Ambient Air Quality on the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland: Impact of Poultry Farms

We report ambient atmospheric ammonia data collected from sites near Princess Anne, Somerset County, and near Pocomoke City, Worcester County, on the Lower Eastern Shore (LES) of Maryland. Concerns about atmospheric ammonia have recently been highlighted by people on the LES, which runs between the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean on the Delmarva peninsula. Agriculture, fisheries, and tourism account for a substantial portion of the LES's economic activities. According to the USDA's 2017 census, there were 100 Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) in Somerset and Worcester Counties, raising roughly 63 million chickens every year. CAFO activities hold 1.6 million birds inside a two-mile radius of the Worcester County location. The Princess Anne site is similar to the Pocomoke City site in terms of agricultural use and population demographics, however there are only a few chicken houses within two miles. The initial 33 months of LES ammonia data are provided, and their relevance is addressed in relation to other ammonia investigations. The 33-month average ammonia concentration in Pocomoke was 10.3 ± 0.08 ppb, more than double that of Princess Anne, which was 4.7 ± 0.04 ppb.