Effect of biomass open burning on particulate matter and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentration levels and PAH dry deposition in ambient air

Abstract

The objectives of the present study were to investigate particulate matter (PM) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations in ambient air during rice straw open burning and non-open burning periods. In the ambient air of a rice field, the mean PM concentration during and after an open burning event were 1828 and 102 μg m⁻³, respectively, which demonstrates that during a rice field open burning event, the PM concentration in the ambient air of rice field is over 17 times higher than that of the non-open burning period. During an open burning event, the mean total PAH and total toxic equivalence (BaP(eq)) concentrations in the ambient air of a rice field were 7206 ng m⁻³ and 10.3 ng m⁻³, respectively, whereas after the open burning event, they were 376 ng m⁻³ and 1.50 ng m⁻³, respectively. Open burning thus increases total PAH and total BaP(eq) concentrations by 19-fold and 6.8-fold, respectively. During a rice straw open burning event, in the ambient air of a rice field, the mean dry deposition fluxes of total PAHs and total BaP(eq) were 1222 μg m⁻² day⁻¹ and 4.80 μg m⁻² day⁻¹, respectively, which are approximately 60- and 3-fold higher than those during the non-open burning period, respectively. During the non-open burning period, particle-bound PAHs contributed 79.2-84.2% of total dry deposition fluxes (gas + particle) of total PAHs. However, an open burning event increases the contribution to total PAH dry deposition by particle-bound PAHs by up to 85.9-95.5%. The results show that due to the increased amount of PM in the ambient air resulting from rice straw open burning, particle-bound PAHs contributed more to dry deposition fluxes of total PAHs than they do during non-open burning periods. The results show that biomass (rice straw) open burning is an important PAH emission source that significantly increases both PM and PAH concentration levels and PAH dry deposition in ambient air.

Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Emitted from Open Burning and Stove Burning of Biomass: A Brief Review

“…Moreover, PAHs emitted from biomass burning can mix with other burning products, such as lignin-derived products (veratraldehyde and vanillic acid) and flavonoid compounds [ 46 ]. Photostable compounds (e.g., lignin-derived compounds) in the mixture can inhibit the photodegradation of PAHs and prolong their atmospheric life, enabling them to be transported [ 47 , 48 , 49 ]. In addition, the enhanced bioactivation of the PAH mixture can cause severe health hazards to humans [ 50 ].…”

Emissions Inventory for Rice Straw Open Burning in Taiwan Based on Burned Area Classification and Mapping Using Formosat-2 Satellite Imagery

“…Italic and bold elements: errors not relevant to the "burned area" classification. Chiu et al (2011) indicated that RSOB is a significant PAH emission source because it substantially increases the particulate matter (PM), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentration, and PAH dry deposition in the ambient air of a rice paddy during an open burning event. In this study, the annual emissions from RSOB were estimated to be 6,101 tons of PM (PM 10 + PM 2.5 ) and 2 tons of total PAH.…”

Source Identification and Health Risk Assessment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon‐Enriched PM2.5 in Tangshan, China

“…In addition, factor 3 in summer and factor 2 in autumn were heavily loaded with Acy and Fln. Previous studies have suggested that these 2 PAHs are related to biomass burning (Chiu et al ; Atzei et al ). In winter, factor 4 components explained 80% of the total variance, whereas factor 1 explained 38% of the variance, with heavy loadings of Phe, Chr, BaA, BbF, BaP, BkF, DbA, and BghiP.…”