Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title/Conference

Agricultural Air Quality Washington, DC

Publication Date

6-8-2006

Abstract

Lidar (LIght Detection And Ranging) provides the means to quantitatively evaluate the spatial and temporal variability of particulate emissions from agricultural activities, including animal feeding operations. A three-wavelength portable scanning Lidar system built at the Space Dynamic Laboratory (SDL) is used to extract optical properties of the particulate matter from the return Lidar signal and to convert these optical properties to physical parameters including the spatial distribution of particulate concentration around the agricultural facility and its temporal variations. The inversion algorithm developed to retrieve physical parameters of the particulate matter takes advantage of measurements taken simultaneously at three different wavelengths (355, 532, and 1064 nm) and allows us to estimate the particle size distribution in the emitted plume as well; however, quantitative evaluation of particulate optical and physical properties from the Lidar signal is complicated by the complexity of particles composition, particle size distribution, and environmental conditions such as the ambient humidity. Additional independent measurements of particulate physical and chemical properties are needed to unambiguously calibrate and validate the particulate physical properties retrieved from the Lidar measurements. In this paper we present results of the particulate emission characterization obtained by simultaneous remote measurements with Lidar and point measurements at the feeding operation site with standard equipment including optical particle counters, portable PM10 and PM2.5 ambient air samplers, multistage impactors, an aerosol mass spectrometer, and ion chromatography.

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