Soil PM₁₀ emission potential under specific mechanical stress and particles characteristics

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Environmental Science
• Atmospheric Science

Background:

• Agriculture is a significant source of atmospheric fine particulate matter (PM), particularly PM10.
• Limited data exists on PM emissions from specific agricultural operations.
• Soil's susceptibility to emit PM is highly variable, influenced by soil properties and environmental conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the emission potential (EP) of agricultural soils under maize cultivation in North-Western Italy.
• To investigate the influence of soil moisture and physico-chemical characteristics on PM10 emissions.
• To develop a predictive model for soil EP and assess the risk of Potentially Toxic Elements (PTE) transport.

Main Methods:

• Development and utilization of a low-cost, portable Soil Resuspension Chamber (SRC) to measure PM10 emissions.
• Analysis of soil physico-chemical properties (moisture, texture, organic carbon).
• Application of a log-linear multiple regression model to estimate soil EP based on soil parameters.

Main Results:

• A predictive model was developed, correlating soil EP with moisture, sand/silt ratio, and organic carbon content.
• The model allows for the estimation of field Emission Factors (EF) for specific cropping operations under varying conditions.
• PM10 emitted from soil showed up to a 16-fold enrichment of Potentially Toxic Elements (PTE) compared to the original soil.

Conclusions:

• Soil moisture and physico-chemical properties significantly influence PM10 emission potential.
• The developed model provides a tool to estimate and manage agricultural soil PM emissions.
• Elevated PTE concentrations in emitted PM10 pose a potential risk to agricultural workers' health.