Air Emission Monitoring Data For Animal Feeding Operations

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released data from a two-year study of air emissions from animal feeding operations (AFOs). AFOs, which house large numbers of animals for production of meat, dairy products and eggs, were monitored for four air pollutants: ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, particulate matter and volatile organic compounds.

The data are from the National Air Emissions Monitoring Study, which resulted from a 2005 voluntary compliance agreement between EPA and the AFO industry. The study was funded by industry and conducted by Purdue University researchers with EPA oversight. The study monitored emissions at AFOs that raise pigs and broiler chickens, at egg-laying operations, and at dairies, with a total of 24 monitoring sites in nine states.

EPA will use data from the studies to help develop improved methodologies for estimating AFO emissions. Such methodologies are commonly used to estimate emissions from industries where site-specific monitoring data are not available. EPA expects to make draft methodologies available for public review and comment on a rolling basis, beginning in spring 2011.

EPA also is issuing a Call for Information seeking data from other monitoring studies of AFO emissions, especially from operations that raise pigs, chickens, turkeys and beef cattle, and for egg-laying and dairy cattle operations. EPA is requesting quality-assured data on emissions of ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, particulate matter and volatile organic compounds, along with information about how animals are housed or managed, and how manure is stored and treated at the monitored operations.

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