2007 Annual Report 1a.Objectives (from AD-416) Cotton production operations and cotton ginning facilities are facing increasingly stringent air quality regulations. Objectives of this project pertain to addressing current particulate matter regulations and preparing for future regulations facing cotton production and processing entities. These objectives include the development of more accurate methods of determining emissions, developing economically feasible options for reducing emissions, and establishing reliable estimates of current emissions and expected reductions associated with implementing alternative or additionally abatement devices or best management practices. 1b.Approach (from AD-416) The current methods of determining particulate matter emissions from agricultural type operations will be evaluated and alternative methods and procedures for determining agricultural particulate matter emissions will be developed based on sound science to reduce the errors associated the current methods. Projects will be initiated to determine particulate matter emissions, pertaining to current federal and state regulatory agencies' guidelines, that can be expected from various cotton related field and processing operations. These projects will provide estimated emission reductions when alternative or additional abatement devices or best management practices are implemented. New and innovative emission control methods will be explored in terms of effectiveness, functionality, and economic feasibility. 3.Progress Report Research evaluations of the effectiveness of particulate matter (PM) samplers in measuring PM emitted from agricultural sources was continued in FY07. Theoretical models have predicted that PM10, PM2.5, and PMcoarse ambient air samplers would over-estimate PM concentrations by a factor of 3.2, 14.0, and 3.4, respectively. These models predicted that PM10 stack samplers would over-estimate PM concentrations by a factor of 4.5. Field studies have indicated that the sampling errors are significantly larger than those predicted by the theoretical models. PM abatement device design, development, and evaluation studies were continued in FY07. A PM abatement device evaluation system has been designed, developed, and constructed and has been used to evaluate baffle type pre-separators, series cyclones, and the scalability of cyclones. These studies have shown that two 1D3D cyclones in series were more effective (97%) than a single 1D3D cyclone (91%); were used to define the optimum baffle placement and inlet air velocity in terms of collection efficiency for the baffle-type pre-separator; and provided fundamental scalability cyclone research that showed that collection efficiency for 10 micron PM decreased from 99.5% to 94.5% as cyclone diameter increased from 6 to 36 in. In addition to evaluating and improving current device/system designs, new abatement technologies are being developed, such as a device for reducing PM emissions from almond and pecan harvesting operations. Research on cotton harvesting PM emission factors was continued in FY07. PM emissions from cotton picking operations using two-row and six-row pickers were evaluated. Results indicate that the PM emission factors for cotton picking using two-row and six-row harvesters are 0.8 and 0.6 lbs/acre, respectively. Further, emission factors developed from source measurements of emission concentrations contain less uncertainty than the emission factors currently used in the regulatory process. Observed differences in the level of emissions between two-row and six-row harvesters provides justification for producers claiming emissions reduction credits for using larger harvesting machinery. Research in FY07 continued on the evaluation of dispersion models for low-level point sources. Research efforts in this area have focused on comparing the outputs from various models to actual field data, evaluated and explored methods of dealing with PM deposition within the models, were used to make facility or abatement device recommendations, and were used to generate model specific emission factors. The majority of this research is in direct response to stakeholder requests. Patriculate matter sampler design and development continues in FY 07. Great strides have been made in the design and development of a low level total suspended particulate (TSP) ambient air sampler, a TSP point source sampler for harvesting eqiupment, airflow control systems for PM samplers, integrated data handling systems for airflow and meteorology data, and operational specific sampling protocols. 4.Accomplishments Particulate Matter Sampler Errors: Various agricultural operations across the United States are encountering difficulties in complying with current air pollution regulations for particulate matter (PM). A primary component of this problem is sampler effectiveness or how well current PM samplers work in agricultural environments. Recent field studies at the Cotton Production and Processing Research Unit's Air Quality Laboratory in Lubbock, TX, have indicated that the sampling errors are significantly larger than those predicted by the theoretical models, for example:. 