The Release of Methyl Chloride from Biomass Burning in Australia

Factors Affecting Methyl Chloride Emissions from Forest Biomass Combustion

“…The ratios of CH3CI and key combustion products are listed in Table 2 for comparison with measurements by other researchers. The CH3CI/CO2 ratios agree with some previous data (10}, but are a factor of 10 lower than other data, with the exception of smoldering duff beds (7). Our ratio data for PM2.0 and CH;|C1 are an order of magnitude higher than previous data, again with the exception of smoldering duff beds (10).…”

“…Emissions estimates for CH3-C1 vary substantially, making estimates of its global impact uncertain (4). Measurements of chloromethane have shown this compound to be a nearly unique tracer gas for air pollutant emissions from burning biomass (5)(6)(7).…”

“…The heterocatalytic low-temperature reaction between gaseous methanol and dissociated HC1 over activated charcoal has been studied as a method of industrial CH3C1 production (16): CH3OH + HC1 -CH3C1 + H20 (7) The reactants for this are present during biomass combustion. Activated charcoal is the reactive char formed during the low-temperature pathway of pyrolysis associated with glowing and smoldering combustion.…”

Combustion's impact on the global atmosphere

“…Volcanic and other soluble sources of CI/Br do not appear to penetrate the cold condensation trap between the stratosphere and troposphere [54]. The primary emissions of methyl halides were attributed to the oceans, but recent work has shown that biomass burning may contribute to current levels of both species [55,56]. Agricultural use of CHsBr is an important anthropogenic source of CHsBr.…”