Follow NEMC
 |
 |
 |
Agricultural Air Quality: Measurements, Monitoring, and Modeling
Oral Presentation
Prepared by V. Aneja
North Carolina State University, Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27695-8208
Contact Information: vpaneja@ncsu.edu; 919-515-7808
ABSTRACT
Emissions of gases and particulate matter from agricultural operations can impact human and ecological health and can contribute to global atmospheric greenhouse gas accumulation. As farmers respond to increasing demands for food, feed, fiber, and fuel, the potential environmental and health risks increase. Agricultural air quality is an important emerging area of environmental science, which offers significant challenges to many aspects of policy and regulatory authorities. Improvements are needed in measurements, modeling, emission controls, and farm operation management, apart from socio-economic aspects of food production. Controlling emissions of gases and particulate matter from agriculture is notoriously difficult as this sector affects the most basic need of humans, i.e. food, and policies combine an inadequately known science covering a very disparate range of activities in a complex industry with social and political overlays. Moreover, agricultural emissions derive from both area and point sources. Given the serious concerns raised regarding the amount and the impacts of agricultural air emissions, ways must be found to make real progress in reducing these environmental impacts.
Agricultural emissions produce significant local and regional impacts, such as odor, Particulate Matter (PM) exposure, eutrophication, acidification, and exposure to toxics, and pathogens. Agricultural emissions also contribute to the global problems caused by greenhouse gas emissions. Agricultural emissions are variable in space and time and in how they interact within the various processes and media effected. Most important in the US are ammonia (where agriculture accounts for ~90% of total emissions), reduced sulfur (unquantified), PM2.5 (~16%), PM10 (~18%), methane (29%), nitrous oxide (72%); and odor and emissions of pathogens (both unquantified). Agriculture also consumes fossil fuels for fertilizer production and farm operations, thus emitting carbon dioxide (CO2), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx) and particulates. Current research priorities include the quantification of point and non-point sources, the biosphere-atmosphere exchange of ammonia, reduced sulfur compounds, volatile organic compounds, greenhouse gases, odor and pathogens, the quantification of landscape processes, and the primary and secondary emissions of PM. Although European policymakers have made progress in controlling these emissions, regulations in the United States remain inadequate.
Oral Presentation
Prepared by V. Aneja
North Carolina State University, Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27695-8208
Contact Information: vpaneja@ncsu.edu; 919-515-7808
ABSTRACT
Emissions of gases and particulate matter from agricultural operations can impact human and ecological health and can contribute to global atmospheric greenhouse gas accumulation. As farmers respond to increasing demands for food, feed, fiber, and fuel, the potential environmental and health risks increase. Agricultural air quality is an important emerging area of environmental science, which offers significant challenges to many aspects of policy and regulatory authorities. Improvements are needed in measurements, modeling, emission controls, and farm operation management, apart from socio-economic aspects of food production. Controlling emissions of gases and particulate matter from agriculture is notoriously difficult as this sector affects the most basic need of humans, i.e. food, and policies combine an inadequately known science covering a very disparate range of activities in a complex industry with social and political overlays. Moreover, agricultural emissions derive from both area and point sources. Given the serious concerns raised regarding the amount and the impacts of agricultural air emissions, ways must be found to make real progress in reducing these environmental impacts.
Agricultural emissions produce significant local and regional impacts, such as odor, Particulate Matter (PM) exposure, eutrophication, acidification, and exposure to toxics, and pathogens. Agricultural emissions also contribute to the global problems caused by greenhouse gas emissions. Agricultural emissions are variable in space and time and in how they interact within the various processes and media effected. Most important in the US are ammonia (where agriculture accounts for ~90% of total emissions), reduced sulfur (unquantified), PM2.5 (~16%), PM10 (~18%), methane (29%), nitrous oxide (72%); and odor and emissions of pathogens (both unquantified). Agriculture also consumes fossil fuels for fertilizer production and farm operations, thus emitting carbon dioxide (CO2), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx) and particulates. Current research priorities include the quantification of point and non-point sources, the biosphere-atmosphere exchange of ammonia, reduced sulfur compounds, volatile organic compounds, greenhouse gases, odor and pathogens, the quantification of landscape processes, and the primary and secondary emissions of PM. Although European policymakers have made progress in controlling these emissions, regulations in the United States remain inadequate.