1)PM10 ambient sampler errors from a cotton gin field study were 1.6 times greater than those predicted by the theoretical models and. 2)PM2.5 stack sampler errors from a cotton gin field study were 4.4 to 7.7 times greater than those predicted by the theoretical models. These results verify that there are substantial problems with PM samplers. Results from this research can be used by agricultural industries and state air pollution regulatory agencies in assuring that agricultural operations and other industries are equally regulated. (NP 203, Component I: Particulate Emission) Use of Series Cyclones to Control Small Particulates: A series cyclone study was pursued to show that a relatively low capital and maintenance cost abatement technology (series cyclones) could be used to reduce particulate matter (PM) emissions from an operation emitting a relatively small PM (mass median diameter of 8.0 micrometers equivalent spherical diameter). Based on the laboratory results at the Cotton Production and Processing Research Unit's Air Quality Laboratory in Lubbock, TX, series cyclones were installed at a full-scale plant prior to the plant's bag house. Reconfiguring the plant abatement system in this manner reduced the plant's emissions by 98.7% and increased the plant's profits by $470,423 per year simply by not allowing the salable material to be emitted into the air. (NP 203, Component I: Particulate Emission) Particulate Matter Sampler Design and Development: Many particulate matter (PM) samplers are currently commercially available for measuring ambient and stack total suspended particulate (TSP), PM10, and PM2.5 emissions. However, the majority of these samplers were developed to operate in an urban environment were the PM is generally smaller than that associated with agricultural operations. Many reports have discussed the errors and uncertainties that arise when using these samplers in locations in which they were not designed to operate, creating a genuine need for environment and operation specific samplers. The air quality team at the Cotton Production and Processing Research Unit's Air Quality Laboratory in Lubbock, TX, has made great strides in the design and development of a low volume TSP ambient air sampler, a TSP point source sampler for harvesting equipment, airflow control systems for PM samplers, integrated data handling systems for airflow and meteorology data, and operational specific sampling protocols. All of these advancements were made in an effort to improve the quality of the data obtained in agricultural PM studies, reduce human errors, reduce data handling, and aid in generating universal agricultural PM emissions data that is in a form that can be applied to future PM indicators (e.g., PMcoarse, PM1, etc.). (NP 203, Component I: Particulate Emission) 6.Technology Transfer Number of new CRADAs and MTAs 1 Number of invention disclosures submitted 1 Number of patent granted 1 Number of non-peer reviewed presentations and proceedings 8 Review Publications Buser, M.D., Parnell, Jr., C.B., Shaw, B.W., Lacey, R.E. 2007. Particulate matter sampler errors due to the interaction of particle size and sampler performance characteristics: Ambient PM2.5 samplers. Transactions of the ASABE. 50(1):241-254. Buser, M.D., Parnell Jr, C.B., Shaw, B.W., Lacey, R.E. 2007. Particulate matter sampler errors due to the interaction of particle size and sampler performance characteristics: Ambient PM10 samplers. Transactions of the ASABE. 50(1):229-240. Buser, M.D., Whitelock, D.P., Holt, G.A., Armijo, C.B., Wang, L. 2007. Collection efficiency evaluation of baffle-type pre-separator configurations: Effects of baffle location and inlet velocities. Applied Engineering in Agriculture. 23(3):347-355. Wang, L., Parnell Jr, C.B., Buser, M.D. 2007. Theoretical study of the impact of particulate matter gravitational settling on ambient coarse particulate matter monitoring for agricultural emissions. Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association. 57:111-115. Buser, M.D., Parnell, Jr., C.B., Shaw, B.W., Lacey, R.E. 2007. Particulate matter sampler errors due to the interaction of particle size and sampler performance characteristics: Background and theory. Transactions of the ASABE. 50(1):221-228. Whitelock, D.P., Buser, M.D. 2007. Multiple series cyclones for high particulate matter concentrations. Applied Engineering in Agriculture. 23(2):131-136. Faulkner, W., Buser, M.D., Whitelock, D.P., Shaw, B. 2007. Effects of cyclone diameter on performance of 1D3D cyclones: Collection efficiency. Transactions of the ASABE. 50(3):1053-1059.