9.1 2 Role of Agricultural Practices in Fugitive Dust Emissions, Final Tte Report, June 8,1991 MRI Project of California Air Resources Board
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9.1 2 Role of Agricultural Practices in Fugitive Dust Emissions, Final Tte Report, June 8,1991 MRI Project of California Air Resources Board. I I The statements and conclusions in this report are those of the contractor I and not necessarily those of the California Air Resources Board. The men- tion of commercial products, their sources, or their use in connection with material reported herein is not to be construed as actual or implied en- I dorsement of such products. I I I I THE ROLE OF AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES I IN FUGITIVE DUST EMISSIONS I I FINAL REPORT June 8, 1981 I HXI Project No. 4809-L I I For I California Air Resources Board P. 0. Box 2815 1800 15th Street P Sacramento, California 95812 I Attn: Dr. Robert Grant I MIDWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE 425 VOLKER BOULEVARD, KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI 641 10 0 816 753-7600 I (I I I I. ABSTRACT For the San Joaquin Valley, the Sacramento Valley, and the Imperial Valley, Midwest Research Institute quantified the impact of agricultural 'I operations on fugitive dust emissions. Thirteen tests were performed in the spring of 1980 to quantify emission factors from discing, land planing, and vehicles traveling on unpaved farm roads. Six tests were performed in I the fall of 1980 to quantify emission factors from sugar beet harvesting. Since fugitive emissions from a given operation can vary depending on physical properties of the soil or equipment, and depending on climate, pre- I dictive equations were developed to relate total, inhalable and fine partic- ulate emission factors to important independent variables. Significant re- lationships were determined between the emission factor and the soil silt I content. An inhalable particulate emission inventory performed for the three valleys showed that in 1978, agricultural operations produced 148,000 Mg/ 'I year of fugitive dust less than 15 pm in aerodynamic diameter. Field crops yielded the most significant emissions while soil preparation was the most significant category of operations. I Two categories of control techniques were suggested: (a) those that included control equipment to be added to the farm implement and (b) those that included operational modifications. Control efficiencies and poten- I tial emission reductions were estimated for these control techniques. 1 I I 1 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This study was performed by Midwest Research Institute (MRI) over a period extending from July 1979 to April 1981. The project leader and pri- mary author of this report was Mr. Thomas A. Cuscino, Jr. He was assisted in the writing of this report by Mr. John S. Kinsey and Mr. Richard Hackney The emission factor quantification portion of this work was directed by Mr. Russel Bohn of MRI. Other members of the MRI field sampling team were Mr. David Griffin, Mr. Thomas Walker, and Mr. Frank Pendleton. Some preliminary visibility impact measurements were collected by Mr. Ward Saunders and Ms. Susan Knauss of Meteorology Research, Inc. and Environ- mental Systems and Services, respectively. Valuable assistance on the identification of agricultural operations and .control techniques was provided by KVB, Inc. under the direction of Mr. R. Michael Roberts with assistance from Mr. Michael J. Berlant and Mr. Douglas Dale. Finally, preparation of a glossary of agricultural terms was performed by Professor Monte McKibbon of the Orange Coast College in Santa Ana, Cali- fornia. This report was submitted in fulfillment of Contract No. A8-125-31 by HRI under the sponsorship of the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Dr. Robert Grant of CARB monitored project performance. Work was completed as of March 31, 1981. Approved for: MIDWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE &&4d~q*&& %dM. P. Schrag, Director Environmental Systems Department June 8, 1981 2 1 I CONTENTS 'I Abstract .............................. 1 Acknowledgments ........................... 2 Figures ............................... 4 Tables ............................... 7 I Summary and Conclusions ....................... 11 Recommendations ........................... 15 I 1.0 Introduction ....................... 16 1.1 Project objectives .................. 22 1.2 Report structure................... 22 2.0 Survey of Agricultural Operations and Equipment ...... 23 (I 2.1 Identification of significant agricultural areas ... 23 2.2 Identification of agricultural operations by crop . 23 2.3 Identification of time schedule for cultural opera- I tions by crop ................... 25 3.0 Measurement of Size-Specific Emission Factors ....... 35 3.1 Selection of agricultural operations and test sites . 35 I 3.2 Sampling equipment and techniques .......... 