Topic outline

  • Overview of Agricultural-based Air Pollutants

    Credits: 1 PDH

    PDH Course Description:

    This course provides an introduction to air quality science, particularly regarding agricultural interactions. It serves as a useful guide for addressing air quality resource concerns in the context of conservation planning.

    The NRCS has identified four basic resource concerns for agricultural air quality: particulate matter (PM), ozone (O3) precursors, odors, and greenhouse gases (GHG)/carbon sequestration. Separate chapters address each of these important resource concerns, and seek to simplify and clarify the abundance of information on agricultural air quality issues and solutions.

    Topics:

    • Definition of air quality
    • Atmospheric constituents, air pollutants, and air quality
    • Meteorological and topographical influences on air quality
    • Air pollution regulation basics
    • Primary air quality concerns
    • Scales of impacts of resource concerns
    • Principal agricultural air emissions: types, sources, and generating mechanisms
    • Direct particulate matter emissions
    • Ammonia, VOCs, Oxides of Nitrogen, Sulfur compounds, Carbon dioxide, Methane

    To take this course:

    1.) Enroll in Course: Click below to enroll:
    (must be logged into your user account)


    2.) Study: Once enrolled, click below to begin the course:

    Download the Study Guide

    3.) Test: Once you've thoroughly read the course materials, please click below to take the final examination.

    Take the final exam

    4.) Certificate: A passing grade of 70% or higher on the exam, is required to receive the certificate of completion for this PDH course.
         NOTE: After the exam is completed, you will need to return to this page, in order to print (download) the certificate of completion.

    Print the Certificate of Completion

    Intended Audience: This course is intended for Agricultural, Civil, Environmental, Water Resources, and other engineers whose job description would require a general knowledge of agriculturally-based air pollution.
    Publication Source: USDA NRCS

    Donald Parnell, PE

    • Topic 1