New method to measure control performance of dust palliatives on unpaved roads at federal facilities

Military training activities often produce significant dust emissions from unpaved travel surfaces. Because failure to comply with environmental regulations could adversely affect training operations, prudent use of chemical palliatives for control of dust from unpaved surfaces enhances the Army's land‐based training capability, mission, and combat readiness. This article describes a new, more efficient method to determine the control effectiveness of palliatives on roads at Army facilities. Rather than attempting to quantify “absolute” emission rates, the “mobile sampler” described in this article relies on relative measures. As compared to the methods used in previous field studies, the mobile sampler is not only more efficient in terms of time and labor required, it also provides greater reproducibility and relieves many of the restrictions placed on acceptable test sites when using test methods for absolute emission levels. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.