Emission characteristics and size distribution of aerosols from biomass combustion in the Yangtze River Delta of China

IF 3.9 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Atmospheric Pollution Research Pub Date : 2026-04-01 Epub Date: 2025-11-17 DOI:10.1016/j.apr.2025.102829

Fengwei Liu , Yufei Ling , Keqiang Wang , Lei Tong , Kun Wu , Chunli Liu , Hang Xiao , Cenyan Huang

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Abstract

The open burning of crop straws is a major source of air pollution, posing serious environmental and health risks. However, the size distribution and chemical composition of particulate matter (PM) emitted from biomass combustion remain poorly understood, which limits our understanding of its source characteristics. This study investigated the emission characteristics of PM and its chemical components in the Yangtze River Delta, China. Emission factors across nine particle size ranges were determined through laboratory burning simulations using six typical crop straws. Results showed that the highest emission factors of PM and its chemical components were mainly concentrated in the 1.1–3.3 μm size range. The highest emission factors of organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), and water-soluble ions (K⁺, NH₄⁺, Cl⁻, NO₃⁻, and SO₄²⁻) were all observed in this range. Among the tested crops, wheat exhibited the highest emission factor, followed by corn and sorghum. Rice and soybeans contributed the highest emission factors of OC and EC, respectively. The OC/EC ratio increased significantly in particles of size <1.1 μm, indicating that organic matter was more concentrated in submicron particles. Heavy metal emissions, by contrast, were mainly concentrated in coarse particles. From 2013 to 2022, the proportions of wheat (46.26 %), rice (28.75 %), and corn (23.21 %) were dominant in the total emissions in the Yangtze River Delta. Overall, the findings provide more evidence that biomass combustion contributes to the formation of haze pollution during the harvest period.

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中国长三角生物质燃烧气溶胶排放特征及粒径分布

露天焚烧农作物秸秆是空气污染的一个主要来源，造成严重的环境和健康风险。然而，生物质燃烧排放的颗粒物（PM）的大小分布和化学成分仍然知之甚少，这限制了我们对其来源特征的理解。研究了长江三角洲地区大气颗粒物及其化学成分的排放特征。通过六种典型农作物秸秆的实验室燃烧模拟，确定了九个粒径范围内的排放因子。结果表明：PM及其化学成分的最高排放因子主要集中在1.1 ~ 3.3 μm粒径范围内；有机碳（OC）、元素碳（EC）和水溶性离子（K+、NH4+、Cl−、NO3−和SO42−）的排放因子均在此范围内。在受试作物中，小麦的排放因子最高，其次是玉米和高粱。水稻和大豆分别贡献了最高的有机碳和有机碳排放因子。粒径为<；1.1 μm的颗粒OC/EC比值显著升高，说明有机物更多地集中在亚微米颗粒中。相比之下，重金属排放主要集中在粗颗粒中。2013 - 2022年长三角地区碳排放总量中，小麦（46.26%）、水稻（28.75%）和玉米（23.21%）占主导地位。总的来说，这些发现提供了更多的证据，证明生物质燃烧有助于收获期雾霾污染的形成。

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来源期刊

Atmospheric Pollution Research ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES-

CiteScore

8.30

自引率

6.70%

发文量

256

审稿时长

36 days

期刊介绍： Atmospheric Pollution Research (APR) is an international journal designed for the publication of articles on air pollution. Papers should present novel experimental results, theory and modeling of air pollution on local, regional, or global scales. Areas covered are research on inorganic, organic, and persistent organic air pollutants, air quality monitoring, air quality management, atmospheric dispersion and transport, air-surface (soil, water, and vegetation) exchange of pollutants, dry and wet deposition, indoor air quality, exposure assessment, health effects, satellite measurements, natural emissions, atmospheric chemistry, greenhouse gases, and effects on climate change.