Characterization of the fugitive particulate emissions from construction mud/dirt carryout

Although the fugitive dust associated with construction mud/dirt carryout can represent a substantial portion of the particulate matter (PM) emissions inventory in nonattainment areas, it has not been well characterized by direct sampling methods. In this paper, a research program is described that directly determined both PM10 and PM2.5 (particles < or =10 and 2.5 microm in classical aerodynamic diameter, respectively) emission factors for mud/dirt carryout from a major construction project located in metropolitan Kansas City, MO. The program also assessed the contribution of automotive emissions to the total PM2.5 burden and determined the baseline emissions from the test road. As part of the study, both time-integrated and continuous exposure-profiling methods were used to assess the PM emissions, including particle size and elemental composition. This research resulted in overall PM10 and PM2.5 emission factors of 6 and 0.2 g/vehicle, respectively. Although PM10 is within the range of prior U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidance, the PM2.5 emission factor is far lower than previous estimates published by EPA. In addition, based on both the particle size and chemical data obtained in the study, a major portion of the PM2.5 emissions appears to be attributable to automotive exhaust from light-duty, gasoline-powered vehicles and not to the fugitive dust associated with reentrained mud/dirt carryout.