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USING TUNABLE DIODE LASERS TO MEASURE EMISSIONS FROM ANIMAL HOUSING AND WASTE LAGOONS
Citation:
HARRIS, B., R. C. SHORES, AND E. D. THOMA. USING TUNABLE DIODE LASERS TO MEASURE EMISSIONS FROM ANIMAL HOUSING AND WASTE LAGOONS. Presented at 16th International Emission Inventory Conference, Raleigh, NC, May 14 - 17, 2007.
Impact/Purpose:
Conference paper
Description:
Open-path optical spectroscopy has been applied to several fugitive sources by scientists at the EPA National Risk Management Research Laboratory for more than a decade. Open-path Fourier transform infrared (OP-FTIR) was used during the initial research phase because of the ability to detect multiple compounds simultaneously. Recent improvements in solid state, near infrared, tunable diode lasers (TDL) has led to their development as a spectroscopic measurement system when only a single pollutant is of interest. Emissions from agricultural husbandry facilities have become of interest both as a particulate precursor (ammonia) and a greenhouse gas (methane) source. The OP-FTIR was used initially to monitor both gases and the TDL has been deployed lately to focus on ammonia. The TDL has developed into a reliable instrument for collecting long-term data at animal husbandry facilities and is a major component of testing by the agricultural industry to develop sector-specific emission factors.