Monitoring system design for the southeastern broiler gaseous and particulate matter air emissions monitoring project

Robert T. Burns, Hongwei Xin, Hong Li, Steve Hoff, Lara Moody, Richard Gates, Doug Overhults, John Earnest

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

Air emissions from animal feeding operations (AFOs) remain a pressing issue for the animal industry and regulatory agencies. Accurate quantifications of pollutant emissions from AFOs, including commercial broiler (meat-bird) production systems, are needed to develop improved emissions inventories and emission factors and determine if regulatory emission reporting requirements are exceeded. Collection of air emissions data proposed to be used as representative data for southeastern U.S. broiler operations in the national Air Compliance Agreement is currently being conducted cooperatively by Iowa State University and The University of Kentucky. Two mechanically ventilated commercial broiler houses located in western Kentucky are being monitored for a period of one year. This study includes the quantification of building emissions for ammonia (NH3), carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC), total suspended particulates (TSP), particulate matter less than 10 microns (PM10) and particulate matter less than 2.5 microns (PM2.5). Two mobile air emission monitoring units were designed and fabricated at Iowa State University during the summer of 2005. Monitoring system installation was completed in fall 2005, and monitoring for all pollutants was initiated in January 2006. The mobile air emission monitoring units include a system to quantify pollutant concentrations within the broiler houses and a system to quantify the volume of air exhausted from each broiler house by the ventilation fans. Ammonia, carbon dioxide, methane and total hydrocarbon concentrations are measured using INNOVA 1412 photoacoustic multi-gas monitors. Hydrogen sulfide concentrations are measured using Teledyne API 101E pulsed fluorescence analyzers. Total hydrocarbons, non-methane hydrocarbons and methane are also measured using a VIG-200 gas chromatograph. Continuous measurement of air flow from each house is accomplished by measuring building static pressure and the operational status of each ventilation fan. The fan operation status in conjunction with building static pressure is applied to in situ calibration fan curves developed for each fan using FANS (FAN Assessment Numeration System) units built at the University of Kentucky. Compact Field Point data acquisition hardware is utilized in conjunction with a custom data acquisition program written in Labview 7. This paper describes the continuous air emissions monitoring system developed for use in this study.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationAir and Waste Management Association - Symposium on Air Quality Measurement
Subtitle of host publicationMethods and Technology 2006
Pages482-492
Number of pages11
StatePublished - 2006
Externally publishedYes
EventSymposium on Air Quality Measurement: Methods and Technology 2006 - Durham, NC, United States
Duration: May 9 2006May 11 2006

Publication series

NameAir and Waste Management Association - Symposium on Air Quality Measurement: Methods and Technology 2006

Other

OtherSymposium on Air Quality Measurement: Methods and Technology 2006
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityDurham, NC
Period5/9/065/11/06

Keywords

  • Ammonia
  • Broiler emissions monitoring
  • Continuous
  • Hydrogen sulfide
  • Non-methane hydrocarbons
  • Particulate matter
  • Poultry

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Environmental Chemistry
  • Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law
  • Pollution

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