You are here:
Background on Ammonia and EPA methods for key Ammonia (NH3) sectors in the NEI
Citation:
Rao, V. AND J. Bash. Background on Ammonia and EPA methods for key Ammonia (NH3) sectors in the NEI. Emission Inventory Training Workshop, RTP, NC, May 15 - 17, 2018.
Impact/Purpose:
Improve science of emissions sources that are associated with natural and physical processes in the environment. Include these improved emissions in the National Emissions Inventory (NEI) and associated emissions modeling platforms and test them in air quality models to characterize the impacts. The sectors of focus for this improvement are agricultural ammonia from fertilizer application and livestock, agricultural burning, wildfires and prescribed burning, biogenic sources (including NH3), and dust. All sectors have important impacts in ozone and/or PM2.5 formation, and the underlying emissions processes result in large variability and uncertainty. Include methods documentation for NEI and/or publications.
Description:
Emissions Research for the National Emissions Inventory – 2017 NEI and Beyond Objective: Improve science of emissions sources that are associated with natural and physical processes in the environment. Include these improved emissions in the National Emissions Inventory (NEI) and associated emissions modeling platforms and test them in air quality models to characterize the impacts. The sectors of focus for this improvement are agricultural ammonia from fertilizer application and livestock, agricultural burning, wildfires and prescribed burning, biogenic sources (including NH3), and dust. All sectors have important impacts in ozone and/or PM2.5 formation, and the underlying emissions processes result in large variability and uncertainty. Include methods documentation for NEI and/or publications. Recent work: • Model-based approaches developed by CED produce CMAQ model flux of ammonia that is summarized to a daily and annual basis and used in the 2011 and 2014 NEI and the associated emissions modeling platforms. • STAR grant completed at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), which resulted in new livestock emissions model. With corrections, the emissions from this model were used in the 2014 NEI. • CED developed an agricultural fires estimation method using satellite observations and other data, which has been incorporated into the 2014 NEI, shared with states for comments and improvements, and included as daily emissions in the emissions modeling platform. • Improved understanding of fire “phases” and revised plume rise assumptions associated with smoldering phase in post-processing of wildfires and prescribed burning emissions. • Biogenic land use data were developed by CED and incorporated in the BEIS3 model. AQAD uses that model for emissions in the NEI and the emissions modeling platforms. Potential future work: • Understand differences between CED fertilizer activity and NH3 emissions methods and incorporate improvements into the NEI • Study livestock emissions model for better understanding of NH3 emissions methods and work to improve NH3 and VOC (silage) emissions estimates from livestock sources • Improve plume rise algorithms in SMOKE and CMAQ to better address smoldering phase • Create, test, and publish biogenic land use data for Alaska, Hawaii, and territories to support these areas with the same products as the Continental US and to better support global modeling • Determine source(s) of overestimated dust emissions and/or model crustal cation biases • Evaluate sources and levels of biogenic NH3 and leaf litter decomposition as a possible new source of formaldehyde