National Air Emissions Monitoring Study: Swine Feeding Operations in North Carolina.

There are increasing concerns about the environmental and health effects of air emissions from animal feeding operations (AFOs) with the increasing size, geographic concentration, and suburbanization of these operations. The National Air Emission Monitoring Study (NAEMS) was established in 2006 by a voluntary Air Compliance Agreement between the EPA and the pork, dairy, egg and broiler industries to highlight the air quality issues associated with AFOs with respect to compliance with EPA regulations. The objectives of the NAEMS include 1) accurately assess emissions from livestock operations and compile a database for estimation of emission rates and 2) promote a national consensus for emissions-estimation methods/procedures from livestock operations. Currently the NAEMS monitors a total of 38 different barns across eight states of U.S., representing one of four main animal industries, namely, swine, dairy, layers, and broilers. Each of barns continuously monitors particulate matter (PM₁₀, PM_2.5, or TSP), volatile organic carbon (VOC), ammonia (NH₃), hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), and carbon dioxide (CO₂) according to the EPA-approved standard operating procedures. Department of Soil Science at NC State University monitors air emissions from a sow farm (breeding, gestation, and farrowing) and a finisher farm (three finishing barns) in Duplin County, NC. Introduction to the NAEMS, NC swine site description, instrument setup, and preliminary results will be discussed.