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