40 3.3 Emission factor calculation results ......... 49 4.0 Determination of Predictive Emission Factor Equations ... 104 4.1 Predictive emission factor equations ......... 104 I 5.0 Evaluation of Promising Modifications to Agricultural Practices to Minimize Fugitive Dust ........... 120 5.1 Modification to agricultural operations ....... 120 5.2 Minimization of wind erosion emissions ........ 123 5.3 Projected impacts of modifications in agricultural practice on IP emission inventory ......... 134 References ............................. 146 Glossary .............................. 148 Abbreviations ............................ 153 Appendices A . Survey of agricultural operations ............. 154 B . 1978 IP emissions inventory ................231 I . 3 I. FIGURES I: Number 1 Identification of California Counties ...... 17 2 California's Major Field Crop Areas and Important Field Crops of Each Area. ................. 20 3 California's Major Fresh Market Vegetable, Melon and Potato Producing Districts. ........... 21 4 Major Agricultural Counties of California ........ 24 5 1978 Acreage of Harvested Field and Seed Crops in the Saa Joaquin Valley. .................. 26 6 1978 Acreage of Harvested Vegetables in the San Joaquin I' Valley. ........................ 21 7 1978 Acreage of Harvested Fruit and Nut Crops in the San I Joaquin Valley. ................... 28 8 1978 Acreage of Harvested Field and Seed Crops in the Sacramento Valley .................. 29 I 9 1978 Acreage of Harvested Vegetables in the Sacramento Valley. ........................ 30 I 10 1978 Acreage of Harvested Fruit and Nut Crops in the Sacramento Valley ................ 31 I 11 1978 Acreage of Harvested Field and Seed Crops in the Imperial Valley .................... 32 I 12 1978 Acreage of Harvested Vegetables in the Imperial Valley. ..................... 33 I 13 1978 Acreage of Harvested Fruit and Nut Crops in the Imperial Valley ................. 34 14 MRI Exposure Profiler .................. 41 I 15 Particle Size Distribution of IP at 2 m Height for Test N-1 ......................... 65 I I 4 I I1 I I FIGURES (continued) 1 Number & 16 Particle Size Distribution of IP at 2 m Height for Test I N-2 .......................... 66 17 Particle Size Distribution of IP at 2 m Height for Test I N-3 .......................... 67 18 Particle Size Distribution of IP at 2 m Height for Test N-4 .......................... 6a I 19 Particle Size Distribution of IP at 1 m Height for Test N-5 ......................... 69 ,I 20 Particle Size Distribution of IP at 3 m Height for Test N-5 .......................... 70 21 Particle Size Distribution of IP at 1 rn Height for Test I N-6 ......................... 71 22 Particle Size Distribution of IP at 3 m Height for Test I N-6 ......................... 72 23 Particle Size Distribution of IP at 2 m Height for Test I N-7 .......................... 73 24 Particle Size Distribution of IP at 2 m Height for Test I N-8 ......................... 74 25 Particle Size Distribution of IP at 2 m Height for Test I N-9 ......................... 75 26 Particle Size Distribution of IP at 1 m Height for Test N-10 .......................... 76 I 27 Particle Size Distribution of IP at 3 m Height for Test N-10. ........................ 77 I 28 Particle Size Distribution of IP at 1 m Height for Test N-11, ........................ ia 29 Particle Size Distribution of IP at 2 m Height for Test I N-12 .......................... 79 30 Particle Size Distribution of IP at 2 m Height and 5 m 3 Downwind for Test R-1 ................. 95 31 Particle Size Distribution of IP at 2 m Height and 5 m I Downwind for Test R-2 ................. 96 I 5 1 I FIGURES (concluded) I Number 32 Particle Size Distribution of IP at 2 m Height and 5 rn I Downwind for Test R-3 ................. 97 33 Particle Size Distribution of'IP at 2 m Height and 5 rn Downwind for Test R-4 ................. 98 I 34 Particle Size Distribution of IP at 2 q Height and 5 q Downwind for Test R-5 ................. 99 I' 35 Particle Size Distribution of IP at 2 rn Height and 5 m Downwind for Test R-6 ................. 100 I!I 36 Plot of Measured TP Emission Factor Versus Silt Content with Potential Predictive Equations Depicted ........ 111 I 37 Plot of Measured IP Emission Factor Versus Silt Content with Potential Predictive Equations Depicted ........ 112 I' 38 Plot of Measured FP Emission Factor Versus Silt Content with Potential Predictive Equations Depicted ........ 113 39 Surface Soil Moisture of Yo10 Loam in Davis, I California. ...................... 114 - 40 Effectiveness of Tree Windbreak ............. 131 I I I I I I I 6 I I I I TABLES Number I 1 Ranking of Counties by Harvested Crop Area ...... 18 2 Emission Factor Values and Predictive Equations Relating I to Agricultural Sources. ............... 36 3 Potential Test Sites--Soil Preparation Operations. ... 30 I 4 Potential Test Sites--Harvesting Operations. ...... 39 5 Field Equipment