Emission factors and chemical profile of I/SVOCs emitted from household biomass stove in China

• Published in: The Science of the total environment 2022-10, Vol.842, p.156940-156940, Article 156940
• Main Authors: Huang, Guanghan, Wang, Shuxiao, Chang, Xing, Cai, Siyi, Zhu, Liang, Li, Qing, Jiang, Jingkun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Emission factors; Household biomass stove; Intermediate-volatility organic compounds; Secondary organic aerosol formation potential; Semi-volatile organic compounds
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156940

Household combustion of biomass straw for cooking or heating is one of the most important emission sources of intermediate volatility and semi-volatile organic compounds (I/SVOCs). However, there are limited studies on the emission factors (EFs) and speciation profiles of I/SVOCs from household stoves burning biomass straw. In this study, experiments were conducted in a typical Chinese stove to test the EFs and species of I/SVOCs in three commonly used straws. It was revealed that EFs of I/SVOCs emitted from the burning of corn straw, rice straw, and wheat straw were 6.7, 1.9, and 9.8 g/kg, respectively, which accounted for 48.3 %, 36.8 %, and 48.6 % of total organic compounds emitted. Particulate organic compounds were dominated by ketones, oxygenated aromatics, acids, esters, and nitrogen-containing compounds, whereas the gaseous phase was dominated by aldehydes, acids, and aromatics. Although I/SVOCs only accounted for 18.1–23.6 % of the gaseous emissions from burning of straw, they represented 64.8–72.9 % of the secondary organic aerosol formation potential (SOAFP). The EFs of 16 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were 362.0, 262.5, and 1145.2 mg/kg for corn straw, rice straw, and wheat straw, respectively, among which 3-ring and 4-ring PAHs were the main components. Thus, the results of this study provide new reliable I/SVOCs data that are useful for the development of an accurate emission inventory of organic compounds, simulation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation, and health risk assessment. [Display omitted] •The I/SVOC emission factors of household corn, rice and wheat straw burning are 6.7, 1.9 and 9.8 g/kg.•A TIC-based semi-quantifying method was used to obtain the I/SVOC speciation profiles.•Gaseous I/SVOCs (occupying only 18.1 %–23.6 % of gaseous NMOCs) contribute to 64.8 %–72.9 % of the secondary organic aerosol formation.•EFs of PAHs are 362.0, 262.5 and 1145.2 mg/kg for burning corn straw, rice straw and wheat straw, respectively.