PARTICULATE MATTER EMISSIONS FROM REDUCED-PASS ALMOND SWEEPING Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • Almond harvest accounts for a significant amount of PM 10 emissions in California each harvest season. This article addresses the reduction of blower passes during the harvest from 3 to 1 as a possible mitigation measure. Ambient total suspended particulate and PM 10 sampling was conducted at two orchards during harvest with alternating control and experimental treatments. On-site meteorological data were used in conjunction with inverse dispersion modeling using Industrial Source Complex Short-Term, version 3 (ISCST3) to develop emission rates from the measured concentrations. Baseline emission factors of 379 86 kg PM 10 km -2 year -1 and 16 3.3 kg PM 10 km -2 year -1 were determined, and an emissions reduction of 49% was achieved by the experimental treatment, representing a significant potential for emissions reduction across the state. Harvest efficiency was also measured to determine the possible financial impacts from a crop removal aspect. The results of the harvest efficiency work were variable, but the amount of unharvested product left in the orchard was small. 2009 American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers.

published proceedings

  • TRANSACTIONS OF THE ASABE

author list (cited authors)

  • Goodrich, L. B., Faulkner, W. B., Capareda, S. C., Krauter, C., & Parnell, C. B.

complete list of authors

  • Goodrich, LB||Faulkner, WB||Capareda, SC||Krauter, C||Parnell, CB

publication date

  • September 2009