Sources of atmospheric black carbon and related carbonaceous components at Rishiri Island, Japan: The roles of Siberian wildfires and of crop residue burning in China

• Published in: Environmental pollution (1987) Vol. 247; pp. 55 - 63
• Main Authors: Zhu, Chunmao, Kanaya, Yugo, Yoshikawa-Inoue, Hisayuki, Irino, Tomohisa, Seki, Osamu, Tohjima, Yasunori
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2019
• Subjects: Aerosols; Asian outflow; Biomass burning; FLEXPART; Levoglucosan; Levoglucosan; Aerosols; FLEXPART; Asian outflow; Biomass burning
• ISSN: 0269-7491; 1873-6424
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.01.003

A field study was conducted to clarify sources of atmospheric black carbon and related carbonaceous components at Rishiri Island, Japan. We quantified equivalent black carbon (eBC) particle mass and the absorption Ångström exponent (AAE), atmospheric CO and CH4, in addition to levoglucosan in total suspended particles, a typical tracer of biomass burning. Sixteen high eBC events were identified attributable to either anthropogenic sources or biomass burning in Siberia/China. These events were often accompanied by increases of co-emitted gases such as CH4 and CO. Specifically, we observed pollution events with elevated eBC, AAE, levoglucosan, and CH4CO slope in late July 2014, which were attributed to forest fires in Siberia by reference to the FLEXPART model footprint and fire hotspots. In autumn, drastic increases of eBC, AAE, and levoglucosan were observed, accompanied by an eBC–CO slope of >15 ng m−3/ppb, resulting from long-range transport of emissions from extensive burning of crop residue on the Northeast China Plain. Other than the sources of fossil fuel combustion in China and forest fires in Siberia, we report for the first time that pollution events in northern Japan are caused by crop residue burning in China. This study elucidated valuable information that will improve understanding of the effects of biomass burning in East Asia on atmospheric carbonaceous components. [Display omitted] •Equivalent BC, levoglucosan, AAE, CO, and CH4 were observed at Rishiri Island.•FLEXPART simulations and fire spots showed sources of pollutants in high eBC events.•Siberian forest fires caused elevated levels of carbonaceous components in summer.•Crop residue burning in China elevated carbonaceous components in autumn. Events of elevated carbonaceous components in the Asian outflow region showed impacts of Siberian wildfires and of crop residue burning in China.