Dataset Information

Trans-Pacific and regional atmospheric transport of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and pesticides in biomass burning emissions to western North America.

ABSTRACT: The trans-Pacific and regional North American atmospheric transport of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and pesticides in biomass burning emissions was measured in air masses from April to September 2003 at two remote sites in western North America. Mary's Peak Observatory (MPO) is located in Oregon's Coast Range and Cheeka Peak Observatory (CPO) is located on the tip of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. During this time period, both remote sites were influenced by PAH and pesticide emissions from forest fires in Siberia and regional fires in Oregon and Washington State. Concurrent samples were taken at both sites on June 2 and August 4, 2003. On these dates, CPO had elevated gas phase PAH, alpha-hexachlorocyclohexane, and retene concentrations (p < 0.05) and MPO had elevated retene, particulate phase PAH, and levoglucosan concentrations due to trans-Pacific transport of emissions from fires in Siberia. In addition, during the April to September 2003 sampling period, CPO and MPO were influenced by emissions from regional fires that resulted in elevated levoglucosan, dacthal, endosulfan, and gas phase PAH concentrations. Burned and unburned forest soil samples collected from the regional forest fire area showed that 34-100% of the pesticide mass was lost from soil due to burning. These data suggest that the trans-Pacific and regional atmospheric transport of biomass burning emissions results in elevated PAH and pesticide concentrations in western North America. The elevated pesticide concentrations are likely due to re-emission of historically deposited pesticides from the soil and vegetation during the fire event.

SUBMITTER: Genualdi SA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4159143 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Trans-Pacific and regional atmospheric transport of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and pesticides in biomass burning emissions to western North America.

Genualdi Susan A SA Killin Robert K RK Woods Jim J Wilson Glenn G Schmedding David D Simonich Staci L Massey SL

Environmental science & technology 20090201 4

The trans-Pacific and regional North American atmospheric transport of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and pesticides in biomass burning emissions was measured in air masses from April to September 2003 at two remote sites in western North America. Mary's Peak Observatory (MPO) is located in Oregon's Coast Range and Cheeka Peak Observatory (CPO) is located on the tip of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. During this time period, both remote sites were influenced by PAH and pestic ...[more]

PMID: 19320158

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Project description:Biomass pellets are emerging as a cleaner alternative to traditional biomass fuels. The potential benefits of using biomass pellets include improving energy utilization efficiency and reducing emissions of air pollutants. To assess the environmental, climate, and health significance of replacing traditional fuels with biomass pellets, it is critical to measure the emission factors (EFs) of various pollutants from pellet burning. However, only a few field measurements have been conducted on the emissions of carbon monoxide (CO), particulate matter (PM), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from the combustion of pellets. In this study, pine wood and corn straw pellets were burned in a pellet burner (2.6 kW), and the EFs of CO, organic carbon, elemental carbon, PM, and PAHs (EF(CO), EF(OC), EF(EC), EF(PM), and EF(PAH)) were determined. The average EF(CO), EF(OC), EF(EC), and EF(PM) were 1520 ± 1170, 8.68 ± 11.4, 11.2 ± 8.7, and 188 ± 87 mg/MJ for corn straw pellets and 266 ± 137, 5.74 ± 7.17, 2.02 ± 1.57, and 71.0 ± 54.0 mg/MJ for pine wood pellets, respectively. Total carbonaceous carbon constituted 8 to 14% of the PM mass emitted. The measured values of EF(PAH) for the two pellets were 1.02 ± 0.64 and 0.506 ± 0.360 mg/MJ, respectively. The secondary side air supply in the pellet burner did not change the EFs of most pollutants significantly (p > 0.05). The only exceptions were EF(OC) and EF(PM) for pine wood pellets because of reduced combustion temperatures with the increased air supply. In comparison with EFs for the raw pine wood and corn straw, EF(CO), EF(OC), EF(EC), and EF(PM) for pellets were significantly lower than those for raw fuels (p < 0.05). However, the differences in EF(PAH) were not significant (p > 0.05). Based on the measured EFs and thermal efficiencies, it was estimated that 95, 98, 98, 88, and 71% reductions in the total emissions of CO, OC, EC, PM, and PAHs could be achieved by replacing the raw biomass fuels combusted in traditional cooking stoves with pellets burned in modern pellet burners.

Dataset Information

Trans-Pacific and regional atmospheric transport of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and pesticides in biomass burning emissions to western North America.

Publications

Trans-Pacific and regional atmospheric transport of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and pesticides in biomass burning emissions to western North America.

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