/1/2015
Publication Date: 4/1/2015
Citation: Buser, M.D., Whitelock, D.P., Boykin, J.C., Holt, G.A. 2015. Particle size distribution characteristics of cotton gin mote cleaner system total particulate emissions. National Cotton Gin Technical Reports. Report #OSU13-15. Available: http://buser.okstate.edu/air-quality/cotton-gin/technical-reports/

Interpretive Summary:

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, EPA published a more stringent standard for particulate matter with nominal diameter less than or equal to 2.5 µm (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 (particulate matter with nominal diameter less than or equal to 2.5 µm) and PM10 (particulate matter with nominal diameter less than or equal to 10 µm) emission factors did not exist for mote cleaner systems. The objective of this study was to characterize particulate emissions for mote cleaner systems from cotton gins located in regions across the cotton belt based on EPA-approved total particulate stack sampling methodologies and particle size analyses. Two of the seven gins had mote cleaner systems. The exhaust from one of the mote cleaner systems was combined with the module feeder dust system. The average PSD based PM2.5, PM10, and PM10-2.5 emission factors for the mote cleaner system were 0.0016 kg/227-kg bale (0.0036 lb/500-lb bale), 0.033 kg/bale (0.074 lb/bale), and 0.032 kg/bale (0.070 lb/bale), respectively. The PSD was characterized by an average MMD of 17.10 µm AED and a GSD of 3.08. The ratio of PM2.5 to total particulate was 1.5%, PM2.5 to PM10 was 4.8%, PM10 to total was 32%, and PM10-2.5 to total was 30%. Particle size distribution based system average PM2.5 and PM10 emission factors were 45% and 67% of those measured for this project utilizing EPA-approved methods.