Source characterization of biomass burning particles: The combustion of selected European conifers, African hardwood, savanna grass, and German and Indonesian peat

Abstract

We carried out a detailed size‐resolved chemical characterization of particle emissions from the combustion of European conifer species, savanna grass, African hardwood, and German and Indonesian peat. Combustion particles were sampled using two sets of five‐stage Berner‐type cascade impactors after a buffer volume and a dilution tunnel. We determined the emission factors of water‐soluble organic carbon (WSOC, 46–6700 mg kg−1, sum of five stages), water‐insoluble organic carbon (WISOC, 1300–6100 mg kg−1), (apparent) elemental carbon (ECa, 490–1800 mg kg−1), inorganic ions (68–400 mg kg−1), n‐alkanes (0.38–910 mg kg−1), n‐alkenes (0.45–180 mg kg−1), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (1.4–28 mg kg−1), oxy‐PAHs (0.08‐1.0 mg kg−1), lignin decomposition products (59–620 mg kg−1), nitrophenols (1.4–31 mg kg−1), resin acids (0–110 mg kg−1), and cellulose and hemicellulose decomposition products (540–5900 mg kg−1). The combustion and particle emission characteristics of both of peat were significantly different from those of the other biofuels. Peat burning yielded significantly higher emission factors of total fine particles in comparison to the other biofuels. Very high emission factors of n‐alkanes and n‐alkenes were observed from peat combustion, which may be connected to the concurrently observed “missing” CCN in peat smoke. A high level of monosaccharide anhydrides, especially levoglucosan, was detected from all types of biofuel combustion. The fractions of monosaccharide anhydrides in the emitted total carbon were higher in smaller particles (aerodynamic diameter, Dpa < 0.42 μ m).