DETERMINATION OF EMISSION FACTORS FOR SOIL BORNE DUSTFALL AND SUSPENDED PARTICULATE IN AMBIENT AIR

Two important factors contributing air quality deterioration, i.e. dustfall and suspended particulate, are obligatory parameters necessary to describe air quality. The research objectives were to measure the generated dustfall and suspended particulate in ambient air over a model area constructed of Oxisol as well as Ultisol soil and to determine the emission factors of dustfall and suspended particulate generation as affected by wind speed and soil moisture content over an area covered by both soil classes. The measurement of dustfall and suspended particulate was conducted in a laboratory scale tunnel where the land surface was covered by Oxisol and subsequently changed by Ultisol soil. The instruments used during the experiments were dustfall canister, blower, anemometer, moisture tester, tunnel, analytical balance, Petri dish, filter paper 10[mu] and universal oven. Result of the measurements showed that the average generated dustfall from Oxisol and Ultisol soil surface were 9 and 15 ton/km super(2)[middot]month, respectively. The generated suspended particulate from Oxisol covered area was 150 [mu]g/Nm super(3) and for Ultisol area was 102 [mu]g/Nm super(3). The developed emission factor equations as affected by wind speed and soil moisture content are at this point ready for field implementation to predict the dustfall and suspended particulate generation over land covered by both soil types.