Emissions of particulate PAHs from solid fuel combustion in indoor cookstoves

• Published in: The Science of the total environment Vol. 771; p. 145411
• Main Authors: Du, Wei, Wang, Jinze, Zhuo, Shaojie, Zhong, Qirui, Wang, Wei, Chen, Yuanchen, Wang, Zhenglu, Mao, Kang, Huang, Ye, Shen, Guofeng, Tao, Shu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.06.2021
• Subjects: Composition profile; Emission factors; Isomer ratio; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Residential combustion; Solid fuels; Emission factors; Residential combustion; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Composition profile; Isomer ratio; Solid fuels
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145411

Residential solid fuel combustion is a major emission source of PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) in most developing countries, including China; however, accurate estimates of PAH emissions are often challenged by limited real-world emission factors (EFs) under field conditions, which can hardly be repeated in laboratory-controlled tests. In this study, a series of field measurements was conducted to determine the emissions of 28 PAHs from different fuel-stove combinations. A total of 14 fuel-stove combinations were studied. The total EFs of 28 PAHs (EFPAH28), on the basis of fuel mass, ranged from 20.7 to 535 mg/kg, with relatively lower EFs for coal than for biomass. Biomass burning in gasifier stoves had lower PAH EFs and fewer toxic PAH species than biomass burning in traditional brick stoves. Fuel type was a significant factor affecting PAH emissions, while stove difference had a relatively smaller influence. Much higher EFs were found from these field tests than from the idealized laboratory tests, which indicated significant underestimation in inventories based on the laboratory-based EFs. Biomass and coal had different profiles, with larger intra-fuel variations in coal than those in biomass. Highly variable values of some, though not all, commonly used isomer ratios indicated substantial biases in source apportionment relying on single or simple ratios without correction, and the MCE was found to be significantly corrected with some ratios. [Display omitted] •Particulate PAHs emissions from 14 fuel-stove combinations in field conditions•Stronger influences of fuel types than stove difference in determining PAHs emission variations•Larger intra-fuel variations in PAHs composition profiles from coal combustion•More emission factors from the field conditions compared with the lab tests•Highly variable isomer ratios used in PAHs source apportionment