Methane (CH) and ammonia (NH) are emitted from swine-manure processing lagoons, contributing to global climate change and reducing air quality. Manure diverted to biofuel production is proposed as a means to reduce CH emissions. At a swine confined animal feeding operation in the U.S. Central Great Basin, animal manure was diverted from 12 farms to a biofuel facility and converted to methanol. Ammonia emissions were determined using the De Visscher Model from measured data of dissolved lagoon ammoniacal N concentrations, pH, temperature, and wind speed at the lagoon sites. Other lagoon gas emissions were measured with subsurface gas collection devices and gas chromatography analysis. During 2 yr of study, CO and CH emissions from the primary lagoons decreased 11 and 12%, respectfully, as a result of the biofuel process, compared with concurrently measured control lagoon emissions. Ammonia emissions increased 47% compared with control lagoons. The reduction of CH and increase in NH emissions agrees with a short-term study measured at this location by Lagrangian inverse dispersion analysis. The increase in NH emissions was primarily due to an increase in lagoon solution pH attributable to decreased methanogenesis. Also observed due to biofuel production was a 20% decrease in conversion of total ammoniacal N to N, a secondary process for the removal of N in anaerobic waste lagoons. The increase in NH emissions can be partially attributed to the decrease in N production by a proposed NH conversion to N mechanism. This mechanism predicts that a decrease in NH conversion to N increases ammoniacal N pH. Both effects increase NH emissions. It is unknown whether the decrease in NH conversion to N is a direct or physical result of the decrease in methanogenesis. Procedures and practices intended to reduce emissions of one pollutant can have an unintended consequence on the emissions of another pollutant.

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The National Society of Black Engineers' Technical OutReach Community Help (TORCH) program aims to promote the value of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education at all levels by increasing exposure, enthusiasm, skills, and participation within the Black community. This initiative is accomplished through unique formal and informal experiences led by Black college student-leaders within the student-run national organization at local, regional and national scales. The program components include formal classroom-style training, informal activities, grassroots outreach, direct technical service and, for organizational reasons, traditional community service activities as well. The program was developed and is managed centrally, but the majority of program implementation is facilitated by host organization's chapters, operating independently. The success of the program is driven by the student chapters and the community partnerships they create in the implementation of its activities. Through their creativity and leadership the partnerships created have ranged from technology to education. Furthermore, frequent leadership changes annually at all levels pose an additional threat to sustaining these essential relationships. We present preliminary analysis of the formation and maintenance of community partnerships for each of the program components and their impact on the efforts. We take as examples several programs that have been active over varying lengths of time and examine the interactions between the types of partnerships, attendance at various program components and student volunteer participation.