245-1 Weather-Based Conditional Sampling of Ammonia Using Robotic Diffusive Samplers.



Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Henry Gonzalez Convention Center, Hall C, Street Level

Jay Ham, Christina Williams, Joshua Stratton and Thomas Borch, C-107 Plant Science Bldg, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
Diffusive/passive samplers can be used to measure the spatial variations in ammonia and other trace gases near livestock operations, but results are often confounded by changing weather conditions during extended deployment periods (e.g., 1 to 2 weeks). A new type of conditional sampler was developed that only exposes the passive samplers when a user-defined set of wind and weather conditions are met.  The samplers were housed in air-tight tubes that could be opened and closed with a motorized actuator controlled by a datalogger.  Samplers were deployed on portable tripods equipped with an anemometer, wind vane, thermometer, and humidity sensor.  Multiple tripods, equipped with Radiello diffusive NH3 samplers, were positioned near cattle feedlots and dairies and programmed to only expose the passive samplers when the upwind source area represented a specific zone of the operation. This new methodology allows improved detection of high emissions zones or transport pathways near livestock operations and provides more accurate measurements of downwind gradients.
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See more from this Session: Emission of Regulated and Greenhouse Gases: Measurement Technology, Monitoring and Policy: II