Emissions of intermediate-volatility and semi-volatile organic compounds from domestic fuels used in Delhi, India (original) (raw)

High-Precision GC-MS Analysis of Atmospheric Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and Isomer Ratios from Biomass Burning Emissions

This manuscript describes an analytical method for the quantitative determination of 16-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) using accelerated solvent extraction (ASE), followed by purification on a silica cartridge, and subsequent measurement by gas chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The solvent extraction parameters (T = 100˚C, P = 1500 psi, t = 30 min, V = 30 ml) are optimized with dichloromethane (DCM) in order to avoid fractiona-tion effect, thereby achieving quantitative mass recovery of PAHs. The purification of PAHs on silica cartridge eliminates the matrix effect, facilitates their enrichment from extracted solution and quantitative determination in presence of an internal-standard (Pyrene-D10). The analytical protocol has been successfully used for the quantification of 16-PAHs and their isomer ratios in atmospheric aerosols collected from northern India dominated by agricultural-waste (post-harvest paddy and wheat residue) burning emissions. Based on the analysis of ambient aerosols, collected from different sites, the overall recovery efficiency for 2-to 3-ring PAHs is 85% and near 100% recovery for 4-to 6-ring compounds.

Emission Characteristics for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons from Solid Fuels Burned in Domestic Stoves in Rural China

Environmental Science & Technology, 2013

Emission characterization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from residential combustion of crop residues, woody material, coal, and biomass pellets in domestic stoves in rural China are compared in term of emission factors (EFs), influencing factors, composition profiles, isomer ratios and phase distributions. The EFs of PAHs vary by 2 orders of magnitude among fuel types suggesting that a detailed fuel categorization is useful in the development of an emission inventory and potential in emission abatement of PAHs by replacing dirty fuels with relatively cleaner ones. The influence of fuel moisture in biomass burning is nonlinear. Biofuels with very low moisture display relatively high emissions as do fuels with very high moisture. Bituminous coals and brushwood yield relatively large fractions of high molecular PAHs. The emission factor of benzo(a)pyrene equivalent quantity for raw bituminous coal is as high as 52 mg/kg, which is 1−2 orders of magnitude higher than the other fuels. For source diagnosis, high molecular weight isomers are more informative than low molecular weight ones and multiple ratios could be used together whenever possible.

Identification of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in unleaded petrol and diesel exhaust emission

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 2010

More than 130 organic substances in dichloromethane-methanol (4:1) extracts of particulate matter and the gaseous phase from wood burning for the production of charcoal have been identified by capillary gas chromatography coupled with low-resolution mass spectrometry (GC-MS), use of GC retention indices, and comparison with authentic standards. Many of the substances identified are methoxyphenols (derivatives of syringol and guaiacol), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), oxidized PAH (oxy-PAH), and levoglucosan, the last being a monosaccharide derivative from the thermal breakdown of cellulose. The amount of unsubstituted PAH was greater than that of methyl-and dimethyl-substitu ted homologs.

Environmental Science and Pollution Research Atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and isomer ratios as tracers of biomass burning emissions in Northern India

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Emission of particulate matter and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from select cookstove–fuel systems in Asia

Biomass and Bioenergy, 2005

Emission of particulate matter (PM) and polycylic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) from 12 selected cookstoves in Asia burning wood fuel, rice husk briquettes and anthracite coal was investigated. Monitoring was conducted using a hood and a semi-VOC sampling train. 17 PAH (16 US EPA priority plus BeP) were analyzed by HPLC-UV to yield PAH in the PM and gas phase samples separately. PM emission factor for wood fuel, rice husk briquettes and anthracite coal, is around 2-5 g kg À1 ; 5 g kg À1 and 7 g kg À1 ; respectively. Emission factor of 17 PAH for the two biomass fuels is 24-114 mg kg À1 and 140 mg kg À1 ; respectively. The majority of PAH in the biomass fuel smoke is of light and more volatile PAH with above 86% of the total 17 PAH found in the vapor phase. For the anthracite coal emission factor of 17 PAH was low ð2 mg kg À1 Þ and found only in the PM phase. PAH content of PM varies with cookstoves and is 0.08-1:64 mg g À1 (of PM) for total 17 PAH, 0.06-0:98 mg g À1 for genotoxic PAH, and 0.001-0:147 mg g À1 for BaP alone. Emission data from this study was collated with those previously presented, which provides a broader emission database for domestic combustion.

Emissions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from combustion of agricultural and sylvicultural debris

Atmospheric Environment, 2005

The objective of this work is to investigate experimentally the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) during the combustion of biomass in a drop tube furnace (DTF). A number of biomass fuels, including furniture residues, grape pomace, kiwi residues, olive residues, wheat straw, rice husk and platanus residues were used in this work, with the tests performed at three temperatures (900, 1000 and 1100°C). The solid fuels feed rate was 23 g/h and the total air flow rate was 4 L/min, ensuring a residence time in the DTF of around 2 s. In order to collect the PAH in the effluent gas, a narrow tube containing XAD-2 resin was connected to the flue gas duct of the DTF. A quartz fiber filter was placed just before it to collect the particulate matter, including soot, present in the flue gas. The analysis and quantification of the PAH combined Soxhlet extraction and gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer. Flue gas concentrations of O 2 , CO 2 , CO, hydrocarbons and NO x were measured to gather information regarding the combustion conditions. The results showed two distinct features for the variation of the total PAH emissions: one decreasing with temperature and other with a maximum at 1000°C. Grape pomace, kiwi residues and platanus residues presented the lowest PAHs emission (20.8-54.2 mg PAH/kg fuel). A direct relation between the total amount of PAHs and the toxic equivalency value was found.

Emission Estimates of Particulate PAHs from Biomass Fuels Used in Delhi, India

Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: An International Journal, 2012

The emission factors for particulate-phase polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were evaluated for various biomass fuels (fuelwood, dung cakes, and agricultural residue) that are being commonly used in Delhi as a source of energy. Emission factors of total particulate PAHs varied from 35.9 ± 1.9 to 59.7 ± 4.4 mg/kg. Higher levels of total PAHs and particulate matter (PM) were found from dung cakes as compared to fuelwood and agricultural residue. The emission factors for PM from dung cake, fuelwood, and agricultural residue are 25 ± 8, 15 ± 3.2, and 12.1 ± 9.4 g/kg, respectively. The total PAH emissions showed an increase with high particulate matter emission rates and lower combustion efficiency. Fluoranthene, pyrene, benzo[a]anthracene, chrysene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, and benzo[a]pyrene constituted the major fraction of PAH emissions from all biomass fuels. The annual budget estimates (total emissions per year) for PAHs and PM from biomass fuels used in Delhi are 30.5 ± 2.3 Mg (Megagrams) and 11.6 ± 4.4 Gg (Gigagrams), respectively. An attempt has also been made to evaluate the preliminary budget estimates of PAHs and PM emitted from the use of biomass fuels as a source of energy in India by using the emission factors obtained in the present study.

Emissions of non-methane volatile organic compounds from combustion of domestic fuels in Delhi, India

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2021

Twenty-nine different fuel types used in residential dwellings in northern India were collected from across Delhi (76 samples in total). Emission factors of a wide range of non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) (192 compounds in total) were measured during controlled burning experiments using dual-channel gas chromatography with flame ionisation detection (DC-GC-FID), two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC × GC-FID), proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry (PTR-ToF-MS) and solid-phase extraction two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SPE-GC × GC-ToF-MS). On average , 94 % speciation of total measured NMVOC emissions was achieved across all fuel types. The largest contributors to emissions from most fuel types were small non-aromatic oxygenated species, phenolics and furanics. The emission factors (in g kg −1) for total gas-phase NMVOCs were fu-elwood (18.7, 4.3-96.7), cow dung cake (62.0, 35.3-83.0), crop residue (37.9, 8.9-73.8), charcoal (5.4, 2.4-7.9), sawdust (72.4, 28.6-115.5), municipal solid waste (87.3, 56.6-119.1) and liquefied petroleum gas (5.7, 1.9-9.8). The emission factors measured in this study allow for better characterisation, evaluation and understanding of the air quality impacts of residential solid-fuel combustion in India.

Characterization of Gaseous and Particulate Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Ambient Air of Delhi, India

Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds, 2012

Cookstove studies have reported pollutant concentrations (mainly PM 2.5 , black carbon and CO) without routinely associating it with the design and operating principles of the stoves. Extensive characterization of pollutants from cookstoves and the effect of different operating conditions are required for a better understanding of the mechanisms of pollutant formation. In this study, a forced draft (FD) and a natural draft (ND) gasification-based improved cookstove were tested under controlled conditions. Real-time pollutant concentrations, both particulate (PM 2.5 , lung-deposited surface area and particle number size distribution) and gaseous (CO, CO 2 and NO x), from these stoves using three types of fuel (applewood chips and chunks, cowdung cake and coal) along with different cookstove operating conditions (airflow rates and with or without a cooking pot) were measured and compared. The FD cookstove tended to exhibit higher concentrations of emissions compared to the ND cookstove. Increasing airflow through the FD stove decreased flame length and the residence time of VOCs inside the flame zone, which in turn increased pollutant concentrations. An optimum airflow producing the lowest particulate matter (PM) concentrations was established for the FD cookstove. The CO-CO 2 ratio, an indicator of combustion efficiency, demonstrated strong correlations with PM 2.5 (r = 0.857), particle geometric mean diameter (r = 0.900) and the total surface area concentration (r = 0.908) indicating that CO-CO 2 ratio may be used as a proxy for these PM metrics. Results reported in this study will facilitate further improvements in the design of future cookstoves.